Keep your dog cool in the summer heat! By taking a few simple steps, you can help your pup stay comfortable and safe, even in extreme heat.
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When the heat is on, we keep a close eye on our family pooch, Patches. Patches is a Blue Tick Heeler/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, and to say that she loves the outdoors would be a vast understatement.
Nevertheless, when summer settles in and the thermometer starts to spike, Patches usually finds a cool spot to rest her belly. There she stretches out and closes her eyes, and starts to pant like we just dropped her on the Sahara without an umbrella.
Like Patches, most dogs instinctively know what to do when they feel the heat. Sometimes though, circumstances don’t allow them to do it on their own, and they need our help. That’s what this post is focused on: ways you can help your dog stay as comfortable and safe as possible, even in extreme heat.
Before we delve into what you can do to help your dog stay cool, here are three things you should never do, especially in hot weather.
1. DON’T let the temperature fool you.
Dogs can overheat outside in weather as low as 80° F.
Signs of Dehydration and Overheating in Dogs
2. DON’T give your dog an extreme haircut.
This may sound counter-intuitive, but a dog’s coat provides a buffer to help her regulate his body temperature. Not only will a super-close cut not help her handle the heat, but it could make her more likely to get a sunburn, too.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly…
3. DON’T EVER, EVER, EVER leave your pet in a parked car.
Do not leave your pet in the car, even “for a minute.”
When the temperature outside is 85° F, the temperature inside a car with the windows open slightly can reach 102° F in 10 minutes. (Rolling down the windows a few inches has little effect on the temperature inside your car.)
After just 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120° F, at which point your trusting sidekick may suffer irreversible organ damage or die. [Source: Humane Society of the United States]
What to Do If You See a Pet in a Parked Car
Easy Steps for Keeping Dogs Cool in the Summer
OK, now that we’ve covered the Doggy Don’ts, let’s look at some Doggy Do’s! (I see you.)
Keep Cool, fresh water available at ALL TIMES.
Unlike humans, almost all of a dog’s efficient sweat glands are located on the bottoms of their feet. Instead, a dog’s primary method of heat exchange herself is panting.
Panting allows the moisture on her tongue to evaporate; heavy breathing also allows the moist lining of the lungs to serve as a surface from which moisture can evaporate.
The more panting occurs, the more our four-legged family members need to drink to replenish the moisture lost. This is why the most important thing you can do for your pooch when the weather starts to heat up is to keep her well watered.
On very hot days, we try to change Patches’ water a couple of times a day – no one likes to drink hot, stale water.
Provide shade and shelter with free airflow.
We always allow Patches access to the house on hot days, but I have to admit that letting her in and out was a pain until we installed a doggie door a few years ago.
I cannot even tell you how much that one change reduced our dog-related stress!
Even if your dog is an “outside only” dog, be sure that she has a cool spot to rest at all hours, preferably under a shady tree. Note that dog houses and kennels are not good options: they hold heat and do not allow for free airflow.
Provide dog bedding designed for hot weather.
There are a couple of good hot-weather bedding options to help cool your dog. One great choice is a cooling gel pad, the ultimate in affordable cooling for pets. These gel-filled pads can be used stand-alone or placed on a pet’s existing bed.
If you’re yearning for that ’70’s vibe, you could go for a canine water bed (Yes, really!) These specially designed beds (which you fill yourself) have a cool core that diverts the liquid throughout for advanced cooling power. Then all you’ll need is a doggy disco ball! (Believe or not, they make those too!)
Adjust the intensity and duration of activities.
If you are going for a walk, keep in mind that asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. (On very hot days, we try to limit our dog’s exercise to early morning or evening hours.)
Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating. A water bottle and a collapsible water dish come in handy.
If you are an avid dog-walker, you might consider these awesome lightweight canine “running shoes.” Breathable and water-resistant, they will protect your pup’s paws from sizzling on that hot roadway.
For hot-weather hikers, a canine cooling vest (a lightweight vest with cold packs built into the sides) will allow your dog to stay comfortable and cool even on a long hike. If the vest is too much for your pooch (or you!), try a less obtrusive cooling collar.
For many of us, one of the best activities we can do with our dogs in hot weather is go for a swim. If your dog is an unsure swimmer, or you are planning a trip in moving water, you might want to consider getting a neoprene canine life vest.
We recently bought a life vest for Patches for when we take her kayaking. It appears to be comfortable for her to wear, and it is easy for us to put on and take off; moreover, it gives her confidence in all kinds of water situations. We also like that it has a strong, built-in grab-handle for helping to guide her in and out of the kayak or the water.
Fun Ways to Help Your Dog Cool Off
There are plenty of fun ways to help your dog cool off when it’s hot outside.
Get a plastic wading pool.
