Mutt Love Dog Walking and Training

02/08/2024

Can't forget Kyle’s crew 😍

02/08/2024

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🫳🎤

02/08/2024

Can't forget about my morning goofballs!

01/08/2024

Another fun swim to escape the heat. Some gems today!

31/07/2024

Beach Party!

24/04/2024

Too many cute pics today!!

26/10/2023

Fall vibes!

24/07/2023

It's official! Mutt Love is Fear Free!

20/07/2023

🎶 Summer time and the livings easy 🎶

06/02/2023

Thoughts on Dominance theory…

23/01/2023

At Mutt Love we are play experts! Play is so important but we as dog guardians still need to have so control. Why? Play can easily get out of hand and/or turn into a fight. Particularly if a dog gets hurt or is feeling bullied. If you “let them work it out on their own” you may end up with an injured dog.
SO how do we control multiple dogs at play? Practice, practice, practice. We start with teaching the dog that “Out” means come to me. And then start working on it in more and more distracting circumstances. Below is an example of practicing calling “Out” of play.

05/11/2022

Puppies in the mist…

07/10/2022

Adventures with Mutt Love

19/08/2022

Welcome Olive! I LOVE my Labs!

12/07/2022

29/06/2022

Smile! Life is short. Love what you do ❤️

08/06/2022

01/06/2022

Dog Walkers Guide: leaving dogs in the car in the Summer.

When it comes to leaving dogs in the car, many dog walkers don't have a choice. We have to leave dogs in the car as we collect and drop them off. For most of the year it's easy to do safely but when the warm weather comes we need to make adjustments. So how do we keep the dogs safe in the summer? How can you leave dogs safely in the car?

I have listed some simple tricks and tips for dog walkers to keep their dogs cool and safe:

• Always park in the shade during pick up and drop offs as well as when you are at the park– it’s direct sunlight which is the biggest factor in heating your car. Simply parking in the shade can greatly reduce temperatures. It’s recommended you park in the shade even if the AC is left on in case the Air Conditioning fails in your absence.

DO NOT LEAVE DOGS IN THE CAR ALONE FOR MORE THAN 15 MIN

• Buy a car with a keyless push start button or have a remote starter installed so that your car can not be stolen if it is running while you are away from the vehicle. For insurance reasons this is your best bet. When temperatures reach 18-20c it's a good idea to keep the AC on in the car. Use your judgment,

• If that's not an option, bring a second key and leave your car locked and running with the AC on during pick ups and drop offs. For added theft security install gps tracker in your car.

• Attach string or hang something in front of the AC vents so bystanders can see the air is on

• Leave your windows open slightly for air flow – an inch or two. It’s not good for security but it will keep a bit of air moving around the vehicle if you're not using AC

• Get a thermometer for inside your car so you can monitor internal temps.

• Use a reflective sun shade on your windshield – You can also find back door window shades that cover the top half of the door and allow you to crack the window.

• Use a battery powered fan to draw outside air into the vehicle and keep the AC moving to the back.

• When you get back to your vehicle after the park, open all the doors to quickly get fresh, cooler air inside. Use the air conditioning to cool it down quickly.

• Freeze ½ of a jug of water overnight. Top up it up in the morning before you go for ice cold water all day. Make sure dogs always have fresh water in the car.

• Use a mist spray bottle to wet dogs down on very hot days (spray close to the body and never in the face)

The facts:
In sunny weather the temperature inside the car can be double that outside. Even within just 10 minutes in 24c degree weather the inside of a car can reach 38C. Within half an hour it will be 50C. Dogs locked in a car even with windows cracked don't stand a chance. Their core temperature will increase and once it goes above 41.5C they can die. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to keep temperatures down in the car, use the combination that best suits your set up.

As dog guardians we have to be hyper aware of the heat because a simple mistake can have heartbreaking consequences. It's our job to make sure that can't happen.

I hope that this post gives dog walkers food for thought this summer and people in the community an idea of what to look for if you see a car full of dogs. It's important for the public to understand that some dogs get stress and bark when strangers approach the car. So take a step back and ask is it parked in the shade? Is the engine running? Can I see any of the other safety measures in place? If not wait with the car to monitor the dogs. Call the police if no measures are in place and the dog is in heat distress. (Barking is not heat distress but drooling and unresponsive is) Do not brake a window or open the car door unless it's a real emergency. If you do, you could endanger the dog more. They may escape, get hit by a car, bite you out of fear...You could end up making things much worse. If you are concerned call for help.

Thanks for reading this XL post!