The dog days of summer are upon us -- a time when outdoor fun and frolic can put your pet's health and well-being at risk

For our canine best friends, long hot summer days in a house without air conditioning can be misery. Even that big shady tree in the backyard isn't much protection against heat and humidity.

Protect against heat stress

Heat exhaustion is one of the most common ailments of pets during the summer months. Because dogs and cats don't sweat, they don't have an efficient way to cool themselves down.

It's important for pet owners to take steps to keep pets cool during summer's hottest days. The pet care experts at Best Friends Pet Care offer the following advice for keeping pets safe:

• Be sure your dog or cat has shade and plenty of cool water to drink.

• Exercise dogs only early in the morning or in the evening.

• If your pet enjoys being in the water, provide a sprinkler or wading pool.

• NEVER leave any pet in a car. On an 80-degree day, the temperature inside a car can rapidly increase to 120 degrees - even with the windows open.

On very hot days, it's safest to keep pets indoors, in a room with air conditioning or a fan.

A cool alternative

There is a safe and healthy alternative to leaving pets home in the heat. At Best Friends Pet Resorts across the country, happy canines are wagging their tails as they play with friends in the climate-controlled environment of Doggy Day Camp.

The program provides dogs with exercise and socialization while owners are at work, school, or tending to personal business. Supervised by specially-trained Camp Counselors, campers spend the day in a large, air-conditioned "playroom". In addition to group play with the other dogs and one-on-one play with the counselors, campers enjoy individual attention, nap breaks and plenty of cuddle time with the staff.

Doggy Day Camp programs are beneficial for dogs subject to separation anxiety or destructive behaviors, such as barking, howling, chewing furniture or messing in the house, according to professional dog trainers. Day Camp is also a good year-round choice for highly energetic dogs that need a lot of active play.

Check the Our Centers page of this website for information on Doggy Day Camp and Day Care programs at your local Best Friends Pet Resort. For more information about Doggy Day Camp,  see "Is Doggy Daycamp Right for Your Pet?"  in our past articles section.