Pupsicle!

So the husband and I were working on a rain chain project last weekend.  The weather was warm, but not terribly hot so it was a good day.  Vilas was wandering the yard.  She usually checks the perimeter and then spends a lot of time sniffing under the deck.  My theory is there may be some bunnies living under there. But then Vilas hit the point where she plans on being a stinker.  

You can almost sense that she is thinking about how to be naughty in this photo.

That's when she started eating grass.  She does this occasionally, and we haven't figured out why.  Maybe she is part cow?  Anyway, it's not too concerning as we don't use chemicals on our lawn.  Plus, Vilas is one of those rare dogs who doesn't vomit after she eats grass.  The grass passes right through her digestive track.  On the other hand, it's not exactly a behavior we want to encourage.  

I remembered I had made a special treat for her a few days back.  This seemed like a good idea to distract her from grass-eating.  It's a frozen item so I thought this might keep her busy for a while.

You can see some sad-looking carrots sticking out of her toys.  Vilas loves carrots (I only love them with some sort of creamy dip).  So I put some snacks in her toys (the pink toy has some peanut butter stuffed in it) and put it in a plastic container.  Then I added liquid before freezing the whole deal to make a huge pupsicle! To make it more alluring, I added a little something to the water ...

Sultry Summer Days

Though summer was a bit slow coming, it is certainly warm these days.  We've been near 90 degrees with lots of humidity and not much of a breeze.  We go outside in the mornings to do some light gardening (me) and to check the perimeter (Vilas).  Even though it's morning, it's already warm out there.  Vilas is panting within 10 minutes.  I've tried a couple things to help keep her cool during these dog days of summer.

MINI-POOL: I like to call it the hot tub, but it's really just a rain barrel (whiskey-barrel) liner that never got put to use. I fill it with water, and Vilas drinks out of it.  She must think it's the biggest water dish ever.  After a bit, she decides to stand in the pool.  She usually ends up digging in the pool so water goes flying everywhere, which usually makes me laugh!

Digging away!

I suppose I should get her a bigger pool.  They are probably all on sale at this point in the summer.

What? Why are you looking at me?

FROZEN TREATS: I have been freezing various things to give to Vilas on hot days.  Sometimes it's applesauce cups (no sugar added).  Occasionally I will add some sliced bananas or blueberries to the applesauce before freezing.  I've also frozen a few different baby foods (squash, chicken).  She likes them all!  I put the goodies into small plastic containers and pop 'em in the freezer overnight.  Of course, I keep an eye on her while enjoying these frozen treats so that she doesn't get overzealous and try to eat the plastic. You can also let the goodies thaw just a bit so you can pop them out of the container before giving to your dog. I've tried that, but Vilas can eat that up rather quickly.  When frozen hard, she has to lick and lick and lick.  She seems to love it; she often closes her eyes while enjoying her treat.

Enjoying the frozen applesauce

What have you done to help keep your pup cool on hot days?