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Whether you live on the beach or plan on taking your dog with you on the summer holiday you will surely do some exercise with him. There are some things you have be careful about when exercising a dog on a beach.

Summer is a season for fun and travel, but it can also bring extremely high temperatures which dogs are more sensitive to than people, and this is something you have to watch out for.

Dogs with a long or middle length hair should be brushed regularly because tangled hair accumulates the heat and the dog may become excessively hot. Nurtured hair should help him overcome this.

Whether you’re going for a run on the beach with your dog or just a walk it is necessary to put a sun lotion on the top of his nose as well as the ears about half an hour before you leave the house. However, it is recommended to exercise early in the morning or in the evening when it’s not too hot. Just think how uncomfortable you feel walking barefoot in the sand! It’s exactly the same for dogs. So even though exercise is good, doing it in the middle of the day on the beach can be a health hazard for your pet.

Some dogs are afraid of water and you shouldn’t make them go for a swim if they don’t want to. You can try to get him slowly in, maybe throw some toys in the shallow water first, then gradually go deeper encouraging and praising him all the way through. Although this will take some time and nerves, you can at least be sure that your dog won’t end up traumatized or hurt. If you can’t get him in the water leave the dog to enjoy in the shade because you surely don’t won’t him to succumb to heat stroke.

Exercising is always good but the weather conditions aren’t. We already established that dogs can overheat and get a stroke and here are some things that can tell you if your dog is having one. Dog’s breathing is loud and heavy, he has bulging eyes and dry skin. Another sign is if the dog isn’t responding to his name, also his heart rate is elevated. Finally the dog collapses, loses conscience and if certain precautions aren’t met, he dies. If your dog is showing signs of a stroke stop the exercise immediately and lower his body temperature. Get him to the shade and give him plenty of water, dip his head in the not too cold water, or very gently pour water over his head.

Keep in mind that dogs such as boxers and bulldogs, puppies, older dogs, overweight dogs and those with health issues are more sensitive and they should be particularly looked out for.

Don’t let these few tips scare you and keep from taking your dog to the beach for some exercise. Use them to make your outing fun and more important – safe.