FUN IN THE SUN
Looking to beat the heat with your four-legged friend? Summer heat can sometimes make outside playtime difficult. Despite the weather, dogs need fun, exercise, and enrichment all year long. Finding ways to play and keep your dogs cool during the Summer will help to keep your dog happy and healthy. Keep reading to find out some fun ways we keep our future Service Dogs cool during the Summer months!
Freezing Kongs
Giving your dog frozen kongs is an easy enrichment activity to help keep your dogs cool and entertained. Simply fill your kong normally with peanut butter and place it in the freezer for at least three hours. This cooling activity will be fun and enriching for your dog. Freezing kongs also adds difficulty to the activity, keeping your dogs entertained for longer. We actually freeze our kongs all year long to prolong the activity for our dogs-in-training! Our volunteers are extremely helpful in filling and freezing kongs for our dogs. If you are interested in volunteering at one of our sites, please fill out an application today.
Lofty cooling down with a frozen kong
Kiddie pools
Want to give your dog the best day ever? Simply fill a kiddie pool with water, throw some balls in, and let your dog jump in! If your dog loves water, they will go crazy for a nice pool day with their favorite toys. At Paws for Purple Hearts, pool days are a crowd favorite among our dogs-in-training. They allow the dogs to cool down and have a blast playing in the water. You can also increase the fun by occasionally throwing a few treats in the kiddie pool to create a little ‘find it’ game for your pup.
Lofty enjoying a pool day
Pupsicles
Pupsicles with pet friendly ingredients are a Summer essential! Your pup will not only love eating a yummy snack, but the pupsicle will help them to cool down. These frozen treats are another great enrichment activity that will give your dog a positive activity for an extended period of time.
This Summer, try out a blueberry or strawberry pupsicle. Simply blend or mash your strawberries or blueberries with unsweetened yogurt and freeze until solid. Leave in the freezer for at least three hours and let your pup enjoy. Bonus points if you use both strawberries and blueberries! You can also try out their favorite treat or a carrot as a pupsicle ‘stick’. If using other ingredients in your Summer treat, ensure you are using dog-friendly ingredients without added sugars.
You are your dog’s advocate. Though the Summer is fun, the heat can impact dogs if we’re not careful. Throughout your fun in the Summer Sun, make sure they are comfortable and safe by giving them plenty of breaks, water, and shade while enjoying the nice weather.
Rule of Thumb: If you’re uncomfortable, they’re uncomfortable!
We would love to hear how you keep your dog cool and happy during the Summer! Please tag us in your adventures and activities all Summer long on social media, @paws4ph. This June also consider joining all of Paws for Purple Hearts in our first annual Move-A-Thon to celebrate 11 years and PTSD Awareness Month: Pawsitive Miles for Positive Minds! To join, please visit Active.com.
Looking to help our cause? We couldn’t do what we do without our supporters! Please consider helping us spread the word about our mission to your community. Your support allows us to continue to fulfill our mission in helping Veterans and Active Duty Service Members. By simply helping us get the word out there, you are helping us to continue to fulfill our mission. Please also consider a monetary donation or donating from our Amazon Wishlist to help our cause
