Lilly the Dog Trainer: Keeping your dog cool on hot days
Lilly Norfeldt, our expert dog instructor, shares her best tips for keeping your dog cool during hot weather.
When it's really hot and you can't control the environment, you can still help your dog cool down. Many people instinctively douse their dog, but it's not always the most effective method. Here are my thoughts:
Dogs sweat through their mouths and paws. So, as well as a bowl of water, you can help cool their paws in shallow water or with a damp towel.
You can also dab damp towels in your dog's groin and armpits, where their fur is thinner.
Pouring water on your dog's back and head and then letting them sit in the sun can actually have the opposite effect. The water can heat up and evaporate before it even reaches their skin, offering no cooling at all.
If you're considering cooling products, I'd generally recommend a cooling mat rather than a vest. My previous dog was a flat-faced breed who loved to bake himself in the sun, so a vest was necessary. For a dog with a more typical nose, I think the smartest approach is to give them more freedom to choose how they cool down, as much as possible.
If your dog feels comfortable lying on a cooling mat (or even the cool bathroom tiles!), they will. If it gets too cool, they can simply move away. I doubt many of us adults would enjoy having a cold compress against our backs all day, so perhaps our dogs don't either.
