Making the Most of Summer with Your Pet

Summer is the best time of year for many of us, ripe with opportunities for fun experiences. One idea is to enroll your dog in a basic or advanced training course. These classes can be exciting adventures that surely involve the entire family. When your children become a part of the training, your dog learns to respect them as well. Training also models to kids one aspect of responsible pet ownership. Even a four or five year old child can regularly rehearse with a dog “sit” and “down,” under your supervision.    

Summer provides increased opportunities for nature experiences with your dog on a leash. Trails that allow dogs, neighborhood strolls, and romps in the yard will all build memories. Teaching your dog to walk well on a leash may indeed involve the help of a trainer (in class or in your home), and once that is done, a world of dog enjoyment is open to you.

Use common sense in regards to the weather. Avoid the peak of hot days, utilizing instead the cool mornings and luscious summer evenings for great family times together. Never leave your dog in the car without you there in the summer, even with the windows rolled down; it’s just too stifling. Protect against fleas and ticks.

Cats, in summer, are basically like cats in winter -- lazy. At least mine are. Except they lie around more and stretch out their bodies on cool floors. Keep cats well groomed and protect against fleas in those who go outdoors.

Monica Mansfield is a small animal veterinarian who practices at the Medway Animal Hospital in Medway. She is the author of a veterinary memoir titled "The Black Panties: Tales of Animal Mischief and Veterinary Intrigue" These are stories from her first year in practice twenty years ago in the scenic White Mountains of New Hampshire.