Totoro and the afternoon heat

I have lived in Lamai for three years now and I still did not learn how to walk Totoro during the day. In April the heat in the afternoon was so strong that even the shade felt like an oven. Totoro is eight years old and small, and she gets tired very fast, but she still wants to go out at 3 pm because that is when the other dogs go.

At first I thought it was just a matter of patience. I would drag her around the block, she would stop, sit down, and refuse to move. She looked at me like I was the one making a bad decision, which I suppose I was. So I started going out only very early in the morning, or after sunset when the road finally cools.

Now I keep a small towel in my bag. I soak it in cold water from the fridge and wrap it around her belly during the walk. The cold towel makes her very happy and she walks much more easily. I also bought a shade umbrella for the stroller, which I was not planning to use, but she likes being carried sometimes and then I can keep her out of the sun.

There is a big tree on the beach path where all the local dogs stop to rest. Totoro always tries to find a spot under it and lie flat on the sand. The local lady who sells coconut water there says she is a clever old girl. I told her she is just lazy.

The thing I learned from this summer is that the heat is not only about the dog, it is also about her paws. I check the pads with my hand before every walk. If the sand is too hot for my hand, it is too hot for her, so we stay on the grass or go home.

He still gets her walk. It is just a shorter one, and we do the longer walk when the sun is down. Totoro seems fine with this plan. I am also fine, I think.