Tag Archives: summer safety

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 33:23 Leash Your Human

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Labrador Lesson for 8/18/23:

Leash Your Human.

When we take our human staff out for a walk, we keep him on a short leash…for three main reasons. 1. He tends to make bad decisions, and we don’t want him dumpster diving or chasing squirrels 🐿️ . 2. We don’t want him to wander off and get lost…especially because he’s not microchipped. 3. We actually enjoy hanging out with him, and a short leash keeps him close by for frequent petting and water breaks.

Move more. Move often. For the safety of dogs and humans, keep each other on a short leash.

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 30:23 Protect Our Paws

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Labrador Lesson for 7/28/23:

Protect Our Paws.

As Labradors, we enjoy moving outside year round. We’ve mentioned that we prefer walking/hiking on soft surfaces, especially during the Summer because soft surfaces usually stay cooler than hard surfaces. We don’t want to burn our paws! One disadvantage of soft surfaces? It can be harder to spot dangerous debris (glass, thorns) on soft surfaces. So our request to you is to be alert. Watch where you’re walking…especially if you’re walking with dogs who aren’t wearing shoes. We’d like to avoid having a piece of glass (or a thorn) stuck in one of our paws. Even though you probably wear shoes, broken glass can hurt you too…so be alert, and do your part to keep trails and parks free from broken glass!

Whether you’re a human or a dog, get outside and move more this Summer…and when you do, be alert, watch for dangerous debris, so that you and your dogs can keep moving safely through the Summer.

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 29:23 Summer Safety Tips from the Labs

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Labrador Lesson for 7/21/23:

Summer Safety Tips from the Labs.

As Labradors, we enjoy EVERY opportunity to move…but we know that moving through the Summer requires certain safety precautions. Here are our top 5 tips to keep your dogs moving safely through the Summer heat.

1.Get moving early (avoid mid-day heat). 2. Seek shade to reduce radiant heat. 3. Seek soft surfaces- easier on the joints + soft surfaces stay cooler, offering some paw protection. 4. Move at the dog’s pace. 5. Bring plenty of fluids. The Labs enjoy @berkey_filters filtered water in their own @nalgene bottles.

Whether you’re a human or a dog, get outside and move more this Summer…and when you do, follow simple precautions to keep you moving safely through the Summer heat.

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 25:23 Paw Protection Reminder

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Labrador Lesson for 6/16/23:

Paw Protection Reminder.

As Labradors, we like to get outside to move year-round, but when the heat of Summer arrives, we need to take steps to protect our paws. While we can do a great “hot girl walk,” we want to avoid a hot paw walk!Our humans adapt our route to seek shade and soft surfaces. If we need to walk in the sun, we avoid the mid-day heat, and our humans test the surface temperature with their hands before we put our paws at risk. If the surface temperature gets too warm, we’ll cut our walk short or find a cooler, soft-surface route. The goal is to keep moving year-round…without risking an injury.

Move more. Move often. Adapt your movement routine as necessary to keep your 4-legged friends safe and healthy through the Summer.

 

FitLabPGH Lab Lessons 23:23 Adapt for the Seasons

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Labrador Lesson for 6/2/23:

Adapt for the seasons.

As Labradors, we like to get outside to move year-round, but we know our movement routine needs to adapt with the seasons. In late Fall and Winter, when temps drop below freezing (and ticks are less active), we take our humans hiking in the woods. When temperatures rise, we still seek soft surfaces, but to minimize the heat of the sun and tick exposure, we look for shady sections of the local Rails-to-Trails. We also get out early to avoid mid-day heat and stop for water breaks. Our humans carry a @nalgene bottle filled with @berkey_filters water for us.

Move more. Move often. Adapt your movement routine as necessary to keep moving safely throughout the year.