Welcome to the August issue of Woof Notes. The mercury is edging upwards towards the 100 degree mark as I write this. It looks like we may have an entire week of hot weather. We’re not really used to this in Washington. I know I have more raincoats than swimsuits and I’m willing to bet that you do too!
I know that all of you reading this are devoted dog lovers. The last thing you need is one more person reminding you not to leave your dog in a hot car or one more reminder to keep the water dish full, so I won’t bore you with that. I do have one suggestion to help your dog beat the heat that you might not have thought of and I’ll pass that on instead.
If you’ve had your dog in to Woofers for a groom recently I know you’ve heard about the Shedless Treatment and how it removes excessive undercoat. I always try to mention it when folks bring their dog in for grooming because this time of year the dogs are shedding loads of undercoat and it’s better for everyone if they can get that extra fur out without leaving it on your carpet and furniture. I’m not trying to sell you on Shedless right now though; I’m trying to remind you that doing a little extra brushing right now will help keep your dog cooler. Just a few minutes of extra brushing removes dirt, dander, and loose undercoat. All of these are things that insulate your dogs skin and make it harder for him to keep cool. The added bonus for you is that all the stuff you brush out is stuff that won’t end up on your carpet or furniture.
I brush my Lab out about every other day. I usually stand her up outside on our deck and I stand on the ground. This puts her at a nice height where I can brush her without having to bend over or kneel. She enjoys being brushed and I usually get a big sloppy kiss for my efforts. I hope you do too!
