These Tips to Keep Pets Happy and Safe During the Summer Months are brought to you by Petco, celebrating 50 years of service to pet parents. Petco is a major specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing powerful connections between people and pets; The Power of Together.
According to 2015-2016 American Pet Products Association National Pet Owners Survey, 79.7 million U.S. households who own a pet will be gearing up to make the most of every moment.
Petco is reminding every pet parent to keep their pets happy and safe these Summer Months. To support these tips, we visit Unleashed by Petco; where they “provide the same knowledge and know-how offered by Petco in a unique, smaller package”.
Tips: Keep Pets Happy and Safe During the Summer Months
Hot Temperatures: Beware of the temperature. When it’s extremely hot and humid, limit your dog’s time outdoors. Make sure your pet has access to shade, shelter, and fresh water.
At Unleashed by Petco, you can find Chillz Comfort Cooling Gel Pet Pads. These gel mats will keep your pet cool and comfortable during warm and sweltering Summer days. These are available in different sizes and can be use for indoors or outdoors.
Hydrate: Keep your dog hydrated by having fresh water available at all times. A good rule is to pack the same amount of cool water for a pet as yourself when you’re taking part in outdoor activities. It is important to invest in a good portable or collapsible dog bowl that is easy to clean and stores flat for easy packing. If you’re out in nature, don’t allow your dog to drink lake or river water as that may contain bacteria or parasites like Giardia.
Road Trip: If you plan to travel with your dog this summer, ensure a fun trip for the whole family by pet-proofing the car with seat covers to minimize scratches and pet hair. Additionally, keep your pet safe and secure in a crate, booster seat or dog-specific harness that connects to your car’s seatbelt.
At Unleashed by Petco, Good2Go brand offers a variety of on-the-go travel accessories like collapsible pet travel bowls and booster dog car seat. Good2Go outdoor travel pet products are also available at a Petco store.
ID Tags: During Summer months, many dogs spend a lot of time outdoors and potentially get lost. If your pet is sensitive to loud noises, keep them inside, and always keep your dog’s ID tags up to date.
At Unleashed by Petco, you can instantly personalize a dog id tag. Fi.d.o. tags and fi.d.o engraving machine is available on site. Fi.d.o is also available at a Petco store.
Hiking: Summer Hiking is a favorite activity for many pet parents. However, it can be harmful if dogs overheat in the hot summer sun. Look for signs of a dog overheating – their tongue hangs from the side of the mouth and is weighted at the end, they are panting excessively and have trouble focusing their gaze on something. If a pet begins to overheat, place them in the shade immediately and pour cool water onto the pads of their feet first and then continue over other parts of their body. Placing booties on their paws will also help keep them safe on the rough terrain and prevent their paw pads from burning.
Both Petco and Unleashed by Petco offers a variety of collars, harnesses and non-retractable leashes. It is important you use the “right” kind to keep your dog safe.
Beware of Rattlesnakes: Warm Summer weather calls both snakes and people out of hibernation. Outdoor enthusiasts may find themselves face to face with a less than welcome rattlesnake. However, unlike people, dogs may not have the know-how to avoid this venomous creature. While outside, especially in rural areas, keep dogs on a non-retractable leash, close by so they can be supervised. If a rattlesnake is spotted, calmly and slowly back away from the snake until you are no longer within striking distance and until the snake stops rattling. Then carefully leave the area.
At Petco, you will find Sugar’s favorite dog boots; PawZ. PawZ is an all season dog boots that provides traction control and protects your dog from hot pavements.
HOT Car: Never leave your dog in the car. On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. A pet left in a hot car can sustain brain damage or even die in as little as 15 minutes. Cracking a window does little to relieve the heat on a hot summer day.
Don’t forget to TREAT your dog with healthy treats from Zukes and food from Merrick. Now available at Petco, Merrick’s Backcountry Grain Free Raw Infused Dog Food. Also available is Merrick’s Seasonal Recipe: Summer Lovin’ Stew.
Petco wants to start off your fun Summer with your pets by providing $50 Gift Card. Follow the giveaway tool to join.
This giveaway is sponsored by Petco.
Keep Your Pets Happy! Have a PAWsome and Safe Summer with Your Pets!
thanks for sharing so much great tips! My momma always makes the road-test before we start, if the streets are too hot, we take the car and drive to a forest. And I hope this year no one will leave a dog or a cat in a hot car… that’s the worst thing on earth…
easy rider
We are adopting in just over a month, We plan to take our dog to the lake house and the beach, bark park, park, soccer fields, trail closest to our house, town squares, fruit/veggie picking if allowed, drives to stores that allow pets and maybe a friends house that has dogs so doggie play dates if they get on. 🙂
those are all wonderful tips – you know the one thing that makes Mom mad here in Florida is seeing people out running in the middle of day with their dogs or having them run along side their bikes – when it is over 90 degrees there is no way dogs should be be out running at midday – heck Mom doesn’t even think it is safe for people!
