5 Top tips for keeping your dogs cool in the summer.

Keep your dogs cool

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Keep your dogs cool 〰️

With the heatwave looming and the summer weather pretty much in full swing, as well as the climate getting ever hotter & unpredictable (Look at spain this year, 42c in May!)- its especially important to know how to cool down your dog in the hot weather! While we love the summer weather, it can be really hard for dogs to cool down & they can easily get heatstroke. Heatstroke is especially high in flat faced & senior dogs.

1.) Paddling pool for dogs.

Get your dog a paddling pool, we have found kids sandpits really good, as they last a long time and the dogs cannot pop/scratch them. Make sure to pop it in a shady spot in the garden and fill with cold, but not freezing water. Make sure that you don’t fill it too high for little dogs and that you supervise them in case they struggle to get out.

While some dogs love the water, some dogs will need a little encouragement to get them into the pool, however, just a short splash around can really help them cool down as dogs absorb & release heat from their paws. Our Sustainapaws double layered 100% recycled plastic plush dog toys float as well, providing optimum paddling play and encouragement - however, its important to keep play to a minimum when its hot so your dog does not overheat.

2.) Iced treats for dogs.

Probably Bailey’s favourite cooling tip! Making ice lollies or frozen treats are fun and can be turnt into enrichment as well. Simply blend fruit/kefir/gravy etc and pour into a kong, over a lick mat or into an ice cube/ice lolly mould. One of our favourites to freeze is Furrboost! I’ll try to do a blog on a few dog friendly recipes soon.

3.) Cool mats, coats, bandanas & collars for dogs.

Dogs tend to gravitate towards cool surfaces when they feel hot, cool mats are really good if your house doesn’t have any cold places that they can lay on. There are a wide range of specially designed cooling mats for dogs available to buy… Most have self-cooling technology, some you need to pop in the freezer. For a more budget friendly method, you can also use freezer blocks, or a frozen plastic bottle of water, in your dog’s bed will have a similar effect - just make sure that you wrap them well in a blanket.

You can buy specially-made cooling coats for your dog, which can provide longer-lasting coolness. These are activated with water - as the moisture in the coat evaporates, it draws out the heat from the dog's body and cools them down. You can get bandanas that work in the same way.

You can also get cooling collars which work similar to the cooling mats - some contain a special self-cooling gel and others need to be filled with ice or placed in the freezer. If you cannot afford to get these, or need a quick way to cool them down, you can wet a standard kitchen cloth and pop it in the freezer, or wrapping ice cubes inside, will do a very similar job – it just won’t look quite as stylish!

You can also wet and freeze a wet towel to have a similar effect.

4.) Walk your dog early in the morning or late at night.

Only walk your dogs when it is cooler, which is typically in the morning or in late evening. Tarmac can get really hot in the summer and aside from it being too warm for the dogs, it can burn their pads. If the tarmac is too hot for your hands, then it will be too hot for your dogs pads. You need to limit exercise and play to reduce the risk of heatstroke - try doing more enrichment and brain games to keep your dog entertained to wear them out instead.

5.) Keep your dog hydrated.

This one sounds really obvious, but keeping your dog hydrated can prevent heatstroke. Keep water with you at all times if out and about, keep fresh clean and cool water down at all times. Furrboost is a brilliant hydration drink for those that are reluctant to drink much. Try to keep water out of direct sunlight too.