9 Tips on How To Keep Dogs Cool This Summer

With the summer season just around the corner it is time to come up with some out of the box ideas to keep our four legged furry friends cool. Some dogs (Beagles, Bichon Frise, Papillon ect.) just can’t tolerate the heat as well as others. Other dogs bask in it! If your dog has a thick, double coat he’ll need extra help this summer since he is prone to overheating. Same for dogs with short noses, like Pugs or Bulldogs since they have difficulty panting in order to keep themselves cool.

So aside from you as a pet mom or dad being extra cautious about not overexercising Fido this summer, check out our ideas of how to keep dogs cool and happy in the summer.

1. Frozen Doggie Treats
   Frozen treats are a life savior for your dog during the summer. You can select whatever ingredients your pup enjoys the most, freeze them and let him relish them on particularly hot days. Some really cool frozen dog treats are: frozen fruits, frozen carrots, peanut butter banana, yogurt, chicken or beef broth, the list can be endless.
2. Kiddies Pool
   Just like the rest of us humans, a dog loves nothing more than cooling off in a cool bath on a hot day. Kiddies pool is a quick fix to keep your pup from panting this summer. Plastic being the preferred choice as inflatable may not be the most dog-proof. Just fill it up with water, Fido’s favorite floatable toys, heck add some ice to it and your dog won’t want to come out.
3. Dog Cooling Vest
   A cooling vest can work really well from keeping the hot sun from beaming down on your pup’s sensitive skin. While you can make your own DIY cooling vest by taking a pair of cargo pants and shoving in some ice-packs. A better alternative is to pick up a light-weight, sun-reflecting vest that is really functional and cools off your dog through evaporation just like sweating.
4. Dog Cooling Bandanna
   Pick up a bandanna if you don’t already have one, wet it and keep it in the freezer. On hot days, take it out, run it under cool water and just put it on your dog. He’ll cool off instantly and in style too.
5. Homemade Doggie Ice-Cream
   Humans aren’t the all ones who can gorge on these treats during the summer. A perfect cure for your pup as well. So go head and make some homemade doggy ice-cream out of yogurt, peanut butter, chocolate, and strawberry. If you forget to prepare them in advance, check out Puppy Scoops Icecream Mix For Dogs who make dog-friendly ice-cream keeping in mind those doggies that are lactose-intolerant in mind.
6. Haircut
   Don’t overlook giving Fido a much-needed trim at the start of the summer. It will go a long way to keeping him cool this summer.
7. Apply Sun Screen
   Despite their fur, a dog’s skin can still be exposed to and affected by the sun’s damaging UV rays. Pick up a dog-friendly UV protectant sunblock to help him from burning to help keep him healthy and happy.
8. Frozen Toy Treats
   A Kong is a staple in every dog owner’s home. Stuff his favorite treats, dog biscuits or his dinner, freeze them and give them to your pup on hot days. He’ll lick the food out and guaranteed to keep him entertained all day.
9. Become familiar with signs of dehydration
   We’ve put together a handy visual to help you spot the signs and symptoms of dehydration in your dog – save it, pin it and share it!

These are just a small number of ideas to help keep your dog cool this summer and decrease his chances of becoming dehydrated.

Always ensure that they have access to cool water to drink at all times. For dogs housed outdoors ensure they have plenty of shade for them to relax in and cool off. And remember, never ever leave your pet in an unattended vehicle as even with windows rolled down, temperatures can soar up very quickly.

Be sure you stop by and read our other dog product reviews!

Have other tips to keep dogs cool this summer? Leave them in the comments below!

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