Some wonderful tips there! Miss Penny will be spending much of her summer at the race track on the weekends with HER fans (yes, her fans… not her Daddy’s race fans). Tut & Sophie will enjoy some adventures of their own as well, but not the race track.
Our little fur-baby’s will be walking early in the morning
and then we will be going to the lake and doing some swimming and boating.
We are hoping to visit some old plantation homes during the summer to take photos. Hopefully, the Red River will go down so we can take more walks along its banks.
We are planning a puppy party to celebrate their birthday!
Good tips and many apply to cat too.
Great tips Sugar‼️ Thank goodness I am an indoor kitty especially as hot as it has been here. Mid 90’s and hotter all last week and this week is the same
Hugs
Magi your bfff
Madi not Magi
You look ready to go, Sugar. We aren’t summer fans around here, we do stuff early in the day and that is it unless we have a cool spell.
Great tips Sugar
Lily & Edward
We just got a second pup, so our summer will be comprised of training him and helping everyone to get along!
Titan is one who hates the heat as much as me so if we do anything during the summer is generally after the sun is out. We really have nothing special planned other than to try and sneak away for some time in the mountains.
My dogs love to go on our daily walks to our pond. They love to swim.
Great post! All very smart tips. Our Summer plans include lots of hiking, thanks for the tips on how to spot overheating and how to deal with snakes!
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
We have already participated in Bark for Life, Our next adventure is to attend the doggy ice cream party.
We have lots of agility planned =)
What great summer tips, this summer I am going to be be spending time playing with Glorys puppies.
I think my dogs would like the peanut butter bacon the best.
Besides keeping them cool, I plan to do a few dog events (dog walks for local humane societies) this summer.
I plan on going to the dog park!
i have 3 gals, but we wont be going many places for several reasons, canine flu and had very large vet bill for older gal, over 12k. so so will be doing a stayvacation with the girls. i usually take the girls to lots of dog events-local in the summer, but i am worried abt the canine flu..and it has been so hot lately, over 100 some days, too hot to take them places.
Getting to know all the dog parks in San Francisco
We’re going to the beach
We are on a road trip to wherever right now
Well Athena just had a nice cool bath. I am sure we will have many of these this summer.
we do a lot of hiking and swimming.
We will be taking a road trip with our dog to Colorado.
We will take our dog to the beach with us.
We’ll probably play outside.
Great tips Sugar! We don’t do as much in the summer during the heat of the day. We still do obedience and agility training, but mostly in the early morning hours and late evening. Some swimming in the afternoon with lots of meet-ups with other dog swimming friends.
We have plans to go on many walks when the pavement isn’t so hot.
Great reminders! I may need to pick up some boots for Nelly. She seems to be having some terrible allergies this summer. Not sure they will stay on her tiny paws though.
Pawesome tips Sugar 🙂
I have 3 dogs. My plans are to walk them to our favorite spot, the duck pond. I have to be cautious of the heat because my pug gets labored breathing, so it will be early morning walks for us.
My doggie loves going to the local lake and cooling down when it gets hot outside.
We are going to hang out at home, my dog likes his kiddie pool.
We will be going camping in the mountains near our home. Our dog loves that!
We will be taking the dogs hiking and down to the river for some fun. We also will be attending some Summer doggy events and going to the Farmers Market every Saturday with the dogs.
My babies LOVE going hiking with us!
My 100 year old dog is content to lay at my feet. He gets excited just to go outside, but collapses on the floor again when we come back in.
We have lots of park tripsplanned with im!
just hanging by the pool and hopefully getting our puppy to start enjoying it!
Visiting the dog park is always fun, especially in the summer when the kiddie pools are full!!
Visiting the dog park is always fun, especially in the summer when the kiddie pools are full!! Helps to keep my dogs cool after playtime with their friends.
My dog enjoys the creek a lot! We go out and let him swim. Thanks for the chance.
There are many useful tips. Nika loves going on trips and we always try to keep her hydrated with ice water. Thanks for the tips about snakes.
Abby loves the water so we’ll probably go to the river several times this summer for her to go swimming
Our summer plans include swimming and going to the dog park!
Our summer plans are to stay cool. Temps have been in the 100’s. Play time is early in the morning or late at night.
