Dogs, Cats, and Other People by Matthew Margolis

As summer heats up and several states turn to burn bans and water rationing to combat prolonged droughts, dog owners must pay careful attention to keeping their canines cool.

Some dogs, particularly the snub-nosed breeds like pugs, bulldogs, boxers and Lhasa apsos, will make this easy on us and simply revert to air-conditioned hibernation until temperatures outside relax.

Others, no matter the climate, will not forsake their beloved backyard. It is with these stalwarts in mind — guardians of the yard, lovers of the swimming pool, keepers of the garden — that I offer the following guidance.

Limit summer walks to early morning or late evening, and keep them relatively short. As a general rule, if the sidewalk is too hot for your bare feet, it's too hot for your dog's paw pads.

If for some reason your dog is not allowed to luxuriate indoors, he'll need a covered shady spot to retreat to at any given time of day and cool, fresh drinking water available at all times. The ideal outdoor water bowl is weighted to avoid spilling, and it's smart to have two or more bowls per dog set out.

Many dogs are natural swimmers, but don't set Fido loose in the pool (or lake or river) until you know two things with certainty: 1) He really does know how to swim, and 2) He knows how to get out of the pool. Even great swimmers will tire and drown if they aren't taught how to exit a swimming pool. And if your pool has no steps and no shallow end, your dog has no exit and no resting place, so you'll need to keep it covered.

But it's not just dogs and pools that don't always make for happy endings. Doggie doors are installed to give a dog free access to both yard and house. But they also give small children free access to yard and house.

If you have all four — pool, doggie door, dog and child — make sure both dog and child know how to swim and how to get in and out of the pool unassisted. Otherwise, keep the pool covered.

Easier, cleaner, safer options for utilizing water to cool your dog down are outdoor misters and wading pools. Misters are essentially fans that blow cool water. Wading pools are shallow, easy to clean, and simple to enter and exit. Just keep in mind that the pool does the dog no good if the water inside is scorching.

Know that dogs get sunburned, so keep daily exposure to the sun in check.

Know also that they get heat exhaustion, usually while sitting in a parked car waiting for their owner to return from some "quick" errand.

It only takes a few minutes for a parked car to heat up to unbearable temperatures. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy panting, salivation, fatigue and muscle tremors. If your dog appears to be suffering heat exhaustion, move him to a shady spot, wet his body down with cool, damp towels, offer him small amounts of water and call his vet immediately. Heat exhaustion is serious, and the best way to avoid it is to leave the pooch in the comfort of his air-conditioned home while you tend to the business of your day.

Summer and water go together like Bonnie and Clyde. And water is essential for life. But the water of some rivers, creeks, lakes, bays and beaches is not safe to drink. No matter how wet the activity you have planned, always bring along more than enough clean drinking water for you and your dog.

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.

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