Dogs and Hot Weather
When temperatures rise, you might notice your dog’s activity level and appetite decrease. One of the reasons is that dogs can quickly overheat if they exercise too much on a hot day. To cool themselves, dogs will pant, wade in the water or lie on a cool surface to dissipate their body heat. Unfortunately, when a dog overheats, its cooling system will have a difficult time keeping up, and it could end up with heatstroke.
Brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs — such as French bulldogs, shih tzus or King Charles spaniels — have an especially hard time cooling their bodies. Make sure to take extra precautions to keep dogs with short snouts from overheating. When walking dogs in hot weather, it’s also important to be mindful of your pup’s paws.
Thunderstorms
According to research, approximately 15 to 30 percent of dogs have a fear of thunderstorms. Some especially fearful dogs will even begin to associate hot.
Snow
Most dogs seem delighted by snow. They’ll romp and play and even go sledding with their owners. If you have a dog with a heavy, thick coat, you’ll probably notice that it will have an extra pep in its step when you take it for a walk in the snow.
The Gloom of Winter
Just like humans, research has shown that some dogs are affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which can be brought on by winter’s shortened days and gloomy weather.
