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| How D.O.G. tolerates the heat |
Consort and I decided to change things up a bit this summer. In past years we have spent the summer in the lush, green verdure of the Smoky Mountains. This summer we decided to stay put in Brownsville. There are a lot of things going on behind the scene just now that brought us to this decision. If any of them ever come to fruition, you'll be the first to know.
When I talk to people here in south Texas about the heat, I get varied responses. Some people find the heat oppressive and unlivable; others say if you limit your time outside and stay hydrated, it's not a problem. Consort and I are somewhere in the middle with our opinions. There's no question that outside there's nothing but hot, sticky heat. The tropical humidity we have traps the heat overnight so nothing really has a chance to cool down. It doesn't help that Texas is having an abnormal heat wave. There have been four heat advisories so far in 2023, and we're not even into July and August. The only year close to that was in 2016 when there was a total of three.
As humans, we do what we can to avoid the heat. When we go to the beach, we sit under a huge umbrella. If there's work to be done outside, it's done early in the morning or -- as is more common for consort and I -- early evening. We've placed an insulated barrier over most of the interior windows. We placed a heat reflecting panel on the exterior of the fifth wheel where the refrigerator is located to help keep the fridge cooler. We wear loose clothing, hats and sunscreen, and we always wear shoes outside.
D.O.G. isn't thrilled with the heat. D.O.G. is a Puli, and the Puli breed has a double coat of hair. For him it's a lot like wearing long underwear and a winter coat all day every day. I've trimmed back all of his cords/dreads, except on his legs and head, to help keep him as cool as possible. But we needed to find a solution for his paws to avoid the hot pavement.
Note the two pictures above. On the left, a chart listing pavement temps. On the right is a picture of a dog's paws that were burned by the asphalt. (Pics acquired off the internet.)
When we were still living in our sticks-and-bricks in Broken Arrow, I purchased a pair of Muttluks for D.O.G. Every day, no matter the weather, D.O.G. and I went out for walks. In the winter on the rare occasions we had snow or ice, I put D.O.G. in his Muttluks to protect his paws from sharp ice and salted snow.
So what are Muttluks? Shoes for dogs, really good shoes for dogs. The boots we purchased for the snow and ice are the original fleece-lined boots. The soles are a soft leather with a fleece lining. The exterior is made of waterproof fabric. They were a little tricky to put on, but they worked beautifully.
Around the first part of May, consort and I realized that we were going to have to do something to protect D.O.G.'s paws from not only the hot pavement, but also the odious goat's head thorns that are found everywhere. It didn't take long for us to also recognize the need for paw protection on the hot, sandy beach.
When it came time to order shoes for D.O.G., I thought the fleece-lined boots would be best. I liked the idea of the extra fleece lining between paw pads and scorching surfaces. Once the boots arrived, we began using them for every walk. That's about 2.5 miles each day. Sadly, after only two weeks of wearing the boots, the toes of the shoes were ripping out. I have asked D.O.G. to please pick up his feet when he walks, but it doesn't seem to be helping.
I called Muttluks and explained the problem. (That's a plus for the company right there: Humans answer the phone in Muttluks' customer service department.) The sales person I spoke with was knowledgeable about the product (another plus). After asking me questions about how the boots were used, the sales rep suggested we switch from the original Muttluks to Mutt Trackers. It is also important to note that the company replaced the worn shoes with new at no cost to me.
Mutt Trackers, which D.O.G. is showing off in the pictures above, are made like actual tennis shoes. They have a rubber sole, leather toes, waterproof exterior, and Velcro closures. They are super easy to put on and the wraparound Velcro strap keeps the boot in perfect position.
The most difficult thing about the Muttluks that I found was measuring the dog's paw for size. The measuring itself wasn't hard, but trusting the results was a leap of faith. D.O.G. is a pretty good-sized dog (whether he should be or not), but when I measured his paws for size, he fell into the extra-small category. I went ahead and ordered the extra-small size even though I was pretty sure I'd be returning them. I was pleased to find that the measurements were accurate and the boots fit like a glove.
I know buying shoes for dogs seems pretty ridiculous. I am old enough to remember when dogs lived outside and roamed neighborhoods without leashes. But I am a real proponent of shoes for dogs. There are no more goat's head thorns stuck in his paws. No grass seeds that need to be surgically removed. And no burned or cracked paws. What's not to love?
They say you can tolerate the heat in Arizona because it's a dry heat. I came in from running errands earlier today and made a comment to consort about the blistering heat and stifling humidity. He smiled and said, Yes, but there's a breeze.
On the stereo: Hot! Hot! Hot! ~Buster Poindexter
