Keeping Dogs Cool

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horza
Posts: 33
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 5:22 am

Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by horza »

Hi

Just wondering what ou do to keep your dogs cool and happy when it is hot.

I have a Groenendeal (i.e. long think double coated) who hates being hot (i also have a puppy who is a sun worshiper) but with the recent hot weather in the UK im have trouble tring to keep her cool.

things im doing

doing more shorter walks (very little running - i.e. she loves her tennis ball and will fetch all day, so the ball isnt coming oon walk atm)

lots of frozen kongs / bones - rather than bowls of food

also ive been having trouble keeping the water cold and was changing t every half hour but last night i filled a bowl and put it in the freezer - hopeing to get 3 bowls on a rotation system - 1 freezing, one thawing but still ice - and one thawed enough for them to drink

keep the doors open so they get inside

shaded areas on the garden

what do you do????

thanks for any ideas
PikiPiki
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:51 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by PikiPiki »

http://www.walmart.com/ip/HyperKewl-Can ... e/14204687 Something like this may help (would recommend a better quality one though)
maximoo
Posts: 1111
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:07 am
Location: South Florida

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by maximoo »

The way dogs cool themselves naturally is to get their paws in water. So get a small pool put it in a shady area, and let them go in/out as they please.
tansox
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:41 pm

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by tansox »

When you're out walking your dog on a hot day, tie a wet bandana or wet tea-towel around their neck - a practical fashion statement to-boot!!! :D
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Mattie
Posts: 5872
Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:21 am

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by Mattie »

Dogs should not be walked when it is hot, I have seen several dogs colapse and had to be rushed to the vets, one dog didn't survive, the others were touch and go for a while.

The best way to keep a dog cool is inside with all the windows and doors shut, curtains/blinds closed to keep the sun out. Also a paddling pool for them in the shade if you have any.
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ladybug1802
Posts: 1991
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 3:39 am
Location: Surrey

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by ladybug1802 »

In the summer when the weather is hot I walk early in the morning....its still warm but as the sun isnt quite up its bearable and not hot. And I always walk in wooded areas in the summer....nowhere open - unless it is to go to the river through the fields. I take him there a lot fo him to have a swim to cool off.

Do you have any water near you he can cool off in?
Ajeno
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 5:40 am

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by Ajeno »

Im inclined to agree with the early mornings when it comes to hot weather.
I have along haired alaskan Malamute/German Shepherd. She really suffers from the hot weather. I trimmed her coat to make her short haired too. I can do it myself, but if you can, take him to a pro to get his coat thinned. That's what I do anyway! I take her ealry in the morning. the grass is nice and wet from the dew on the grass, this keeps her paws cool and wet.
afk
Posts: 26
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:40 am
Location: Austria

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by afk »

good suggestions so far! To keep the dog's water cold, i put ice cubes in it ;) sometimes, when he lays in the grass in the shade, i give him an ice cube to chew on/play with.
"If you talk to animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear. What one fears, one destroys."
Beau&Luke'sMomn
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:56 pm
Location: North Carolina, USA

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by Beau&Luke'sMomn »

Dogs will cool themselves in the way that is best for them if they have the tools. We have a wading pool for our dogs. Beau is a Brittany. When we play fetch he will run with the ball and get in his wading pool and lay down on his belly with just his head sticking up. Luke is an English Springer Spaniel. His coat takes a lot longer to dry and he does not lay down in the water. He just steps in the pool with all four paws and that seems to do the trick. They stay indoors when it is excessively hot and humid outside.
Good luck on figuring out what works best for your dogs!!
SmallBarkBigBite
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 7:42 pm

Re: Keeping Dogs Cool

Post by SmallBarkBigBite »

I live in the Midwest where we have frigid winters and ridiculously hot summers. In the summer I am still as committed to exercising my two dogs as I am in the other months of the year. If they are outside for any length of time, I make sure that they have plenty of cold water. I have used ice cubes in the water before, but have been cautioned by my vet not to "go overboard" and make it too frigid (in case they decide to drink a gallon straight down, so to speak). I also tend to just go with mother nature and walk my dogs in the morning and in the evening when it's cooler. When it is excessively hot, I NEVER leave them out in their run, despite it having ample shade. I will crate them indoors in the air conditioning or with a fan, or both if needed. However, when it is necessary to take them out for training or exercise in the heat of the day, I limit my little one's exposure (she is a pug/beagle - really can't handle the heat). My big guy is a Belgian Malinois and you can use a "cooling vest" which is like a backpack with cold packs in it. Still, I don't go out for runs when it's 90, etc. Hope this helps.
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