During the summer months, you can pick up a plastic kiddie pool for a song just about anywhere. (Avoid the inflatable kind!) If your pooch is hesitant to jump in, you can coax her with a treat or a game. Once she gets the idea, you might have trouble keeping her out of it!
Play water games.
Water games can also be a fun way to cool off your pooch. Patches likes to bite at the water stream coming out of the garden hose nozzle and chase it around the backyard. (If you use a hose, be careful to avoid faces and eyes.)
You can also set up a sprinkler with a gentle mist and let your dog play in it, or simply lay down nearby it.
Make your dog an Ice-bottle Buddy.
Fill a plastic water bottle about ¾ with water and freeze it. (Leave the bottle cap slightly loose when you are freezing it so that the bottle doesn’t crack under pressure.) Once frozen, tighten the lid and slide the whole thing into an old sock and let your dog snuggle up with it.
NOTE: Never use bare ice to help your dog cool down, as it may lower their temperature too quickly and constrict blood flow, which will actually inhibit the body from cooling.
Offer your dog a Belly Cooler.
Dogs cool from the bottom up. When you lay a wet towel down for your dog to lie on, it cools her much more effectively than laying a towel on top of her coat. A nice cool tile floor works wonders too!
Tips for Traveling with Dogs in the Summer
Leave early.
Start early in the day to maximize cooler morning temperatures.
Freeze water.
Fill plastic water bottles 3/4 full and freeze. In addition to being a source of cool water throughout the day, they can be also used as Ice Buddies [see description above] until the water melts. (Always be sure to have at least one unfrozen bottle of water with you at all times.)
Take more water than you think you’ll need.
It is amazing how much water an animal (or a person) can require under extreme heat conditions.
Be mindful of hot pavement.
If it’s too hot for you to walk barefoot, it’s probably too hot for your dog’s paws as well.
Be watchful of heatstroke.
Dogs can get heatstroke just like humans. (So can cats.)
Signs of heatstroke in pets include rapid breathing, a bright red tongue, red or pale gums, thickened saliva, depression, refusal to walk, diarrhea, and stumbling or staggering.
[For more information on heatstroke, visit www.texvetpets.org/article/heatstroke-heat-can-be-fatal-to-your-pet.]
NEVER, EVER, EVER leave your dog alone in the car.
To wrap it up, if you are feeling the heat, chances are good that your pooch is feeling it too. She’s counting on you to be a good puppy parent, so be cool.
Update July 2020: With great sadness, we said goodbye to Patches this summer. She passed without pain, lying in the sun on our back deck, surrounded by her family.
We will always remember her for helping us become a real family.
Are you an RVer who travels with a dog? Check out 13 Tips for Full-time RVing with a Dog, on Your RV Lifestyle!
Keep Your Dog Happy, Safe & Cool All Summer! Get the best tips on keeping your canine companions cool!
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My dogs love lounging in the AC!
Don’t we all! 😉
I don’t have a dog but I can’t wait until we do get one. Living in the South things can get really hot – even inside. Thanks for sharing these awesome tips!
Thanks for stopping by, Brittany! I’ve been in the South in the summer – briefly. I think I’d have to be a snow bird if I called it home 🙂
We live in the Bay Area so it doesn’t get too hot here, but my dog loves to play in the sprinklers when chasing his ball!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/coca-cola-chocolate-cake/
I’m glad I read this. I’ve been after my daughter to get her pug/maltese puppy groomed thinking that it’s too hot for him to have all that fur. I will have to reconsider it. Maybe not take take the hair down so much.
Going to enter the contest now. I love Petco.
Odin prefers being a couch potato on really hot days. He is a black dog, so the sun is brutal for him. When it is a bit cooler in the summer he likes to play ‘fetch’ with his ball throwing it into the water.
Great article. I get so frustrated when people don’t take care of their pets properly. Such a shame. Thanks for the reminders.
You are welcome, Julie. I especially get frustrated (not to mention concerned) when I see people “just run into the store” and leave their dog in a hot car, so I was very happy to find the link from the Humane Society about what you can do within the law to help.
What a fantastic post! Great tips! I had not considered that about the summer haircut!
Thanks, Michelle. That bit about haircuts was actually new news to me as well.
He loves laying on the bed with the ceiling fan going. He could lay there all day.
Sounds like a fun puppy!
My dog drinks a lot of water and lays by the air conditioner vents. She’s scared of swimming and the house so we don’t keep her outside for long periods of time
My Gusto loves to be outside, but on hot days (like today’s 114 heat index!) he hangs out with me and my toddler in the air conditioning. They play catch in our long hallway to wear them both out. Lol.
Sounds like fun! (Except that 114 degrees! Wow – I start to melt when it gets above 80)
Pugsley’s favorite way to cool off is running thru sprinklers. Lol.
