1. Schedule exercise accordingly
Keeping a dog fit, active and mentally challenged is good practice all year round. In the summertime, however, it’s best to keep outdoor activities limited to early morning or late evening, when the weather is cooler. Running a dog in mid-afternoon heat is setting him up for some serious health issues
2. Remember the coat
Most breeds are wrapped in fur, some in dense double coats. The few breeds that are hairless will often run a higher body temperature to regulate their heat. When out and about with any dog pay close attention to their signals, keep him well hydrated and if he shows any sign of slowing or hunting for a patch of cool shade, get him somewhere cool as soon as possible. It may only be an eighty degree day but wrapped inside a fur coat, body temperature rises rapidly.
3. Use some imagination
For the majority of people that don’t live with central air, keeping a dog cool takes a little ingenuity and occasionally a sense of humor. A plastic wading pool under a shady tree is a desert oasis for any dog that likes to play in the water. Running sprinklers or simply spraying a hose could cool down a dog on a hot day. A dog needs to be cooled from the ground up. Once the paws and belly have been cooled, try a frozen handkerchief tied around the back of the neck.
4. Other cooling methods
Some dogs simply despise any form of water, they may find their oasis in a large hole dug in the middle of the yard. While not the most ideal solution, if it works for the dog, let him snooze in his hole. It can always be filled back in later. Another solution, if the dog doesn’t mind the whirring noise, is a small container of ice placed behind a box fan on the floor. It’s almost like having air conditioning.
5.Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Dogs consume triple the amount of water on hot, sticky days. Placing extra bowls of water out will keep them hydrated, which in turn will keep their body temperature regulated.
Toledo, United States.
