Top 12 Tips to Help Your Pup Beat the Heat

Posted by Calvin on July 25, 2024

The hot weather isn’t just hard for humans to deal with—dogs have an extra-tough time because they mainly cool themselves by panting. 🐶🥺 It’s our responsibility to keep our dogs safe during this sweltering season—which is easy to do when you have the right tips. Here are our top 12 ways to help your pup beat the heat:

1. Give Them Plenty of Water

Here’s the #1 thing to remember: Keep your dog hydrated by providing them with plenty of fresh, cool water. Place several bowls in different parts of your home and yard space so your dog always has access to water, and put some ice cubes in the water to cool it down.

2. Walk in the Morning and Evening

Def still take your dog on walks during the hot months—they need to get exercise and explore the world. Just avoid walks under the strong midday sun, and take them out earlier in the morning and later in the night, when it’s cooler.

3. Get an Elevated Dog Bed

An elevated dog bed is a great spot for your dog to rest, as it will keep them cool above ground level. Set one up indoors to help protect your dog from heat-trapping carpets or outdoors to protect them from the sunbaked grass or pavement.

4. Protect Their Paws From the Pavement

Speaking of pavement, limit your dog’s time on it as much as possible. On a 95-degree day, pavement can get as hot as 140 degrees—and severely burn your dog. 😰 If it’s too hot for your bare feet, it’s too hot for your pup’s paws.

5. Lay Out Wet Towels

Dogs cool themselves from the bottom up, so keep their paws and stomachs cool by setting up damp towels for them to lie on. Just run the towels under cold water and wring out the excess water—and be sure to refresh them regularly.

6. Don’t Leave Them in a Car

Never leave your dog in a car on a hot or warm day! On a 90-degree day, the temp in a car can soar to 109 degrees in just 10 minutes. Dogs can sustain brain damage or die from heatstroke in a short period of time, so a hot car is a death trap.

7. Limit Exercise

While it’s crucial to let your dog get enough exercise year-round, you don’t wanna overdo it during the hot months. Replace running and fetching with mentally stimulating indoor games on those sweltering days, and give your dog plenty of space to rest.

8. Make Frozen Treats

Here’s one of the tastiest ways to help your dog cool off: Make an ice lick or another iced treat for them. 😋 Put some of their treats and/or toys in a bowl, fill it with water, and freeze it. They can then cool off while having fun licking the ice to reach the hidden goodies.

9. Keep Dogs in the Shade

If your dog is chilling with you outside, look for shaded spots where they can sit and relax. 😎 They need to stay out of the sun to avoid overheating, so make sure they move to new shaded areas as needed as the sun moves across the sky.

10. Groom Them Regularly

Grooming your dog regularly can help them stay cool, especially if they have long or thick fur. If your dog is a breed with hair that keeps growing (poodles, shih tzus, Yorkies, etc.), you can clip their fur shorter to allow more air to cool the skin’s surface. If your dog is a double-coated breed (huskies, shepherds, retrievers, etc.), it’s better to brush out their coat to get loose shed out of the way. Just don’t shave them—it can make them sunburn easier.

11. Use Pools, Hoses, and Sprinklers

If your dog enjoys getting cooled off by water, you could make it a perf outdoor activity. (Just be sure to do this in the shade and at a cooler time of day.) Fill up a paddling pool or use a hose or sprinkler to gently cover your dog with room-temp water—and don’t let them get over-excited, which can heat them up quickly.

12. Circulate Cool Air

If you have air conditioning, let it run to keep your dog cool indoors. If you don’t have it, use several fans to do the job. Try setting up fans in a few rooms so your dog has different spots to go to, and keep the shades closed to minimize heat coming in through the windows.

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The hot months are super-dangerous for “backyard dogs” who are penned or chained up 24/7. Learn what you can do to help them stay safe!