A note for our readers: If you have an urgent question and are unable to ask your veterinarian, you can use the Ask a Vet service that will give you access to a veterinarian for 7 days for $1.
Our mission is to help save dogs and cats’ lives through our educational content. To support our efforts, this page may contain affiliate links. We earn a commission for qualifying purchases – at no cost to you.
In 2007 she accomplished her dream of practice ownership, designing and building her own clinic. Another meaningful role, while running her clinic, was serving as her countys shelter veterinarian. This gave her the opportunity to help improve the lives of many animals in her community as well as work with the rescue she loved. She sold her practice in 2019 to move across the country.
Beth Turner is a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience. She graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine and following graduation, she began her career as an associate veterinarian and worked closely with the local shelter.
Find your dog a cool spot to rest
When I’m lying awake in bed on a hot summer night, I love nothing more than flipping my pillow over. The cold side is instantly refreshing.
In the same way, a cold surface can be used to keep your dog comfortable on a hot day.
You see, when your dog lays down on a cold surface, his body heat transfers to the floor – regulating his body temperature
In fact, this is why many dogs dig holes on a hot day. They are trying to reach the cold soil below, so they can lay in it.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to dig up your yard to cool down your dog…
All you need to do is move your dog to a cooler surface and encourage him to lay down – a treat will help!
Naturally cold surfaces include tiled and concrete floors. Even a shaded grassy area in the corner of your backyard will work.
However, this cooling technique does have a drawback. Over time, your dog will warm the spot he is lying on. When this happens, the cooling becomes less effective – just like how the cold side of your pillow doesn’t last long.
It can also be challenging to get your dog to stay in one spot. Even though she was uncomfortably hot, our Golden Retriever was determined to remain near her owner – she wouldn’t stay on the cold bathroom tiles.
If you are having the same problems, then check out a cooling mat.
These mats provide your pup with a long-lasting cold surface and can be set up anywhere in your home, even next to you while you watch TV…
Cooling pads come in a wide variety of shapes and styles. Some contain a gel that cools down quicker than a regular mat. Others include freezable inserts that stay cooler for longer but need to be refrozen.
Before buying a cooling mat, consider your dog’s size. A Dachshund or Chihuahua can get by with a smaller mat. But a Great Dane or Mastiff are going to need something bigger.
Oh, and if you crate your dog overnight, consider buying a cooling mat that will fit inside the crate. This way, the mat can keep your dog fresh as he sleeps through the night.
There isn’t much I enjoy more than going for a swim on a hot summer day – A quick dip in cold water immediately makes you feel refreshed.
And if your dog loves to swim, he will feel the same way.
Spaniels, Poodles, Irish Setters, and Retrievers are just a few of the dogs that love to swim.
A quick dip in the pool, lake or ocean will have your dog cool in no time – Don’t forget to practice water safety and equip your dog with a life jacket if you need too!
Don’t own a pool, and not lucky enough to live near a lake or beach? I feel you…
But that doesn’t mean you can’t use this solution to cool down your pup.
All you need to do is grab a dog pool…
Fill the dog pool with water, add your pup’s favorite toys, and you have a cooling solution that will keep your dog’s entertained for hours.
Okay, so these pools aren’t deep enough to swim in. But that doesn’t matter. They are the perfect size for splashing around or even laying in.
My neighbor’s dog pool can fit two Labradors lying down. Their tails wag with joy every time they see her set up the pool.
Don’t have room for a pool? Hose your down your dog instead.
Turn on your garden hose and spray your dog down. As the cold water flows over your dog’s body, it will cool your pup down.
Now, some dogs will be more open to this than others. For instance, our Pug tester hates being sprayed with water. As does our Yorkshire Terrier and Shih Tzu.
But our Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, and Beagle would let us spray them for hours.
You’ll know soon if your dog enjoys being hosed down. He’ll run for cover if he doesn’t!
If your dog really loves the water, or you have multiple dogs, consider attaching a sprinkler to your hose.
When it comes to sprinklers, grab one that randomly shoots water in all directions. It turns cooling down a fun game as your dog tries to chase the different streams of water.
