Five Easy Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool

Most of the country is experiencing heat waves right now, some pushing the record highs. In this article, we are going to cover a five very easy ways to help keep your dog cool this summer. All of these methods are guaranteed to cool down your dog and they are all relatively inexpensive to do!

Evaporative Cooling

Ever sit at the beach on a hot day feeling nice and comfortable, then head back to your house or room to find that it’s really hot out? The reason why you were cooler down on the beach was due to a few factors, one being evaporative cooling from the ocean water. Evaporative cooling happens when water droplets are turned into water vapor. This process pulls heat energy from the surrounding air to perform the water phase change. This process is what the human body uses to cool the body by sweating. Dogs, unlike humans, can’t cool themselves by sweating, so that’s why setting up a evaporative cooling system is so beneficial to cooling down your dogs.

The Ocean Breeze Cooling System is a very simple apparatus that we sell at Lion Country Supply. It comes with everything that you need to set up a misting system. This system works great if you have multiple kennel runs or a large area that you are trying to keep cool. If you don’t want to manually turn the system on and off each day, there is also an optional Ocean Breeze Auto Timer available.

Shade

Everyone knows that the summer sun during midday can be brutal. Being in direct sunlight can make the air temperature feel 10 to 15 degrees warmer, plus you risk getting sunburn. Did you know that dogs can get sunburned? Dogs with light-colored fur or thinner coats are at a higher risk of sunburn. Providing shade by using natural shade trees or a sunscreen help your dog feel more comfortable even when the temperatures are high. If you are looking to add sunscreen to your kennel, check out the Kennel Sunscreen that we carry. It comes available in several common sizes, but we can custom order different sizes if requested. The Kennel Sunscreen is designed to block 80% of the sun’s rays while still allowing rain water to flow through.

Dog Cooling Mats

What’s one of the quickest ways to cool off? If you’re thinking an ice pack or a cool pack, you’re right. The Cool Down Mat III is designed to be a cool pack for your dogs. The Cool Down Mat can be quickly filled with icy cold water and placed down for your dog to lay on. We even tuck ours inside of our LCS Crate Pads. Just be mindful when using these around dogs that are chewers or diggers; if not, you might come back to a puddle of water.

Kiddie Pools

On a really hot day, there is nothing like floating around in a pool. Why not give your dog that same ability? Available at almost every convenience store during the summer months, kiddie pools are a great option to give your dog a refreshing body of water to relax in. Just a few inches of water in the pool is all the dog needs to cool off. Just make sure to change out the water every few days or else it could get too hot, start growing bacteria, or become a breeding ground for bugs.

Air Movement with Fan

As with evaporative cooling, air movement can help keep temperatures cooler. Also, much like providing shade, air movement helps keep the “Real Feel” temperature lower, making it more comfortable to be outside. If you have electricity at your kennel or can run an extension cord to where you’re keeping your dog outside, simply adding a box fan to provide a breeze can make a huge difference in comfort. Ceiling fans inside enclosed kennels or under a porch are great for generating air movement.

Conclusion

If you’re keeping your dog outside this summer with hot temperatures, make sure that they have ways to keep cool. Your dog being uncomfortable in the heat can lead to unnecessary stress and can also lead to serious health conditions or death in extreme cases. If you see your dog heavily panting, they are already showing signs that they are too warm. Our five suggestions are easy and don’t cost a lot of money. Depending on the temperature in your area, consider implementing more than one of these options to ensure that your dog remains safe and comfortable this summer.

Thank you for reading our five ways to keep your dog feeling cool in the summer heat. If you have any questions or comments, please leave us a comment below, or reach out to us via our online chat, email us at service@lcsupply.com, or give us a call 1-800-662-5202.

For more information on heat exhaustions or things to think about when taking your dog to the beach, check out the articles below. Enjoy your summer!

Thank you,

Michael Cassatt, LCS Director of Marketing

Are you thinking about taking your dog to the beach this year? Make sure to check out, Seven Things to Consider Before Taking Your Dog to the Beach, before you head toward the sand. Planning and having knowledge of these things will make your trip safer and more fun for your dog.

As temperature rise, so does the risk for heat exhaustion for your dogs. Learn more about how to prevent heat exhaustion in our article, Beat the Heat: Prevent Heat Exhaustion in Dogs. This is a great article that explains the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion in dogs, tips on preventing it, and things to keep in mind while the temperatures are high.