I got into a bit of trouble down at the baseball park the other day. Let me explain. My dad’s been leaving every afternoon and for some reason he’s been leaving me at home! I sit there and watch out the window until he comes back. One can only wonder what he’s up to, probably playing fetch with someone. It’s really driving me crazy.
Then finally, one day just about that same time, my dad puts on his ball cap and heads for the door. This time, Mom says, “We’ll come with you.” I like the sound of that.
We head to the other side of town, park in the shade and Dad darts out the door. Where did he go?
Kids are everywhere. Mom makes me put on the leash and takes me for a walk in the woods, as if she is not looking forward to heading for the excitement and all the kids. She tells me we are going to watch a game and that dad is helping the kids and I have to be good and lay down, whatever that means.
We head in the direction of all the people. I’m getting a bit jumpy on this leash; I’m not used to leashes. “Where’s my dad?” Finally, I spot him and great!—he wants to play, but he’s on the other side of a fence. He claps his hands and yells, “Get the ball!” I pull my mom to the fence and jump up on the chain link. “But he wants me to get the ball!” I can’t get anywhere near him. He won’t even look at me, even when I bark. He’s clapping, yelling, “Let’s go!” … “I’m coming, Dad!”
I drag mom around the corner to what looks like an opening in the fence where I can reach him. A bunch of kids sitting on a bench were happy to see me but I ran right past them toward him until the leash sharply drug me back.
Next thing you know, I am back in the truck; some fun this turned out to be. I don’t get it. I thought he wanted to play. Next time he leaves in the afternoon, I want to stay home.
It’s getting really warm out there anyway. Don’t forget that us pets need a lot of fresh, clean water. Water is vital for our tissue growth, recovery from activity and healing. With extra hot weather, it is important not to let your dog go into dehydration. All body parts suffer when that happens.
It may seem surprising that a dog needs to consume an ounce of water for every pound of body weight every 24 hours. Different lifestyles can lead to your pet needing more or less water but it is vital to know that when it is hot out, your pet will need plenty of water. If you take them with you, take plenty of fresh, clean water for them and make sure they get plenty of access to it. Studies have shown that pets are enticed to drink more when they are presented with fresh, filtered water.
Pet facts from http://www.petsafe.net featuring Drinkwell® Pet Fountains.
