Serving Brooklyn's Off-Leash Community

Hot Weather Tips

Sidewalk Hot Foot While waiting to cross the street during a blistering hot afternoon, I looked down at Denali and asked him: "Are your paws getting burned?" He promptly lifted one hind foot up and shook it... Moral of the story? Don't wait to ask - bend down and touch the pavement and see how hot it is! Cement pavement takes a while to heat up but black asphalt road surfaces get toasty in no time at all. Bob I Tips from our Members... Over 90 degrees and climbing? Consider leaving them inside. Bring Water According to Newsweek (?) a dog needs one ounce of water per pound of weight on hot days. That's 32 oz per quart! Bring a water bottle with a heavy duty re-sealable cap that's pretty much "tooth proof". Another aside: While making Therapy Dog rounds at the Brooklyn VA, Denali & I encountered a former dog handler, a Viet Nam vet, who spoke of helicoptering in with dogs on combat missions. Each handler carried a huge backpack that contained nothing but water for the dog - heat and the dubious nature of local streams posing a major health hazard. But the dogs served so well, that when the water ran low, they were immediately medivaced out by chopper. Keep on the shady side of the street... "Always in the shady side" - as the song goes.... Cool off at the Dog Beach or take a swim in the Lake from the Peninsula during off-leash hours! Note there are different opinions floating around as to how healthy the water is to swim in and drink so ask around. Most dogs survive quite nicely. Ice cubes in water bowls really help beat the hot weather. Beware it is quite messy on wood floors! Lyme Disease If your dog travels outside of Prospect Park to areas known to be infested with Lyme ticks you should use preventive measures. Popular commercial products are Frontline or Advantix in conjunction with a Preventick collar. There is an innoculation for dogs.... See more on this subject back in our general health section. Leptospirosis Drinking from small standing pools of water is a big NO, NO for doggie: leptospirosis, a disease caused by Leptospira bacteria in rat, possium or raccoon urine, can result in severe illness, even death among dogs. It is generally not directly passed from pet to pet nor from pet to person though humans can contract the diisese from the same source. There is a vacination! See Health Section Shade your rest areas - Blocking the sun while allowing cool breezes to keep on blowing is a beautiful thing using Aluminet Cooling coats for your dog. Wet the coat down and you'll be able to feel the wicking action that keeps your dog cool, as long as the coat stays wet. Hey, if these are good enough for superstar Agility competitors, then they're certainly fine for the streets of Brooklyn! Locally, check with Tavi And Friends in Bay Ridge who have them available. DON'T Leave your dog in a locked car. Note: Police will issue tickets quickly for leaving dogs in cars for good reason. If the magnified heat of the car doesn't kill your dog, it will certainly cause a very expensive series of vet bills. Don't leave your dog tied up outside while you shop - you never know how long it will take. In fact it's not a great idea to leave your dog unattended in a front area-way or tied to a parking meter. They can get teased by passing school children; worst of all stolen by professionals who sweep in with a van and leash cutter. Your dog is gone in ten seconds. It's like leaving a $2000 road bike leaning against a parking meter without a locking device. Whether you get your dog back depends on what they have in mind. Some will wait for the reward posters to go up and happen to "find" your dog. Others? People steal them to sell to unscrupulous laboratories.