I love your dog’s name!
These are such great things to think about when the weather is hot. My pup is mostly an inside dog, but I do worry about her in the heat. She is elderly and I pay more attention to her because of that. I will have to look for one of those cooling pads – I think she would love it. While I am searching that, I will look for the water bed too! Such fun.
Laying on our bed with the a/c on and the ceiling fan running.
Seems to be a popular solution!
We used to always brig water for our dog on walks during the summer months. I see some people who never do this.
Great tips! Our dog is a pug, so he hates the heat and will actually refuse to go out on the super sunny hot days!
Pugs (and all flat-faced dogs) have an especially tough time in the heat, don’t they? Their short little nasal passages make breathing very labored sometimes.
Didn’t know there was such a thing as a doggie cooler vest! Might have to look into that for my corgi 🙂
When I was doing research for this post, I learned that corgis are not known for their swimming skills. (As in, they come in right behind pugs and bulldogs as the worst swimmers.) I’m wondering if your dog is a swimmer?
One summer when I was a kid, we got our siberian husky shaved down to about a ½ inch long fur, from her usual 6 inches. She was a sad pooch for a long time and we always thought it was because she was missing her additional padding. Maybe not after reading your post.
Thanks for all the great info Renée!
There’s probably happy medium in there somewhere. 🙂
Funny (to me anyway) ..one dog I had loved to swim..anywhere. We would take him to the lake or the river and be the first to jump in . He would paddle around like crazy but if you were in the water with him you should get out of the way if he swam towards you. He chomped at the water like a alligator. I love this post! You have some great tips Renée ♥!
My dog actually likes to lay out in the sun on a hot day. And a trip to Dairy Queen.
Who doesn’t like a trip to DQ? 🙂
These are great tips and good to know. I used to have 2 German Shepherds and they loved random showers when I’m watering the plants. And they loved splashing in the kiddie pool when I set it out when the weather gets too hot. They were so much fun!
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We’re still waiting to get a dog! We’re building the fence now. Hopefully it won’t be too hard to stay cool here in the Pacific Northwest. 🙂
I don’t have a dog, but my cat sleeps on the cool tile floor.
So do our cats. They love it.
Aside from lazing in the house with air conditioning, we fill up a baby pool outside that our pup likes to splash in.
my dog likes to lay flat on his belly on the wood floors. it’s cool when the a/c is on.
My dog, all 10 lbs of her, enjoys her personal swimming pool. We purchased a baby pool that she loves.
He likes to lay on the marble by the fireplace because it is cool
staying cool on the tile floor, near the fan or air conditioner
My dog love to cool off in the summer by running through our sprinklers in the yard.
My little grand-dogs lie in the shade of the porch and pant lol. My cats just stay inside and sleep.
My dog, Toby’s favorite way to cool down is to go swimming and stay inside in the air conditioned house.
My dog loves to lay on the cold bricks of my fireplace with a fan on him. He hates it really hot.
Max likes laying underneath the central air vent
My dog keeps cool by sitting in the AC house!! He also loves getting squirted with the hose lol
My dog likes to swim in our pool
I don’t have a pet but this is great information for anyone that has a dog. Great reminders too.
Blocking the AC unit and absorbing all of the cool air!
I don’t have a dog but I have a cat who wouldn’t survive an afternoon out in the Texas heat. 🙂
One time a few years ago the AC went out and he actually let me pour water all over him (which is huge for a cat) 😀
Thanks for the info! People forget that pets are covered in fur! And if we’re hot they have to be scorching!
During the hot weather we take our dog to the lake to swim.
He loves it!
thank you
They like to lay down on the tile to keep cool. Zoey will actually lay down in front of a fan to get cool too.
he loves to play/eat icecubes…
She likes to stretch out on the floor under the ceiling fan. Thank you!!
He loves playing in the plastic kids pool in the backyard that we fill with water for him.
Our little fur babies don’t go outside. They stay in in the comfort of the air conditioning. I do understand that some people can’t do that with their dogs, but in that case, they should definitely heed your advice. We don’t want our furry little friends to get overheated!
Sounds like you have some lucky puppies!
I have an older Golden, and these tips are really great. She really can’t handle the heat anymore, so anything I can do to make her more comfortable is great in my book.
It’s true – as dogs (and people!) age, it becomes more and more difficult for them to handle the heat.
I always worry about making sure that our dog stays cool during the summer, especially when we leave the house. He is an important member of our family.
Hunter stays in air conditioning on hot days
Running in the sprinkler with the kids
Two birds! Sounds like fun!
These are great tips. My dog is 11 now and the heat really gets to him so much more!
Age is definitely a factor with anyone in the heat.
My dog is just always moving to lay on new spots of cold tile.