Note hosing down long-haired fluffy dogs may actually have the opposite effect. Especially on humid days with low airflow…
If you soak heavy-coated dogs, the water will weigh his coat down, Trapping heat underneath.
For these dogs, focus on hosing the chest, stomach, and paws. This way you can take advantage of the cold, flowing water while body heat is free to escape through the hair on the top of your dog.
Don’t have a backyard but still want to spray your pup with water to cool him down? Our next option is a little more apartment friendly.
Importance of Avoiding Overheating in Dogs
Keeping a dog cool when the temperature soars is very important in order to prevent some unpleasant and even dangerous conditions. On hot days, dogs may not be able to pant fast enough to cool themselves down. Dogs don’t have sweat glands, except in small areas such as on the pads of their paws. They cool down mainly by panting, which releases evaporated water from their lungs and mouth, and by radiating heat from dilated blood vessels in their ears. If dogs overheat on a hot summer day, they are at risk for developing dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke, which can be deadly.
Misha was my black Labrador Retriever. I was very concerned about stopping him from overheating because his coat was dark and absorbed heat easily. Dylan is my familys present dog. He has a light-coloured coat. Even dogs with coats that are a light colour can develop problems on hot days, however. I used a number of methods for keeping Misha cool when the temperature rose, and I use most of them for Dylan. These techniques should be helpful for other dogs.
It looks like this German Shepherd has found a good place to cool down.
When the weather forecast is predicting a string of very hot days, I take my dogs for a walk early in the morning at around 6 or 6:30 a.m. I find that if I leave the walk to 7 a.m. the day is already too hot. Getting up so early may sound onerous for some people, but I generally have to do it for only a short period of time. My dogs and I walk on trails that are still in the shade of trees as much as possible. On hot days, we don’t go for the more vigorous types of walks such as hill climbing.
When I went for a walk with Misha in summer, I took a small water bowl and flask of water with me in a little backpack. The local parks have dog bowls attached to the human water fountains, which is very nice, but theres always the chance that a water fountain wont work or that my canine companion will get thirsty before we reach the water fountain. I also prefer to give my dogs water from a clean water bowl instead of from the fountain bowl.
Like the dog in the photo below, Misha loved to retrieve balls. If I wanted to give him a ball game in the garden when the weather was hot, I played with him very early in the day. Late in the evening the heat of the day was still present and the atmosphere was too uncomfortable to give him exercise.
Many dogs love playing with balls, but they may become very hot while doing this.
There are some important points to remember about walks on hot days that some people may not think about. When a dog walks on very hot tarmac, asphalt, cement, or even sand, their paw pads may get burned. Another important thing to consider is that the body of a dog with short legs is closer to the ground than the body of one with long legs. This means that there is less chance for the heat radiating from the ground to dissipate before it strikes the body of a short-legged dog.
Since the soles of our shoes often insulate us from the heat of a walking surface, its a good idea to touch a surface with a hand before taking a dog on to it. A common recommendation is to place a hand on hot asphalt or another surface for ten seconds. If the hand cant be left there due to discomfort, the asphalt is too hot for the dog. A natural material such as grass or earth may be a better choice for a summer walk than a sidewalk or road.
Swimming in a backyard pool can be a great way for a dog to stay cool, as long as certain precautions are followed.
The only fun way to cool down my black dog Jake
Our mission is to help save dogs and cats’ lives through our educational content. To support our efforts, this page may contain affiliate links. We earn a commission for qualifying purchases – at no cost to you.
Beth Turner is a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience. She graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine and following graduation, she began her career as an associate veterinarian and worked closely with the local shelter.
In 2007 she accomplished her dream of practice ownership, designing and building her own clinic. Another meaningful role, while running her clinic, was serving as her countys shelter veterinarian. This gave her the opportunity to help improve the lives of many animals in her community as well as work with the rescue she loved. She sold her practice in 2019 to move across the country.
A note for our readers: If you have an urgent question and are unable to ask your veterinarian, you can use the Ask a Vet service that will give you access to a veterinarian for 7 days for $1.