Indoor swimming (aka bath)

Looking for some cool mud

Water sports

Just add water

Paddleboarding Salt River

Party with your friends

Water sports continued

Mobile gym

And finally napping

Ta-dah!

The first-ever Happy Dog Phoenix Summer Challenge has a winner: Gail Horton.

As you may remember, the objective of the challenge was to submit up to seven suggestions on how to keep your dog cool during the summer. Gail came out of the gate strong on this one, suggesting six keep-cool ideas in just one day – including playing “Hide the Kibble’’ and “Hide and Seek’’

And she had the photos to back up her ideas.

How we selected a Dog Days Summertime Challenge

But there was an element of luck in this as well. I tallied up the names of everyone who had submitted a summer cool-down idea. Way more than 30 suggestions – so an idea a day for a month! Sprinklers, stand-up paddling, shopping, mobile gyms, frozen treats and some serious napping were among the ideas. And then I wrote out each submission on a slip of paper and then randomly smeared one slip with peanut butter and then threw the slips in the air and let Artie the dog find the peanut-butter slip.

Sounds like work but it was kind of fun on a still-hot Sunday afternoon.

So, we have our winner and Gail will be getting a gift card for $120 that she can use at a local store.

Keeping cool in the summer

I loved seeing your photos and hearing your ideas of keeping the dog cool and happy during what I think was a pretty bad summer. There were those couple stinkin’ hot days in July and while I love the rain, this year’s humidity (and the high temps that came with it) really took it out of me. That’s why I loved the contest so – it felt like we were all in this together, dealing with the heat and taking care of our dogs together — it was a great feeling of camaraderie!

So, stay tuned – our Halloween costume challenge will be here before we know it! Or if you have any other contest ideas — please let me know.

And stay cool everyone!

Right now we are in beginning stages of Happy Dog Phoenix’s 30 Dog Days Summer Challenge, in which HDP posts for 30 consecutive days tips, recommendations, solutions of what to do with the dog in the Phoenix summertime.

It seems about the right time of summer to make this challenge. The initial excitement of bathing suits, swimming pools and BBQs has evaporated. The monsoons look like they may be taking a break and that leaves only, hot, hot days until say, October.

October seems very far away and that leaves us with the rest of July, a possibly brutal August and a so-so September — so let’s play a game, shall we?

The rules/rewards

We are posting a tip, recommendation, suggestion every day on our Facebook page and our new(ish) Instagram page for 30 days. Go ahead and post your own suggestion (and we love seeing your dog’s photo!). Each person is allowed seven suggestions. With each suggestion that you make, your name is entered into a drawing for a prize. If that suggestion has already been made, your name is not entered. Don’t despair – just come up with another suggestion.

We are going to be pretty generous about possible duplications – so just keep entering and know that you will have at the most seven chances.

What do I win?

A $100 gift card to a pet-supply place. It can be a gift card to a chain like Target or PetSmart, etc.

Or Behind Door #2, if you choose an independent pet-supply store like Noble Beast or Bonnie’s Barkery or The Stock Shop, we will make it for $120.

Deadline

Aug. 15 and we promise to get results to you as soon as possible, as long as the household AC holds up.

Happy Summer everyone!

Looking for some cool mud

Fun in the swimming pool

Sharing Otterpops

Chillin with Frosty Paws

Bathtime!

Naptime

Paddleboarding Salt River

therapy dog

Eating ice cream

Kayaking

Wading Pool

Mobile gym

Yea, it is hot in Phoenix now. Hot for you and the dog. Blazing, furnace-level hot. Mucho de heat.

We checked in with our friends at Blue Pearl Specialty and Emergency Vet in Gilbert for some info on how to keep your dogs safe during this excessive heat. Here’s a great Q and A with Dr. Gloriana Halterman, DVM

What should dogs drink in the heat? Anything besides water?

Water is really best. Things like Gatorade or Pedialyte have a lot of sugar. Having lots of fresh, cool water available is the most helpful thing to do for your pet. Misting sprays can also help your pet dissipate some of the heat.

My dog still wants to walk in the heat. What can I do?

It’s tough. But when it gets this hot, sometimes you have to say, “We just can’t do it.” One option may be to wait for the sun to go down. But you’ll still need to be cautious. Another option is to seek out an indoor exercise area, such as a doggie day care that is well air-conditioned.

What about booties? Do they help?

They can be helpful, but the problem is they get worn down with extended use. And we don’t want to be overly reliant on them because then we can encounter the other problems that the heat brings, such as heatstroke. If it’s hot enough, you can use them to help your dog walk short distances — just enough to get from one place to another.

How about having the dog just walking on grass when it is hot?

What else should I know dogs and this kind of heat?

One thing that we really want to stress is to take caution if you have a breed of dog that is brachycephalic, such as a pug or a bulldog. Because of their short noses, these breeds are very prone to heat-related problems. Last year, I had a horrible case of a family who had their bulldog out at 9 p.m. at night on the Fourth of July and he still got heatstroke. Just be very, very cautious if you have one of these dogs.

Also, if you suspect your dog is suffering heat-related problems, please don’t dunk her in an ice bath. You may accidentally lower her body temperature too dramatically. Instead, gently cool your dog with wet towels, a mister or a fan.

What have you seen so far during this heat wave?