I always worry about dogs over-heating during the summer. I’ve learned to keep the house cold keep any fans on in case they want to sit in front of them. We also keep their food pads with cold water and have a swimming pool available. Entered the giveaway, thank you!
Thank you, Jessica!
They like to sit in front of the fan.
They love to play with the sprinkler outside, and inside..they love the fans or the air conditioner vents!
She loves to lay all spread out near the AC.
My dog cools off by coming inside where it is air conditioned.
Really great tips for every dog owner to remember, especially after hearing just recently about and english bull terrier pass away from heat stroke after going for just a short walk. We’re super vigilant with our two but you can never be too careful <3
I do not have pets but for those who do please take note. I hate to see when people have animals and do not take care of them
My pup is content staying inside in the air conditioning.
The dog cools off in a baby pool in the backyard! 🙂
My dog likes to lay in the shade and in the house he lays stretched out on the floor by the fans,he gets a lot of cool water and if he is motivated enough(because he’s a big,lazy,lovable lug) he will go out and play in the sprinkler when my little nice and nephew are visiting and playing in it.
Great advice!
Thank you!
Laying under the kitchen table on the AC vent.
She lays on the vents in the house for our central A/C.. she;s pretty spoiled.
He loves to sprawl out on the hardwood floors in the living room to cool his belly!
My dogs have a Petco pool they love playing in the water to cool off.
Our Boxer Loki spends most of his time in the cool house but when he is outside we keep a small kiddie pool set up by our big pool filled with fresh cool water so that he can go for a swim too. If we don’t have his pool full he will climb our pool ladder and get in with us and I just can’t do that lol!
That’s so funny! Sounds like Loki has a mind of his own!
My doggies like to chew on ice cubes! Even more fun if you put them in a pool and let them fish for the cubes! 🙂
They love to swim in the pool!! Its their favorite thing to do lol
We keep a fan for her right in the living room and she loves to lay right in front of it.
My dog loves to be next to the fan when it is hot.
Our dogs’ favorite way of cooling off in the summer is air conditioning.
Charlie likes to be in the air-conditioned house in the summer, usually laying in front of the fan.
My dog likes to lay on the couch in the air conditioned house.
We have a little kid pool for our little Lucy she’s a tiny chihuahua ?she loves it
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Milo like to lick frozen avocado slices.
That is a new one to me!!
we use the sprinkler to cool off
Our dog loves sprinklers!
Jumping in the kiddie pool.
Thanks for the contest.
My pup loves playing in his little swimming pool.
Kyla Anne loves romping around in the river to cool off.
My doggy likes to lay in front of the fan.
air-conditioning (can we say ‘spoiled’?
We have a kiddie pool especially for our pup and she loves to go in it.
my dog like to find a good mud hole and role in it
We have a nearby lake and he takes a dip
My dogs love their plastic baby pool.
She loves to sit on the vents in the living room with the central A/C
I have three bulldogs and it is imperative that they stay cool in the summer. They love running around outside and jumping in the kiddie pool set up for them as well as jumping around when we get the hose out.
Those “short-faced” breeds have it especially hard this time of year. Sounds like you are a great puppy-mom!
My cutie-pie dog likes to swim.
She likes jumping in the pool with us
chasing an ice cube plunked into a large water bowl!
Hi,
This is my first visit here.
It’s summer here in Africa and I’m looking for ways to keep my 2 German Shepherds and 1 Shep cross as cool as possible.
They love swimming and enjoy the sprinklers too. But we can’t hang around outside 24/7. We have tiled floors which is great. I think i’m going to give the ice bottle buddy a try especially for the hot nights. Hopefully it’ll make them more comfortable.
Thanks for the great post!
Rosemary
That cooling gel bed looks great! Thanks for the tips and reminders, like not to go extreme with the haircut! Also learned something new here, that dogs sweat glands are on their feet.
That is a weird little fact, isn’t it? Cats are the same way.
It gets so hot here in Florida during the summer. It’s awful I have a little kiddie pool for my Frenchie and she loves it!
Thanks for the great post! We put ice in my dogs water bowl in the summer as she loves eating ice, we use it as a treat for her sometimes as she loves to crunch on them. She struggles in the summer as she is a black Labrador so the ice helps her a lot 🙂
These are such great tips! I always feel badly for animals when the temperature starts climbing!
It can be really tough on them. As responsible pet parents, we need to do all we can to keep them comfortable.
These are awesome tips, I agree never leave the dog in the car
I have been tempted to get one of those cooling gel beds for the dog but he is super destructive! How do they hold up?
Wow great Advice! I didn’t think that giving my dog a haircut would be a bad idea! We do give her a trim for summer but your advice makes perfect sense! I definitely want to try out that cooling mat!
These are great suggestions for loving on your puppy!