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5 Ways to Help Your Dog Beat the Heat

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here it is hot, hot, hot. With triple digit temperatures, it’s important to make sure your furry friend stays cool. Here’s a few of our favorite ways to keep cool in the summer.

Get a baby pool. That is, if your dog likes water. I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun you’ll have splashing around with your water-loving dog. You’ll both keep cool and (bonus) get some exercise in as well!
Make frozen treats. A quick Google search (or hello Pinterest!) will yield numerous ideas for creating frozen treats. Your treats don’t need to be fancy either. Grab some dog-friendly food items from your kitchen, mix them together, and pop them in the freezer!
Freeze your dog's toys. Yes, you read that right! Put some toys/treats in a bowl filled with water (add some low-sodium chicken broth for added flavor) and freeze! Your dog will love licking his way to his toys in this mentally stimulating game.
Get a cooling pad. There are some really great ones on the market to help keep your dog cool. We have a fantastic, eco-friendly pad that doesn't require electricity. I've caught my husband ~~stealing the pad from the dogs~~ sitting on ours on occasion.
Brush, brush, brush. Nothing is more important than brushing out the undercoat of your double-coated dog. Removing that dense, winter undercoat will allow for proper air circulation and protection from the sun.

We love to spend a day swimming at the lake to keep the dogs (and us!) cool. How do you keep cool with your dog?

Tags: cool, dogs, frozen treats, heat, keep dog cool in summer, keep your dog cool, summer

Positively Expert: Kelsie McKenzie

Kelsie McKenzie is a dog blogger and marketing grad student with a mild Great Pyrenees obsession. She enjoys learning about canine health and behavior and social media marketing.

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Cynthia Nelson Zulla

For indoor cooling off (I don't have A/C) I keep my Golden's coat clipped short for summer. If it gets really hot in my apt I run a cool bath, let her sit in it for a while, towel her off and then let her sit in the air stream of a box fan. This cools her off. She's not a bath fan - but she lets me know when she's ready to cool off in the tub!
Sara

You should never give your dog anything chilled or frozen - you will probably KILL your dog!!
Water direct from the faucet is cold enough. This info came from a veterinary professional. It something to do with their stomachs going into spasm. A lady at a dog show put ice cubes in one of her dog's bowls while she 'showed' her other dog. Someone raised the alarm when they found the dog collapsed. The vet said that people need to be educated about giving their pets iced or chilled water/food. I simply play water games with my dog, she loves getting soaked!