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Did you know that economics determine how far a person will venture for their outdoor adventures? In a tight economy, people make more of the resources available, and hence, the “backdoor adventure” is born.
But what is a backdoor adventure? Backdoor adventures are quick, close-to-home adventures that can be done at lunch, before or after work, or on weekends. Backdoor adventures such as trail running, biking, hiking–even yoga or long-boarding–are fun, easy, and require little equipment.
The advantage of integrating the outdoors into your day-to-day lifestyle has a variety of benefits. It’s no wonder these activities are taking the outdoor industry by storm; the advantages are clear:
- They have a short learning curve. Many backdoor adventures can be self-taught and don’t require lessons, reducing the barrier to entry.
- They are inexpensive. Backdoor activities are generally close to home and require little gear or equipment.
- Even the dog can come. Because these activities usually require less skill, they are appropriate for the entire family—dog, children, grandparents, too!
- It can be integrated into part of your lifestyle. Often referred to as “gateway activities”, backdoor adventures easily become part of a regular fitness routine. In fact, those who participate in backdoor activities generally participate in a higher variety of outdoor activities, and more often.
So grab your yoga mat, hiking shoes, and of course…dog leash, and head outside! What are you waiting for?
Yes, humans and dogs have a few things in common. We both have hair. We both have skin. We both sweat (sort of). But there are four distinct differences between humans and dogs when it comes to temperature moderation. So put the clippers away, your dog could be one Mohawk away from heating up like a solar panel.
1. Sweat Glands
Humans: Humans have sweat glands on their skin, so they are able to cool down all over their body.
Dogs: Dogs only have sweat glands on the pads of the feet.
2. Evaporative Cooling
Humans: Humans will sweat when their body needs to be cooled. The sweat then evaporates, displacing heat as it vaporizes.
Dogs: Dogs only sweat through their paws. Their main mechanism for cooling down is the evaporation that occurs by panting. As a dog pants, the moisture in their mouth evaporates, cooling them down.
- When a dog pants, evaporation causes the heat to dissipate at the mouth, cooling down the dog
- Because a human is covered with sweat glands, heat dissipates over the entire body
Q: Will the Swamp Cooler work in humid environments?
A: Yes, although it works more efficiently where there’s more evaporation (i.e. drier climates).
Q: Will the Swamp Cooler work if it’s not wet?
A: The Swamp Cooler will provide SPF protection and sun reflection even when not wet, which will help keep your dog’s temperature down (like wearing white instead of black on a hot day), but for the evaporative cooling to occur, it needs to be wetted down, preferably with cool water.
Q: Should I put my Swamp Cooler in the freezer?
When the weather heats up, we often get asked, “Will the Swamp Cooler™ really keep my dog cool?”
It’s hard to believe that putting something extra on your dog may actually cool them down. But the principle is simple: evaporative cooling.
What is evaporative cooling?
When you first step out of the shower or a swimming pool, you may notice a cool feeling when your skin hits the air. This is evaporative cooling. In fact, every human being performs the function of evaporative cooling each day… through perspiration. When sweat evaporates, we cool down. If we move around, the air flow cools us down even quicker.
What is a swamp cooler?
Let’s apply the same idea of evaporation to other technologies; for example, a swamp cooler system in a house. A fan pulls hot, dry air through water soaked pads. The cooler air is then circulated through the house, reducing temperatures anywhere from 20 to 30 degrees.
The first time around we posted a list of our top-rated trails for dogs. This time, we asked our customers, and armed with this info, created an interactive map of dog-friendly North American trails. Click below to view trails in your area…and feel free to add your favorite trails, pictures, and descriptions.
To add new trails, click on the “View Larger Image” link or click here. Once the map opens up in Google Maps, select “Save to My Maps”. This will require a sign in using your Google or Gmail account. Once signed in, type the address or location of the trail in the “Search Maps” bar. Click on the marker point and select “Save to” and “Great Trails for Dogs.”
Do you know a dog is made up of approximately 70 percent water? This careful balance is maintained by the regular consumption and loss of water through urination, respiration, and evaporation.
Because a dog’s body loses water through urination, respiration, and evaporation; weather, exercise, diet, and age can greatly affect your dog’s hydration level. A loss of as little as 10% of a dog’s water make up can cause serious dehydration and long term damage, but it’s not always obvious if your dog is drinking “enough” water to stay healthy and hydrated.
For dogs under 20 pounds, a good rule of thumb is drinking one cup of water (8oz) per five pounds of body weight each day. This calculation gets a bit trickier with larger and more active dogs. According to Dogster.com, average dogs over 20 pounds consume between .5 and one ounce of water per pound per day, so a 50 pound dog would consume between 25 and 50 ounces (.75 – 1.5L) of water in day.
Again, these estimates are generalizations, and your dog’s coat, diet, activity level, age, and energy level can vastly skew this number. For example, older dogs that eat a water-rich diet of wet food will consume far less water than a high energy pup whose diet consists of mostly dry food.
The best rule of thumb for keeping your dog healthy and hydrated is noting any changes in the amount of water they drink. If your dog is drinking any more or less water than usual, seek a veterinarian’s advice, as it could be a symptom of a more severe condition.
