Helpful Hints
Summertime Hints:
- A dog’s normal temperature is around 102 degrees. It can withstand a body temperature of 107-108F for only a very short time. If you leave your pup outdoors he will suffer the effects of too much heat more than you will. It is not recommended that you leave your pup outdoors; he is much better in the cool of the house. But, if you do have to have your pup with you for even a little while, take along a spray bottle of water to cool him down and provide him with plenty of fresh water and shade for a heat-of-the-day retreat!
- Dogs lack the ability to perspire, so they run the risk of hyperventilation form exertion. Don’t overdo strenuous activity when it’s hot, and don’t feed them before exercise. Adjust your dog’s diet to suit the temperature. if your dog tends to eat less, don’t be concerned. His boy is sensitively tuned to the weather conditions.
- On an 85 degree day the temperature inside your car with the windows slightly opened will reach 102 in 10 minutes, 120 in 30 minutes! Therefore, you must never leave your pup in the car while you are out shopping for your summer shorts!
- Be on the lookout for heat stroke! Symptoms of heat stroke can include panting, staring, mental confusion, collapse, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your puppy does develop heat stroke, submerge him in a bathtub of cool water, being careful to keep his head above the water. Give him a cool water enema, if possible. If you are in an area where no bathtub is available, hose the dog with cool water or pour cool water on him with a bucket. Be certain to cool his head. Contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Those nasty little buggers called fleas and ticks are out in full force. Check your puppy daily for both. Make sure you apply Frontline each month as directed to help protect against fleas and ticks and allow your puppy to enjoy summer as much as you!
- Puppies are natural swimmers and many raisers let their pups swim in the pool or ocean once in a while (although this is not recommended by The Seeing Eye). Make sure you hose him down after swimming to rinse away salt, chlorine, or bacteria. It is just not a good idea to allow your pup to swim in a creek as they could come down wit giardia. Make sure your puppy is dry so he doesn’t develop hot spots! Apply an ear cleaning and drying agent to both ears after every swim.
- If you are going away on vacation, make sure to let our club leader (Kim Winnington) and area coordinator (Lisa Radcliff) know where your puppy will be! If you are going outside of New Jersey, Northern Delaware, or Eastern Pennsylvania, remember you must get the trip approved!
- More summertime hints here.
Dog parks:
In cities across the country, the idea of “dog parks,” where pet dogs can all play together, has become increasingly popular. The proliferation of these public parks has produced benefits and pitfalls.
On the surface they seem innocent enough, however, not all dogs are as nice and as playful as yours, and some parks have been the scenes of significant fights. If a pup gets in a fight it can result in it growing into a defensively aggressive dog. A blind person working with that dog in the future, when confronted by an aggressive neighborhood dog could turn into a terrifying and dangerous situation. Being involved in a fight or attack could also cause a puppy to fear other dogs and hamper its chances of ever becoming a guide.
There are very impressionable learning times in a pup’s life that cause strong future behaviors, and we can never be sure when these sensitive learning times are occurring. Because of this and the increased opportunities for disease transmission, we ask that you please not allow your pup in public dog parks.
