Hey Woofa’s,

Our temperatures, they are rising people, more and more!   This summer our highest temperature so far has been 48 degrees!!!!

Now I’m one who LOVES the warmer weather (hate the fires that have burnt our Country though) so I’m by no means complaining, however I think we need some tips on keeping our dog’s cool during this time!

We can fend for ourselves but it’s up to us to take charge and look out for our dogs during this summer.

Did you know dogs don’t sweat like we do?

Dogs can exude some sweat through their paw pads (underneath their feet) but their most effective cooling mechanism is through panting because this circulates the air they need to cool down.

Tips On Keeping Your Dog Cool This Summer!

1. Plenty of fresh cool water!

This might seem like a no brainer but I’ve been to people’s houses where there’s insufficient water available for their dogs!!   As well as seeing a water dish with green moss all over it.

Billy has 4 water bowls, 3 of which are strategically placed around the yard so at least during different times of the day 1 of them will be in the shade. His 4th dish is inside in the bathroom.

It’s cool in there so a good spot for it, or you could use the laundry, any place in the house that is cool.

A good idea is to  freeze some water the night before, either in blocks or cubes, and put them in the dishes before you leave for the day.  Or you could just give them the block of ice to lick.

2. Bring Your Dog Inside!

If you’re able to, bring your fur babies inside to enjoy the air conditioning or fan.   Or to sit on the cool floor tiles of the kitchen, bathroom or laundry areas or main living areas!  The tiles will cool down their bellies.

3. Cool Your Dog Down!

Wet a face cloth and place it in the fridge for 5-10 minutes!   Take it out and either place it on your dog’s belly (if this is easier said than done), place it where your dog sits so they can lay on it!   Or just place it on the underside of your dog.

This will help to them cool down.   Have 2 cloths available, 1 on the dog and the other cooling down in the fridge and tag team them.

Try using a spray bottle with cool water and spray your fur baby’s belly area, groin area, and under their arms.

If your dog wears clothes and they have a really light weighted garment, you could wet it with cool water and place it on them.   When they sit the garment cools them down from underneath.

Please be diligent here though, only do this if you’re home and the garment is light, the idea is to cool them down, not make them hot.

4. For The Water Loving Dog/s!

If your fur baby is a water lover, turn on the sprinkler or hose and cool them down the old fashioned way by hosing them.    Let them run in the sprinkler, or fill a container that they can sit in but not too full that they can drown in.

You could also cool them down in the bathtub.

NOTE: Some areas of NSW are in Water Restrictions and we aren’t allowed to use hoses or sprinklers at this current time!

If your family has a pool and your dog loves to swim let them go for one!    I can’t stress enough that this has to be only if your dog loves to swim!!

If your dog doesn’t like to swim don’t throw them in thinking you know what’s best,  this will only scare and stress them out.

Also only do this if someone is there to supervise, water safety is just as important for our fur babies as it is for our kids.

Did you know you can get safety life vests  for fur babies?

 5. For The Beach Lover!

Dog friendly beaches are awesome as well if your dog loves running on the beach and going in the water.

Local swimming holes are good too!

Again though I stress the importance of water safety for your dog, things can change in an instant around water.

6. For The Dog That Needs Walking!

If your fur baby needs walking/exercise, I’d suggest walking them before the heat of the day, early in the morning or well after the sun has gone down.

A way of testing whether it’s too hot to walk your dog, take your shoes off and walk across the footpath yourself, if it’s too hot for you it’s too hot for your dog to walk on.

Try indoor activities during the day, mental stimulation for your dog can be just as beneficial as walking.

Tips for when you’re not home!

11.  Make sure your dog has cool shady spots to lay in around the yard.

12.  Place plenty of water bowls around the yard, with the ice cubes/blocks in them.  I say more than one water bowl because the sun may end up directly on your dog’s water dish heating the water up.

13.  If your fur baby is a sun baker, put dog sun block on them.

14.  If they are inside and alone, same goes, a cool spot to lay and plenty of water.

Billy is pretty lucky, our house is 90% tiles and I work from home so most of the time he is inside either on the lounge, or on the tiles.    I can also check on him during the day between grooming customers.

Generally, if we have to go out we leave him inside as he can come and go through his own dog door.

We also have camera’s in the house now, so we can check on him through our phones when we’re out.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

It means that summer in Australia can be pretty hot and it’s important to keep everyone cool, including our Pooches!

Whether you can be home with your dog during the day or not, there are ways to keep them cool.

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – HOW YOU KEEP YOUR DOGS COOL IN SUMMER?

Cheers