Dog days. The hottest days of the summer.  My memory fetches back to my grandparent's little house in southeast Missouri in the 70's.  Grandpa's hunting dogs, Flag, Teddy, and Penny, were laid out under the elm trees.  The cicada's song filled the heavy air somehow making it seem hotter.  The chores have stopped and the ice tea is served under those same elm trees.  Invariably, Grandpa or Grandma comments, August days are the dog days of summer.  Made sense to me.  The dogs were laying around looking hot. I felt just like the dogs. Hot, lazy, tired, and bored.  

Sometimes my mind gets on a trail of a thought and I find myself going down an unintended path.  Why is the moniker for the hottest most uncomfortable days of summer attributed to dogs?  Where did the "dog days" saying originate?  What I found in the Farmer's Almanac was not what I expected.  

According to a Farmer's Almanac article,  Why are They Called the Dog Days of Summer, the term is taken from astronomy.  The star Sirius, part of the constellation Canis Major-known as the Greater Dog, rises and sets with the sun on July 23rd.  As it makes it's trek in the summer sky 20 days before and 20 days after July 23rd, Sirius is very bright.  Ancient Romans thought because Sirius was so bright, it added to the warmth given off by the sun.  Check out the full article at Why Are They Called The "Dog Days" of Summer? - Farmers’ Almanac.  It's interesting!

During this hot humid season, make sure your dog has plenty of water, a place to cool off, and never leave you dog in a hot car. If you have to take them in the car crank up the A/C and turn on their favorite tunes.  Exercise them in the cool of the morning or evening.  Find ways to play indoors while chilling with your dog.  If they like tug o' war, try Tether Tug's award winning Easy Tug with Easy Flex Technology.  It will give them a good workout without wearing you out.

So while the dog days of summer weren't necessarily referring to the hot, panting, lazy dogs littering the yard of my grandparents farm, I will always think of Flag, Teddy and Penny during this sweltering time of year.