It is tooooo HOT do to anything but READ!

Even the most energetic dogs have been finding a shady spot and snoozing during the heat of the day.  With the heat index at 114 today, some of the double coated dogs needed to be inside.  If we have a breeze then I don't worry about them, but today was so very still, that I was a bit concerned. So my living room became the crate room.  I have 10 crates in a very small area that is a combo living room / dining room.  I can't use the table because I have three crates under it.  I can't have guests because I moved the extra chairs to the bedroom and I can only seat two people on my love seat. Well, actually it seats one person and a large husky mix.  No wonder my kids call me the crazy dog lady!  Oh well.... the dogs are always happy to see me, (unlike some humans), they never talk back, never ask for anything other than love, and when I get tired of them I can CRATE them (unlike humans).  The heat is really taking a toll on everyone and every thing. 

I've been doing a bit of catching up on my reading list while it is too hot to do anything but hybernate in the A/C.  I highly recommend any book by Temple Grandin.  There is also a movie about her life.  For those of you who may not be familiar with Dr. Grandin, she was diagnosed with autism at a early age.  Through her mother's hard work, Temple found her niche in life. She completed college and became a very well respected animal behavorist.  Because she views the world in pictures, her perspective on animal behavior is quite interesting and very educational.  She challenges us to see the world from the animal's visual perspective so we can better understand their behavior.   

I have always been impressed with the work done at Dog Town in Utah.  The story of its beginning is told in a book called Best Friends.  It is a quick read.  I always need encouragement, inspiration, and ideas!  This book does all three.

Another great book is "How to Speak Dog" -  Do you know what your dog is trying to tell you through his different types of barks?  Well, this book discusses barks, behavior, and body movements.  It is well worth the price.  There is a chart in the back that shows what play, aggressive, and fear body positions are and how to read the dog.

Take care of all your pets in this extremely dangerous weather.  Give them lots of shade and water, and when possible bring them inside!