Cool Pergola Designs for Outdoor Patio

Last Updated On January 28th, 2019 at 03:03 pm

With the dog days of summer in full swing in many parts of the country, finding a way to keep ourselves and our pets cool is a top priority. Outdoor shade structures offer pets and people a spot where they can retreat to take a break and cool off. It’s a great place to relax and sip a cold drink as well as a spot for your pet’s water dish so they can stay hydrated while outdoors. Our pergolas offer a way to shade your pets on your patio. Add a retractable pergola canopy, and you’ll get even more shade – this can be added to our pergolas sized 12×12 to 20×20. Best shade options are our Big Kahuna Pergola Kits or Sombrero Pergola Kits.

Dogster offers some other tips for summertime pet care to consider when we’re in the throes of those hazy, hot and humid days. How long will these dog days last?

Dog Days of Summer Definition

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary on my bookshelf, the definition of dog days is the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere. Other sources list specific start and end dates to the period. Farmer’s Almanac and History.com, point to the timeframe of July 3-August 11, which was coined the Dog Days of Summer based on an astronomy reference to the constellation Canis Major (Latin for “”greater dog””), rather than what we think of as the time of year when it’s so oppressively hot that pets laze around to stay cool.

Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the year’s most intense heat occurred when Sirius, (the dog star) converged with the rising of the sun. By the 1500s, the term “”dog days”” had emerged as a reference to that point during summertime. Historical weather patterns show that while July and August are generally known as the hottest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, this can vary from year to year. Your latitude can also affect which specific timeframe is truly the hottest or “”dog days””. So take heed of the heat, and make use of outdoor shade structures to keep your pets and yourself cool.

Related topic: Pool Shade Structures