Shelter, shade and summer: what Virginia expects of owners

The county's summer-weather page is specific, and it is a good template for owners anywhere in the Commonwealth:

• A hot car or a doghouse with no shade does not count as adequate shelter. Tree shade and tarps are suggested because they allow airflow, and water goes with the shade.
• Never leave a dog in a parked car. At 70 degrees outside the interior can reach about 90 degrees within ten minutes and over 110 within an hour.
• Skip exercise on hot days and on Code Red air-quality days. Hot asphalt can burn paws.
• Older, very young, overweight and heart- or lung-compromised dogs, and short-muzzled breeds, face more risk.

The county lists heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, vomiting, fever, unsteadiness and a deep red or purple tongue. It says to call a veterinarian right away, move the dog to shade or air conditioning, apply cool (not cold) water to head, neck and chest, and avoid dunking the dog in cold water, which can cause shock.

To report a dog in danger, Loudoun County Animal Services lists 703-777-0406.

We found no Virginia agency guidance on cold-weather work for protection dogs that we could cite, so we offer only a plain-sense rule: the same shelter duty applies in winter. Ask your veterinarian about paw care, salt and coat for the specific dog.

Ask where the dog has been kenneled and exercised, and whether it has lived through a Mid-Atlantic summer. A dog trained to work in cooler or drier places will need a gradual start.