Schooner & Skipper will be taking boat rides, walking the beach, swimming and enjoying the sunset on Lake Michigan. We will be swimming in the pool and playing balls. Taking evening walks. We are going on vacation in the fall.
We will be going to the dog park and county park as much as possible this summer.
Spending time with my dog
We are planning to take our dog Josie camping to the beach. She loves to camp and go on a walk and small all the other smells. I also taker her on a daily walk.
Lots of weekend car rides that is what they like.
we plan to do lots of swimming with them.
Lots of walks and hike. She loves exploring the areas around our town and meeting new friends
This summer we are going to the lake a lot I hope and we are going camping with our little buddies!
Going camping
I plan on spending a lot of time with my dog indoors where it’s cool. A few times a week, in the evening, I’d like to take Toby Tangles to the park to run and play frisbee.
Miss Monet will be spending some time poolside. She likes to get on a float and float around with her “cousin” Chip the dachshund. I’m sure there will be some walks along the river….and just some lounging the cool air conditioning since the temps have already been so hot already!
I want to take Luma to the beach for the first time this summer 🙂 but in the mean time we are going on walks to all kinds of places near us!
He’s a senior and just likes to take it easy now.
Trips to the beach and the park are definitely in the plans.
Lots of indoor play (we live in HOT South Florida) & chilling at the pool. We’d like to take Bowser on a camping trip but not sure how well he would do in the car!
Hiking, Frisbee and relaxing together under the shade tree.
We’ve been taking more walks around our neighborhood, but I really want to get my pups out to do some hiking at the Indiana Dunes state park, which is about half an hour from us. My daughter and I have also talked about taking them to Starved Rock state park in Illinois (it’s about an hour and a half from us).
No summer plans! It’s going to be mostly lounging around the house. My ten year old cat just had Enucleation done, so she needs to recover and gain her strength. The dog is going to have to tough it out and deal with the calmness.
We will play and walj around our backyard in the mornings whrn it is the coolest and then just watch TV and nap in the AC during the hottest part of the day here in the deep South. Thank you!
We go on a lot more walks in the summer time.
We always go on walks on our property. This is Pippi’s favorite thing to do. She gets stressed at dog parks.
Camping is one of our favorite activities this time of year. Our dogs always travel with us.
Thanks for the generous giveaway. I hope we win!! 🙂
Oops, my comment should’ve included summer plans … which are going to the cabin, and swimming and boating there.
Hoping to take him swimming in the lake!
We plan on taking our dog to our local nature park.
Mercer needs to start purchasing necessities for his new pup, who will be joining him soon. 🙂
Lots of playtime in the yard! And some car rides 🙂
We’re going camping and hiking.
My dog will be swimming in our pool. He loves it!
Lots of walks and playtime.
We are all going up north to our cottage and my dogs will be playing in the lake
We plan on taking lots of walks and hikes.
Lot’s of trips to our local dog park
I plan on playing in my creek with my dog
We go to the dog park almost every afternoon. It’s great fun.
We love to walk the trails and go for swims in the summer.
Going to the lake with the pups to go swimming
We are just chilling at home.
I am taking my dog on a camping trip.
We are going to visit family in Maine and stay in their camp. It is one the lake and our Rusty loves to swim in the water as well as go on long hikes in the woods.
They get to go fishing and hiking with us.
We just got back from a week at the beach with our 2 shelties.
We don’t have anything big planned. Just hanging out in the yard with the kids and dogs. We will fill the kids a pool and the dogs one too.
We’ll be mostly hanging out at home. No excessive exercise on hot days.
napping and walks
We are going to visit our Grandmama even though she only lives 1/2 mile away, it is too hot and humid for us to walk there so we drive there. We play in our yard in the morning while it is still cool. We are going to have an ice cream party tonight. Mom got us Breyer’s French Vanilla ice cream and creamy whipped cream to celebrate our brother, Lumpy’s, 13th birthday. It is also a special treat for our sister, Honey, who is 14 1/2 and Mom and Daddy will have to help to the Bridge this week. It is breaking their hearts and makes us sad, too.
Thank you for this great contest.
Since we are older now relaxful evenings at daughter’s home in the hills on my day’s off.
We’ve been hanging out a lot at the park.
Just aour normal nature walks. She loves them.
I have a 14 year old pug who hates summer. So our plan is to just tough it out until the weather cools down.
My dog and I love going to the beach.
I plan on taking her for lots of walks at the lake!
Lots of walks, including along the edge of the lake.
I plan to play Frisbee all summer long with my pup.
Thank you so much! My Golden, Gavan, is going to be so excited! =]