Cooling down your dog

A slow gentle walk with plenty of “sniffs” on the way home is ideal to cool down your dog. You will notice that he will naturally stretch himself as he moves and stop to rest or reduce his activity after a long session. Most dogs love a little massage which can help to reduce muscle tensions and prevent the buildup of waste products in the muscles. Pull his legs gently as you massage – a few minutes is plenty – and as you bend over you will be stretching yourself too. Always offer your dog cold drink or if it’s very hard a splash in the local water hole or sprinkler to bring his body temperature down to safe levels.