GM News - January 2024

Welcome to edition 55 of the GM-News, the Summer issue - Tips for Travel, Sun and Swimming Safety, and Cool Treats - Food and Fun.

Have a Happy and Safe Summer.

Amanda, David, & Ruth
Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

Travelling with your Dog?

Up-to-date Microchip and legible ID Tags, carry cool water, take their Regular Food (may not be available elsewhere), Treats, Calming Music in the car and plenty of breaks, First Aid Kit (going where ticks are?)

Leaving them at Home?

Check out:
How to Be the Perfect Pet-Sitting Client by Carol Lea Benjamin, Fear Free Homes
How to Prepare Your Dog for the Boarding Kennel by Stephanie Colman and Nancy Kerns, Whole Dog Journal
Dog Sitting For A Friend? Top 10 Tips For Fun, Safety And Success, Susan Garrett, Dogs That

Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide - Not Just for Humans!

- Think fans, raised beds, cooling mats or wet towel to lie on, misting water on the body, paddle pool, multiple shaded water bowls, take water on walks. (Use cool rather than cold water to avoid shocking the body system.)
- Don't walk when it's hot - instead try a puzzle like the one described below
- 9 Top Tips To Survive The Summer by VetProductsDirect includes signs of dehydration, heatstroke, water intoxication

Can Dogs Get a Sunburn? by Dr. Melody R. Conklin for info on
- where on a dog's body is most vulnerable
- protection from sunburn (use dog-specific sunscreens)
- signs of sunburn and treatment

Swimming

General:

Assess your Dog’s Swimming Skills and comfort level in the water.
Choose Suitable Swimming Environments - Avoid areas with strong currents, deep water, boat traffic, algae.
Bring fresh drinking water for your dog.
Supervise and monitor your dog’s comfort level (fatigue or distress)
Rinse your dog after swimming to remove chlorine, salt, or debris.

Water Safety for Dogs: A Guide to Fun and Safe Swimming by VetProductsDirect

Pool specific - What to do:

in cases of drowning and near-drowning,
to minimise skin/eye/ear irritation and coat damage

Swimming pool safety for dogs by Dr. Melody R. Conklin

Cool Treats

Home-made soft serve ice cream, icy poles (the 'stick' can be a carrot!), yummy bits in ice cubes - what dog wouldn't want one of those on a hot day?! Recipes (and things to avoid/be careful of) at Homemade Frozen Dog Treats by CJ Puotinen, Whole Dog Journal

(For other cool treat recipes, see 21 Recipes for Pupsicles by Paris Permenter.)

Top Tip - Summer Sightwork Activity from Puzzle Dog

Tessa Savelkoel, Puzzle Dog, Canada has a great newsletter all about (you guessed it!) puzzles for dogs. A recent edition of her newsletter contained a description of a 'sight' puzzle (panting inhibits sniffing) for hot days. Tessa wrote: "I put a towel in a container and added water, so the towel was just under the water level. I put some treats in the folds of the towel and Puck found them by sight and then had to put her nose in the wet towel to get them. A short puzzle session, a happy dog and a cold nose were the result! . . . always be aware of what your dog tells you, they might not like wet puzzles! Also be really careful with the amount of water your dog swallows doing something like this: water poisoning is a risk!"

Your reward for reading to the end

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