Keeping your poodle safe from hot weather

Living in the South with all the hot summer weather can be an extremely dangerous time for your Poodle. Dogs do not tolerate heat as well as humans. We can be outside for a long time enjoying the heat and sunbathing. Our way of cooling off is to sweat. Dogs cool off by panting, which is often inappropriate and can put them in a life-threatening situation if they overheat.

Dogs can develop heat stroke quite quickly. Simply going for your normal walk or letting your dog play in the yard is enough to cause your Poodle to overheat. The best time to walk your Poodle or to play in hot weather is early in the morning or in the evening.

Never leave your poodle in the car unattended during hot weather. It doesn’t take long to turn into an oven, even if you leave the windows open a bit. If my husband and I are in the car with the dogs and we have to go to the store, one of us stays in the car with the air conditioning on with the dogs.

If your poodle’s hair is long, it’s more likely to overheat. If your dog is overweight, has heart disease, is old, or is a young puppy, he too can get heat stroke more easily. If you’re not showing your Poodle, having him clipped in with a nice short summer clip will make him more comfortable during warm weather.

Try to stay off hot pavement during hot weather. It can burn your dog’s feet and raise his body temperature faster. Check the pavement temperature by hand. If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your Poodle! Try to walk in the shade or on the grass.

If your poodle is kept outside during the day, make sure it gets plenty of shade. Our hatchery has a roof and shade cloth around it. It is also located under shade trees.
Make sure your Poodle gets plenty of clean drinking water. Our hatchery has an automatic water dish. If you travel with your dog, take plenty of water.

Some poodles like to play in the water. You might want to get one of those plastic kiddie pools for him to play in. My Poodle Bob likes to chew on the water that comes out of the sprinklers! Make sure they are supervised before doing any of these activities.

Recognize heat stroke

Be alert to your poodle’s body temperature during hot weather. A dog’s normal temperature is around 101 degrees, much higher than that can cause problems and is an emergency! If it goes up to 108 degrees, the internal organs start to break down and can cause permanent long-term damage or death!

If your dog begins to breathe rapidly, has a rapid heartbeat, a dry mouth, nose, and gums that turn gray or red, these are signs of heat stroke. You should cool your poodle down immediately, by placing him in a tub of cold water or cooling him down with the hose, then get to the vet quickly! Your poodle may still be in danger, even if it looks good on the outside.

By following the tips above, you and your Poodles can have a fun and safe summer season!