The hot dog days of summer

[Sarah Bennett]

So, just out of curiosity, what does everyone do for their dogs during these hot days to keep them cool...specifically when you are not home. 

I work 8 hours a day, so Salvador is in his crate during that time.  I've put a fan next to his crate (I don't have air conditioning), cold water with ice cubes in it, give him some of his rubber toys that I've thrown in the freezer over night and shut all the curtains in my house to hopefully keep some of the suns heat out, but it is still hot in the house.  Any other suggestions?  I don't think he's suffering, but I know he's hot. 

When I get home from work, I try to spray him down with a hose, find him a pond/body of water to wade in, take him in the air conditioned car with me, give him frozen wet wash clothes and frozen diluted chicken broth.  But looking for some suggestions here. 

I won't lie though, having the heat zap him out, does make me being hot and feeling lazy a lot more bearable.  I couldn't imagine being hot, feeling lazy and having a super hyper dog that just wants to play to come home to!

Thanks!

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

Meg likes to find the floor vents for the AC and lay on top of them, if she has been romping outside I turn a fan on for her as well.

[Sally S Miles]

The frozen milk jug, set in front of a fan - or wherever you like on a cool surface, but I've seen dogs lay belly in towards the 'berg' for hours.

 

A soggy bandana ties around their neck - our girl likes the wet and I generally pat her around the throat every so often - as needed. First time she thought I was nuts, but after that she comes to me for rub down and fresh wetting.  Wet towel rub downs after an outing.

 

Our dog - smart as all get out, but dumb as a rock in the sun! She loves to bask in the sunshine, black dog - oy vey.

Feed the frozen green beans while still frozen.  Yogurt popsicles - applesauce popsicles....  spray bottle (once I had to drive across Nevada with two dogs, one kid, in a car with no AC - spray bottle of water got a workout!)

[Doris]

When my son was in college we bought him a fan that has a container for ice cubes.  It takes a lot of ice, but then will blow cold air for many hours.  I don't remember where we got it.  We initially looked for portable air conditioners (he had strange windows and could not do a regular air conditioner) but then found this fan.  It does use a lot of ice, but it works!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh, I definitely can commiserate with all of you in the middle of a heat wave.  We were in Pittsburgh for a family reunion a few weeks ago and it was hot, but not miserable.  Enough for me!  We are lucky enough not to need air conditioning or heating in our area, but my dogs have their tricks when it is warm.  They sleep on the cool tiles in the bathrooms and park themselves in front of the fan whenever we turn it on.  I don't know what we would do if they had to be locked in a hot house on a hot day.

[Pat and Traveler]

There aren't that many really hot days per year here--maybe 10-12.   I don't have AC, so we pretty much just endure, with fans and ice in front of the fans, sponging with cool cloths.  Trav hates the hose and thinks being sprayed is some kind of torture.  He will go into a sprinkler if it's set low and slow.

I lived in Sacramento for a while, and thought I would melt!  It's so awful trying to get into a car when the steering wheel is too hot to touch!

[Sarah Bennett]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!!  It's started to cool down here, so I hope the worst, worst is behind us.  It doesn't usually get too hot here often either... maybe high 80's, but we had a lot of mid-90's that felt like low 100's this last week.  Salvador was definitely a fan of the fan and of the tile!  lots and lots of ice too.  I'll have to look into a cooling pad for him too for the next hot streak (which I hope isn't too soon!).  He likes being outside too, so that was hard on him, but we're making it and none the worse for wear!  Thanks!