I am sure you have heard the expression….The Dog Days of Summer.  But what does it really mean?  I am always curious about historical perspectives on such things and I began asking around.  But found that few people know where that expression originated or why.  One of the guesses that people came up with included “weather not fit for a dog”.  Others thought it had to do with dangerous heat and the need to protect dogs with more frequent baths to cool them off (who knew)?  Does it really have anything to do with dogs?  Actually it has to do with the stars!  Read on……..

There is actually a specific time period for the Dog Days and we are in the midst of it right now.  The “Dog Days” of summer represent the hottest, most uncomfortable, high humidity days of summertime.

The phrase is linked to Sirius, also known as the Dog Star. First, understand that the Sun occupies the same area of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from Earth. Sirius is one of the points in the constellation Canis Major.  That is latin for the Great Dog.

Because it is in conjunction with the Sun, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, thus explaining why so many consecutive days were so unbearable, sultry and stifling.  So in effect, they were “dog days” because of the star placement.

So the term Dog Days of Summer came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to August 11 each year.

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Check out our August Special to help the doggies stay cool.  Our Pet Shampoo bar is perfect to use doing these Dog Days and help our furry friends stay cool!