How do you keep your dog cool in hot weather?

I live in North Alabama where it has been terribly hot the last few weeks and only going to get hotter as summer progresses. I do not use my a/c for financial reasons. My little dog pants all the time and is hot. I put her in a cool bath or spray her off in the tub with cool water to cool her off. It really does seem to help. She will not lay in front of a fan to keep a little cooler. I make sure she has plenty of water to drink and even put ice cubes in it to help cool her off some. Any ideas on how to help keep her cooler in this mind blowing heat?

 

Whenever it's really hot, I let Homer sleep in the basement. He likes it. It's always cold there.
I know that many owners give their dogs frozen treats in summer, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

Surprising we had a good many hours of rain starting yesterday to cool the place down but it has been scorching as it mostly is this neck of the woods. When Remy wants to run back indoors is when I know it's beastly hot. All I can do is make sure there is plenty water and then sometimes they will suck on some ice cubes especially if they drop while I am getting some from the fridge. My room is also the cool area of the house so they spend a lot of time there.

I hate my basement, but I guess it's something to consider for them. I think it' s too dark and muggy, not to mention I have seen long lizards down there. They scare me. Joycemcgregor, you seem to be doing a lot of the right things already.

 

If there were lizards in my parents' basement, I wouldn't let Homer go there. All animals drive him insane, he always barks at them and tries to attack them
I wouldn't want him to hurt poor lizards.

 

I think what you are already doing is good enough, OP. Sadly there isn't much you can do to keep her cool right now. I keep my frida cool by giving her a good shower, she actually steps into the shower with me. Funny how she likes to do that only during this time of the year, lol.

 

I give my babies ice in their water, too. They, however, are willing to stay in front of the fan all day long. As a matter of fact, I have to get on to them to make them share with me.

 

Our biggest has discovered the AC vent in the living room floor. He loves sleeping in front, on top, next to that vent during these hot summer months. He's also a master at swimming so we take him to the lake for a dip whenever we can. We tried playing with the water hose in the yard - he loved it - but it seemed he just was hotter afterwards after running around like crazy.

 

I know what you mean about the vents. When we have the air going they fight over who gets to sleep directly on top of it. If we don't have the air on, they are all fighting over whp sleeps directly in from of the fan.

 

My Homer is scared of electric fans I got one especially for him, but he runs away whenever I turn it on I think he doesn't like the sound it makes.

 

haha oh wow! I can see that. Same way my dogs are terrified of the vacuum and loud noises like thunder or a huge tree falling over.

 

Homer is scared of thunder too. He used to ignore most noises when he was young, but now they all terrify him. He hates vacuum cleaners, thunderstorms and fireworks

 

The electric fan idea is a good one. When we are outside during the summer we have a fan on the back porch where the dogs sleep in the shade of the awning. It's a small one placed several feet from the doggy pillow and it blows towards them. They seem to like the breeze on hot days.

 

This just happened this weekend. Something kept the freezer in the garage from closing all of the way so a HUGE piece of frost and Ice grew on the freezer door. It took a firm push to dislodge it. King (145 pound Pressa) was standing there watching me as I held this large piece of ice. I walked outside and I slid it across the porch. He took off like a rocket, he played with that ice for about five minutes before deciding to munch on it. Wish I had taken a video.

 

Haha, it must have been a lot of fun to observe him It's such a pity you didn't record it. I gave my Homer some ice too, but he didn't want to play with it or chew it. He just ignored it

 

Get an empty 2-liter bottle and fill it halfway with water. Close it tightly and lay it down in the freezer horizontally.

Once it's frozen, cover it in fabric (a pillowcase or a towel works pretty well) and lay it down near where your pup likes to relax.

Smaller animals like to cuddle up to cool things when it's hot, so I'd presume this might work for your pup! It's not something I've tried, but I saw this recommendation for small caged animals like hamsters and rats, and it makes a lot of sense to me.

Also, you can freeze dog toys or treats in homemade broth (be careful with store-bought, many times they have garlic or onion in them, which isn't safe for pups!) and give it to your dog as a fun frozen treat.

If your dog gets dangerously overheated, remember to cool the paws and muzzle first! Cool baths are a great way to go. Sounds like you're doing the right stuff, and I hope this helps you guys in the heat!

 

This was Capone first summer with us and it was mostly rainy days in our neck of the woods. On the hot days, he lied belly down on the wooden floor or tile flooring. I kept the fans running in the house, and since he has short hair, it has been just fine for him. Next year when it is torching, I will hose him down with the garden sprinkler

 

I try spraying them down with the water hose. Giving them a bath inside doesn't work for anyone but little Ann, and she's already getting to big. They other dogs freak out at first, but calm down after a few seconds. Little ann, though, will yelp as loud as she can, repeatedly, while spinning in a circle.She won't stop until I let her go.

 

Maybe I should go spray Reba who spends most of her time outdoors. My little ones are dicey when it comes to baths. Sometimes there are good and sometimes not so good. Reba is great with baths. Can you possibly bathe them too much even in this terribly hot weather?

 

Amazon or eBay sell self cooling mats. Quite cheaply

 

Aww!!!