You’ve got a lot to look out for this summer when it comes to your dog, everything ranging from the weather to travel to food to just about every other aspect of their life. Let’s face it: when you have a dog you love and care about, you practically have a child – one who has perhaps a little less sense and a lot more energy and excitement than a human child would! As such, your dog needs you to be on the lookout for him or her, protecting them when they need it. To do so, it becomes necessary for you to educate yourself on the four biggest problems facing dogs in the summertime:

1. Heatstroke

Heatstroke is, without a doubt, the biggest threat to your dog’s health and happiness this summer. Dogs just don’t perspire the same way we do, and so they have a hard time cooling off short of cold water, plenty of shade, and avoiding doing much in the hot sun. Never leave your dog in your car on a warm day, blast the A/C when possible, and avoid long walks in the midday hours.

2. Food

During the summer you will end up eating a lot of outdoor food: barbecue, toasted marshmallows, party food, cookout food, and more. Often this is a great opportunity for your dog to get in there and get a few scraps, filling up on human food – try to avoid this! Your dog will be better off with actual dog food. You’re not doing him or her any favors by fattening them up with human food, food which can also lead to diarrhea and vomiting.

3. Traveling

When you go traveling away, you probably aren’t going to take your dog with you. As such, you need to make sure that when you leave your dog to be kenneled, you leave your contact information – info that will be accurate at all times – and that you leave copies of medical records, prescriptions, and a signed letter of authorization.

4. Summer Rough and Tumble

When the weather is nicer out, there’s a lot going on out there – and your dog is certainly curious about it. Yet many dogs can become injured through their curiosity, being struck by cars, getting into fights with animals, and being exposed to unhealthy chemicals. You’re better off keeping a tighter leash on your dog and ensuring that they always have an ID tag or microchip so that if things get too out of hand and you lose track of your dog, you can always find him/her again!