Did you ever wonder why this time of year got the name “dog days”? Pretty much everyone knows that the dog days of summer are the hottest, muggiest part of the summer, beginning in July and lasting until September. Webster defines dog days as the period between early July and early September when the hot, sultry weather of summer appears in the northern hemisphere, or a period of stagnation and inactivity. Sound familiar?

If your dog has been listless and bored, why not take him on a day trip to the country? Summer travel with dogs requires a bit more planning and some “dog friendly” destinations. Given how quickly the inside of a car heats up in summer, you can’t load up the family dog and let him come with you on errands like you can in the winter. It’s not safe to leave a dog in a car, even to dash in for a quick errand, in the kind of weather we've had lately, or in fact anytime the temperature climbs above 75 degrees.

Many places in rural areas allow dogs. They’re a common sight at the outdoor farmers markets and garden centers. While in town your options with Beau or Maggie might have been limited to PetCo and PetSmart; in rural towns nearly all the  feed and farm stores allow dogs. The town of Warrenton has a PetCo as well as a farmer’s coop that are pet friendly. Dogs are also often seen at the Tractor Supply Company and at Booth Feeds, where the clerks keep a tin of biscuits for their canine customers. The feed stores are frequently less expensive than the big box pet chains and stock different items in the toy and treat department for your canine friend, if you want to stock up on pet related items shop there.

Many parks in Fauquier and Western Loudoun are dog friendly as well. Park etiquette for canines is the same anywhere—it’s a privilege, not a right, so you need to be respectful of others’ enjoyment of the park and keep your dog under control and clean up after it. Most parks that institute a no-dog policy did so because of complaints by other users of unfriendly or out of control dogs and dog waste that isn’t cleaned up.  If you know or suspect your pet is shy or nervous around other dogs or people, or might chase or jump on children or smaller dogs, keep it on a leash. If the dog’s recall is not what it should be  (and many aren’t in a distracting or new environment) let it trail a long rope or check cord. These can be made yourself with rope you buy at a hardware store and inexpensive snaps. With a trailing rope, you can always get close enough to step on it and capture the dog.

Travel tips for day outings with your pet: Bring a large container of water and a water dish and clean up baggies; and old towels if the dog is a swimmer. Be aware and know the symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion; overdoing or strenuous exercise on a hot day can bring this on quicker in a dog than a human. Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion: one of the first things to look at is the dog's tongue. Dogs cool off by panting, but if the tongue appears overly large or purplish, your dog is entering the danger zone and needs to be cooled off immediately. Staggering, weakness in hind legs and/or collapse are indications of heat exhaustion or heat stroke: if you see your dog showing these symptoms get it to a vet immediately. Dogs do not sweat except limited amounts through the pads, most of their body heat is expelled by panting. One early sign of a heat stressed dog is a purpling or greatly thickened tongue.

 If you suspect your dog is getting overheated cease exercise immediately and make it lie down in a shady area out of the direct sun, and place a cool wet rag, preferably soaked in rubbing alcohol and water, on key areas like the armpit and groin.  Do not put a wet dog in a crate in very hot weather. Towel it off and tie it out in the shade first so it will dry off. A wet dog in a small confined area creates a sauna effect and on humid days hinders the evaporation that is part of the cooling process.

Two Fauquier parks that allow dogs also have picnic-worthy spots complete with water for an outing in the country with your best friend. Lake Brittle—a 77-acre lake at 4354 Lake Brittle Road, north of Warrenton near Gainesville. It has jonboat or canoe rentals, hiking, bird watching and picnic tables and grills available for use, plus a concession area. C.M. Crockett Park is a 100-acre park east of Warrenton, 10066 Rogues Road, Midland. Open 7 a.m. until dusk; it has concessions (including boat rentals) hiking and nature trails, picnic shelters of various sizes with grills, playgrounds, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits.