STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

Helping your pooch beat the heat ...

halleybird · Hermes

how about frozen treats? I have made homemade Frosty Paws (dog ice cream) and my dogs love them (they're better as an outside treat though; they can be messy):

32 oz vanilla yogurt
1 mashed banana or 1 large jar of baby fruit
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 Tablespoons honey
Blend together Freeze in 3 oz paper cups or ice cube trays.

My dogs love these, too. They are more fattening, though:

Satin Balls (aka Fat Cakes)
10 pounds hamburger meat [the cheapest kind]
1 lg. box of Total cereal [or comparable natural brand]
1 lg. box oatmeal
1 jar of wheat germ
1 1/4 cup veg oil
1 1/4 cup of unsulfured molasses
10 raw eggs
10 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together, much like you would a meatloaf.(I ususally do
1/2 of a recipe at a time)

Roll into a ball and put in a muffin paper, then freeze.

Thaw as needed or serve frozen.

AllieGurl · Marc Jacobs

We bought one of those huge premade kennals out of chain link, put it inside our garage by our side door and keep her in there during the summer. We leave the side door open for a breeze , but the garage stays much cooler than outside and the garage floor stays cool.

I also put tons of ice cubs in her water bowl before I leave for work in the morning.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

A kiddie pool! If you don't mind a sopping wet dog...

Kelly · Hermes

first of all, dogs are allowed in Home Depot? When did this happen? I could have brought Traci with me to pick out paint last week...

Well, my doggy has the ugliest haircut imaginable during the summer. She's a huskey mix, so with her thick double coat the only way to keep her cool is to shave her down super short (they use like the shortest clippers they have). she's not pretty, but she is so much happier! She also likes to find places in the shade and dig a little bit in the dirt to find some cool dirt to lay in.

We usually save going to the park or playing outside for the evening and she naps during the hot daytime hours. She also loves splashing around in the water - a few times a summer I usually take her to a nearby state park where there's a lake. I have a 25 foot leash that I hold onto, so she can swim and splash around wherever she wants but I don't have to be right next to her when she decides to shake off. It would be worth finding out if there's a dog park near you, too. We have a great one just a mile or two away from my parents' house, so I take her there every time I come and visit. There's trees so she can sit in the shade when she's tired, but when she has the energy she can do short bursts of playing with the other dogs, too. Plus, just meeting all of the other doggies and people leaves her mentally exhausted so she usually lounges around a lot more once we get home.

Elle · Hermes

ttara123 wrote:

first of all, dogs are allowed in Home Depot? When did this happen? I could have brought Traci with me to pick out paint last week...

Well, my doggy has the ugliest haircut imaginable during the summer. She's a huskey mix, so with her thick double coat the only way to keep her cool is to shave her down super short (they use like the shortest clippers they have). she's not pretty, but she is so much happier! She also likes to find places in the shade and dig a little bit in the dirt to find some cool dirt to lay in.

We usually save going to the park or playing outside for the evening and she naps during the hot daytime hours. She also loves splashing around in the water - a few times a summer I usually take her to a nearby state park where there's a lake. I have a 25 foot leash that I hold onto, so she can swim and splash around wherever she wants but I don't have to be right next to her when she decides to shake off. It would be worth finding out if there's a dog park near you, too. We have a great one just a mile or two away from my parents' house, so I take her there every time I come and visit. There's trees so she can sit in the shade when she's tired, but when she has the energy she can do short bursts of playing with the other dogs, too. Plus, just meeting all of the other doggies and people leaves her mentally exhausted so she usually lounges around a lot more once we get home.

All of our Home Depot/Lowes around here allow them, but technically I think it's up to the managers discretion. As long as they're leashed, well behaved, and you clean up after any accidents! It's a perfect place to socialize ....

We live literally across the street from a dog park, but the shade is minimal unfortunately. Why don't they put shade structures in dog parks?! There's a new dog park nearby that's opening in August, and word on the street is that they'll have a doggie-fountain for them to play in! Brilliant!