Hot dogs & water.............

It probably won't come as any surprise that the main topic of conversation when I meet other dog walkers is the weather; be it hot, cold, muggy, stormy or somewhere in between, we all have an opinion on it!

For a lot of dogs of course the hot weather means staying in until the evening eventually cools down and they spend the day happily catching an extra 40 winks or 3, their imagination running riot ,but their bodies laying dormant in the cool of the house or shady garden.

My clients of course don't have that luxury and for most of them their routine is such that we are often out during the hottest part of the day since it's halfway through their owner's working day. A couple of times in the last week or so I have had to resort to staying in with them, of course they don't understand why and are just as eager to start their walk as ever, a mixture of disbelief and confusion crossing their face as we make for the garden instead of the fields.

Harvey, being a model Labrador (yes he really is for the most part now)......loves the water and will take every opportunity to either be in it, drink it or shaking it all over some poor unsuspecting human.  Add a tennis ball into the mix and fun is guaranteed.  He and Jada played quite happily in his back garden with the hose, running in and out until the grass was a muddy shadow of it's former glory and their coats were steaming gently in the rising heat.  Jada for her part wasn't quite so sure but joined in with great enthusiasm once she realised the rules - mainly that there weren't any and if there were, she was going to be the one who made them.

Harvey has become quite the gentleman with her, often letting her get to the ball first (which is really something when you consider the adoration he lavishes on them) and even catching it and then very gently nudging it with his nose towards her.  Ahhh true love......