Keeping Your Dog Cool in the Summer

As you all know I have a black dog.  It is almost impossible to keep a black dog cool in the summer in the South, especially if you have a black dog that HATES water.    But I can't keep him locked inside all summer - that's not fair to my super duper agility dog.  He still loves his agility class, he LOVES his big backyard, he loves ROLLING in the freshly cut grass and he loves chasing all the critters out of the garden.

So what's a dog mom to do?  Well we have to find creative ways of keeping him cool during these horrible summer days.

The most important thing is we do keep him inside during the worst heat of the day. If he has to go out - then he is only out for a few minutes then it's straight back in.  He's constantly hydrated, he has water bowls all over the house. I don't leave home without plenty of water for the dog.  And occasionally I DO hose him down, or throw him in the dock diving pool after agility class if it's available.  Then I just end up with a mad black dog that looks like a drowned rat that I am sure is muttering obscenities at my under his breath.

But in the interest of trying to be creative here are some other things I have found to do:

A cool coat - this one is from Clean Run. It's not where I got mine, but this is close to it.  You can either put it on the dog as is, to reflect the light off the dog and keep them cooler or you can dunk them in water and them put them on the dog to keep them cool and that's usually what I choose to do.

Cool Coat

I also have decided to make him some nice cool treats this summer. I tried going the yogurt and fruit route but I discovered that he was spitting the fruit out once he ate the yogurt. :)

So I am going to make these this weekend and I will let you know if they are a hit!

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Yogurt Treats  - Courtesy of TodaysMama.com

Don't they look yummy? 

Summer Dinners

Living in the South, it's challenging in the summer to find something to eat that is appetizing despite the heat.  We all want to eat healthy but have something yummy.  But, you never want to eat heavy in the summer.  No stews or soups.  No big pastas or roasts.  So it's always a struggle.

But last night I think I hit a home run.

Last night's menu was Turkey Burgers from Allrecipes

Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers

I paired that with easy corn on the cob( white corn of course).  It was crisp and sweet and just the best thing for it.

Along with that we had Chinese Coleslaw( courtesy of The Brown Eyed Baker)

Chinese Coleslaw Recipe
INGREDIENTS:

2 (16-ounce) bags coleslaw mix
1 cup sunflower seeds, shelled (you can buy just the kernels)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 (3-ounce) packages Ramen noodles, crushed

For the Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 seasoning packets from the Ramen noodles

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the coleslaw mix, sunflower seeds, almonds, green onions and crushed Ramen noodles.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, vinegar and seasoning packets until well blended.

3. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw mixture and toss until it is evenly distributed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

And last but not least - Key Lime Buttermilk Icebox pie from this month's Southern Living - because you know I can't stay away from my Southern Living magazine!  I used the graham cracker crust, instead of the buttery cracker crust, but that was just a personal preference.  I also cheated and didn't make my own whipped cream.

Key Lime Buttermilk Icebox Pie

Oh and the drink of the night - Peach Bellini's - YUM!  Just some peach nectar with prosecco in a champagne glass!  Drop some raspberries in there and Voila!  Peach Bellinis!