A dog trainer has shared a £1.45 frozen pea hack for keeping pets cool during a heatwave.
Jemma Milne has found a cheap and simple way of keeping her six-year-old beagle, Luna, cool on a hot day.
The 38-year-old shared in a video how she uses a £1.45 bag of frozen peas to keep her mutt occupied when it’s too warm to take her for a walk.
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In the clip, Jemma throws a handful of frozen peas around her garden and leaves an excited Luna to try and sniff them out.
In another video, she hides chopped up watermelon and releases the pup to find the treats.
A third trick Jemma shared to encourage her dog to drink more water is to add a spoonful of yoghurt to make a ‘doggy milkshake’.
Jemma, of Greenwich, south-east London, told What’s The Jam: “I just grab a handful of frozen peas and throw them into the garden and let Luna out for her to find them.
“She loves it. It’s a low impact activity and she isn’t using too much energy.
“If you haven’t got a garden, put treats around the house.
“Make sure your dog has lots of frozen treats and lick mats to keep them occupied.
“Keep them occupied so they don’t feel like they’ve missed a walk.
“Be mindful because they might want to sit in the sun but you’ve got to keep them inside.”
In a fourth video, Jemma prepares for a heatwave by making frozen treats the day before.
She spreads mackerel, cottage cheese, banana and blueberries over a lick mat and freezes it for Luna to enjoy the next day.
Jemma urges pet owners to walk their dogs early in the morning or late in the evening and to make sure they drink ‘little and often’.
Jemma said: “Think about when you take your dog for a walk and still be careful late at night because temperatures can still be high.
“Avoid playing anything like fetch. Take walks slow and try to take them to shaded areas or places with water.
“We feel guilty making them miss a walk but that’s not going to kill them.
“Provide lots of cool water to keep them hydrated.
“If you don’t think they’re drinking enough, add yoghurt to their water and it makes a doggy milkshake.
“Make sure they’re not drinking too much at once but little and often.”
Some dogs can’t regulate heat.
Dogs with flat faces especially like Bulldogs and Shih Tzus as they can’t get as much air flow as other dogs.
“Absolutely don’t leave your dog in a car. That’s common sense.
“Try the hand test on the pavement. If you touch the pavement and it’s too hot for your hand then it’s too hot for your dog.
“Put a wet towel down for them to lay on or get them a fan. Just make sure they aren’t exposed to the heat too much.”
Some commenters said the tip was a ‘great idea’ while other pet owners said their dog would prefer to sniff out a steak rather than a pea.
Mingerette said: “It’s worked, thank you. Such a great idea.”
Clarey wrote: “There is absolutely no way my dog would sniff for a pea. Steak maybe.”
A third said: “My dog would tell me she’s not a rabbit. Lol. She hates fruit or veg.”
Another added: “Oh this is such a good idea. We’d have to wait until the evening as we get full sun all day.”
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