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As temperatures rise, spare a thought for your pooch. I mean, can you imagine wearing a big fur coat in this weather? Dogs rely on panting and releasing heat through their paw pads and nose to regulate their body temperature and keep cool.
Our dogs need protection and guidance during the heat. Don’t sweat it, we’ve pulled together 10 of the best cooling accessories out there to help you to cool down your dog.
Summer Safety For Dogs
Before we delve into our favourite cooling accessories, here’s a couple of things to remember.
Our dogs need plenty of water: Access to clean water should be provided for your dog at all times. Leep water bowls full and carry water on your walks.
Sensible Walks: On hot days, go for walkies during the cooler parts of the day, early morning or late afternoon.
Watch for overheating: Signs include heavy panting and loss of energy. If noticed on a walk, stop, find shade and give water.
Check pavement for heat: Put the back of your hand or bare foot on the path for 10 seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them.
Signs of heatstroke: Excessive panting, heavy salivation, vomiting, diarrhoea, lack of co-ordination or loss of consciousness. Contact your vet for emergencies.
Don’t leave your dog in the car: Never leave your dog alone in the car, even with the windows open. ‘Not for long’ IS too long.
Accessories To Cool Down Your Dog
There are plenty of great dog accessories out there to cool down your dog. From cooling collars to swimming pools, these are some of our favourites.
GoPetee Dog Cooling Mat
A good cooling matt for your pooch should be non-toxic gel-filled, puncture-resistant, easy to clean and self-active (which means it activates the cooling gel the moment your dog sits on it).
This cooling mat has all of those things and the bonus for this cooling mat is that it absorbs their body heat so they don’t overheat, keeping them around 7-9 degrees below ambient temperature. It also comes in a range of different styles and patterns.
The gel soothes your pooch for up to three hours and recharges after 15-20 minutes of non-use. As we mentioned earlier, it’s also puncture-proof, so if your dog loves to chew, this mat is durable and will survive the nibbles.
The icing on the cake? It’s portable so you can take it anywhere. In fact, you’ll love it so much that you’ll be lying on the mat too!
K&H Original Pet Canopy
Does your pooch worship the sun all day long? Ours certainly does, so we’ve just picked up one of these.
This bed elevates your dog from the floor outdoors to keep them more comfortable, providing the vital shade they need to relax.
These beds are suitable indoors and outdoors and convenient for travel, camping, picnicking and more. They’re also easy to assemble and disassemble in minutes – no tools necessary.
Dog Cooling Neckerchief
We all love a bandana to keep our pooch looking stylish but feast your eyes on these little special neckerchiefs! Not only are they a unique way to style your pooch, but they can also help your dog to cool down.
They have non-toxic crystals within the neck section of the bandana. When these are immersed in the cold water for around 25-30 minutes they swell and keep their cooling effect for up to 2 days. For extra cooling you can pop them in the fridge or re-hydrate them by soaking in cold water for 5 minutes.
They are designed to be comfortable for your dog, and keep your dog looking as cool as a cucumber.
Lightweight Cooling Coat
Now the first thought that has probably run through your mind is, ‘why would I put an added extra layer on my dog in this weather?’ These coats are made to cool down your dog on even the hottest days.
To make them work you’ll need to soak the coat in water, wring it out the snap the fibres inside the coat. Then let evaporation do the magic for up to two hours. Then once you’re done you can let it to air dry for another day.
This coat is durable and designed to last you for plenty of heatwaves to come.
Yaheetech Foldable Dog Pool
For many dogs, nothing beats dipping your paws into a fresh pool to keep cool. This durable, portable pool is perfect for all kinds of dogs and comes in many sizes.
No inflating is necessary, this foldable pool just opens up with the panelled sides to create a pop-up doggy splash zone. It also has a drainage hole to let the water out fast.
PetSafe Freezable Penguin
This freezable (and adorable) penguin provides the pawfect spot for hiding frozen treats for your dog.
For a frozen treat mash banana and mix it with water and some organic (xylitol-free and unsweetened) peanut butter. Or freeze some low-fat, plain yoghurt with apples.
This little chap will motivate even the fussiest dogs to cool off by licking and chewing. It also provides the stimulation and enrichment needed to keep their mind active.
Petyoung Splash Sprinkler Pad
We’ve gone mutts for this one and your dogs will too! Your pooch can cool off while having plenty of fun chasing water.
This product is particularly great if you have children too as they can frolic in the water and chase the sprinkles together. It’s a great size too suitable for most pooches.
It’s non-toxic, durable and easy to set up and store.
Outdoor Dog Water Fountain
You may be wondering why your pooch prefers running water over stagnant drinking water? This is due to natural preferences carried over from wild ancestors who instinctively knew that running water is much safer than stagnant water.
We love water fountains for dogs! Not only does it encourages them to drink more water but it also provides plenty of stimulation. This one allows your pooch to simply step on the device to automatically get fresh and clean water. It doesn’t take long for dogs to catch on to the workings of the device either.
Paw Pops Freeze Pops
While you’re grabbing your favourite ‘Magnum’ or ‘Fab’ don’t forget to pick one up for your pooch. Yes, that’s right, dogs have their own ice-lollies which will help to cool down your dog. These healthy dog ‘tip-tops’ will make a very refreshing treat for your pooch. Of course, they’re both alcohol-free and grape-free, made with 100% natural herb.
lesotc Portable Dog Water Bottle
It’s important to take water with you for your dogs during walks to keep them hydrated and to cool down your dog. Of course, you’ll also need a handy water bottle if you’re travelling to any dog friendly places. Check out our guide to dog friendly camping here.
This easy one is a water bowl and bottle in one. The fold cap acts as a water bowl so you don’t need to carry a collapsable bowl. It’s also light-weight and carries a large volume of safe, fresh water.
The best part? Is it’s been designed to ensure that water does not leak, so you don’t need to worry about wrapping it in a plastic bag.
Share Your Tips To Cool Down Your Dog
From providing icy treats to splashing the hose pipe. There are so many more ways you can cool down the pooch. Share your favourite products and things to do in the comments below. Your tips and tricks could help another dog owner.
Pebbles’ cooling vest helps so much with the heat on our travels! We will definitely be getting her a cooling mat too once we can find one.
A top tip if you’re on the move (for example on a plane) is to carry sandwich bags. You can ask cabin crew etc for some ice and use that as a makeshift ice pack!
Love that tip, a cool mat is definitely a must at the moment!