Comments on: 5 Ways to Cool Your Dog in Hot Weather

By: Lara Katz

Lara Katz — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:06:52 +0000

I have a Great Dane who doesn’t cope well with the heat at all, probably partially because she’s jet black. She has the bandanna, which helps a lot, and this summer I’m going to try the cooling vest as well. Anyone have any reviews on that? She has a cool bed too, but she doesn’t really like it for some odd reason. However, I throw her regular bed on top of it, and she loves that – and it keeps her a bit cooler in the house at least!

By: Molly Antonk

Molly Antonk — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:59:31 +0000

This is a very informative little blog. My E. Mastiff gets overheated very easily. He would love a kiddie pool. What a good idea! He would also love that cooling bed, but like so many other things, it just isn’t nearly big enough for him! I doubt the bandana is either. It has already been so hot here in WV this season. We don’t ever walk until the sun goes down. Hank wouldn’t budge out the door otherwise. My little Chihuahua on the other hand loves the heat. He will go out and lay in the driveway with the sun beating down on him if he could!

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:48:59 +0000

A kiddie pool is perfect – I just wish they made collapsible ones that dog nails wouldn’t tear through so easily. I’d love to bring the pool with me when I go to my trailer camping on weekends or when I bring the dogs with to family houses.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:30:17 +0000

My dogs tend to enjoy the kiddie pool but I have seen some dogs who don’t enjoy swimming as much stray away from them. If I have time though taking my dogs to the river near my house has always been a great way for them to stay cool and get exercise.

If your dogs are hot at night and they currently sleep in a dog crate at night, try putting the crate in a cooler place like the basement or garage. If you turn the lights off or only leave one running then they will never know the difference.

By: Shelley @ Green Eggs & Hamlet

Shelley @ Green Eggs & Hamlet — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:11:02 +0000

We live in an apartment so no room for a kiddie pool but thankfully have a great creek right across the street. It’s the perfect antidote to a hot day for our Boston Terrier, Hamlet.

Another thing I’m dying to try at the end of the summer is a day at the swimming pool. Many local pools will offer a dog day after Labor Day weekend when the pool is closed to humans but before they drain it for the winter. The people who run the pool don’t have to worry about all the dog hair and general mess interfering with the humans’ swimming atmosphere and the dogs get a great day to swim.

By: Rosemary

Rosemary — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:00:20 +0000

Might I also add that if you have take your pet with you in the car,and it will be a long trip, don’t use a dark colored carrier. When we had to evacuate for Hurricane Rita in 2005, the only carrier I had that I could get my older black cat into was a navy blue PetMate two door Pet Porter Jr. (he wouldn’t go through the front door of a carrier without me getting bitten or clawed). To make a long story short, we got stuck in traffic, the temperature was 110 degrees, and he almost died of heat stroke. Thanks to some nice stranger who had a cooler full of melting ice (ours was all gone), I was able to get him and the other seven cats and the dog cooled down, and everyone was fine once we managd to get out of all the horrible traffic.

And Ashley, I don’t know where in Texas you are, but if you’re anywhere near the Gulf Coast, start making your hurricane lists now. Whether you stay or evacuate, you have to know what you will need. We evacuate because both of my kids are autistic, and my son panics if the lights and computer don’t work like he’s used to. I make a list for each person (4 of us), a cat list (we currently have 6), a dog list (2 of them), a bird list (only 1, thank goodness), and a general list of things like maps, food, batterries, etc. Then, I dodn’t forget something important, like the oldest cats prescriptions, my daughter’s favorite toy or the roadmap so I will know where I am if my husband and I get seperated (we have to take two cars).

By: Ellen B.

Ellen B. — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:56:14 +0000

Good comments – thank you for so many ideas on how to keep your pet cool! It hasn’t been quite as hot here in Wisconsin this week, but I did buy the Chilly bone. Kobe definitely likes the coolness of it when we get back from our walk. I’m also giving him a water break every 1 mile. It’s amazing how hydrating him BEFORE he gets thirsty gives him more energy for our 3.5 mile evening walks. Kobe also got a cooling bandana. I think I’ll save it for boat rides rather than for walks.

By: Gayl

Gayl — Mon, 31 May 2010 13:37:44 +0000

I have a Chow and she gets over heated a lot in the summer. Last year we purchased her a baby pool and she loved it. I think I’m going to look into the doggy cooling bed, I bed she would like this as well. whenever she is in the house, she sleeps on the tile floor.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Thu, 27 May 2010 02:41:04 +0000

These are all great tips. We are going to buy a kiddie pool for our dog Snarf because we know he’d love splashing around in it. Also, since we moved to Texas I’ve been wondering about those cooling bandanas but never knew if it would work for Spunky, our husky/shepherd mix. I didn’t know if it would even work through all his thick fur but if it helps a Newfie then surely it could help him too. Thanks again for the tips!

By: Mandy

Mandy — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:26:11 +0000

Since I live in FL, I give my furry pup a few small pieces of cold watermelon to cool her off! This does the trick pretty quickly and keeps her hydrated.