The hot and sunny stretches of summer can bring with them a whole set of health concerns for your dog. From parasite-spread illnesses to paw problems caused by walking on hot surfaces, a wide range of summer hazards can plague canines.

Here’s how you can keep your pet safe in the summer sun.

1. Heatstroke

"If we're hot sitting outside in T-shirts and shorts, our dogs are certainly going to be hot sitting outside in a heavy fur coat," says Adam Goldfarb, director of the Pets at Risk program for the Humane Society of the United States. Be mindful of what type of dog you have and how old it is -- these factors may determine your dog's tolerance for heat. Older dogs, puppies and northern breeds with heavy coats may have a harder time withstanding heat.

What to do:

• Walk or exercise your dog in the early morning or early evening, when it's cooler out.
• Never leave your dog in the car. A car can heat up within several minutes to more than 100 F, causing heatstroke or even death, says Lisa Peterson, communications director of the American Kennel Club.
• Don't shave your dog's coat during the summer. "A dog's coat helps insulate them from the heat in the summertime," says Peterson. Without their protective coat, dogs can also get sunburned.

Like us, dogs benefit from stretching: Our muscle cells work the same. This fact inspired the Foster sisters -- Sasha, a certified canine rehabilitation therapist, and Ashley, a certified pet dog trainer -- to apply 20 years of research on human stretching to the canine world. The result is their book, The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog.

Below, Sasha Foster weighs in on the do’s and don’ts of keeping your adult dog’s muscles supple.