How to keep a dog cool In the summer time?

[TheGoldenGirlz]

Get an old shirt that fits the dog or make one out of thin cloth and soak it in cold water then freeze it. Have a few of those in the freezer all the time and just switch them out. DONT shave the dog!!

 

[Nardo]

Today, A blast of heat has hit our country. Our dog Has been panting all day even when we gave her ice-cold water. Any tips to keep her cool?

Is there a cool bit of dirt where she can dig and get cooler? Under a porch or behind a shed or? Mine get underneath my workshop; it is raised up 16 inches and they wriggle around and go there in the summer because it blocks the sun and they stay cooler. When they come out, their coats are cool to the touch.

 

[cassie]

neither of those breeds are "double coated" dogs though Cassie. I'm talking about GSDs, huskies and similar breeds. Komondors aren't and the cords hold heat and humidity. Newfies need to have their undercoat stripped out, not clipped.
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I am sure you are right but I have seen the same results with other heavy coated dogs. I had a friend who had a Husky. After she clipped it, the dog acted like a puppy again. However I am not talking about shaving the dog to the skin, but using a blade so there is about a half inch of hair left. Shaving the dog so close it is naked would not be a good idea for any number of reasons. If nothing else, the poor dog could sunburn. As for stripping the newfie, I would have had no idea how to begin even if I had thought of it. I did know how to clip so that is what I did. I also had a little kiddie pool available for the dogs.

This is a case where you pays your money and you takes your choice. You have to find something that works for you and works for your dog.

 

[dainerra]

Cassie, you strip it out with a flat comb. If you don't groom regularly, it is going to take a long time in the spring. Since i do it at least 2-3 times a week, it takes me about 15 mins per dog. I do it in the evening while watching TV.

Even minimal shaving is bad because their hair is what regulates their body heat. The reason many animals act like puppies again is because they weren't properly groomed to begin with. The coat was already massed to the point that there was no proper airflow. So yes, the dog is relieved. And then as time passes, the dog simply adjusts to the heat. Without the undercoat, the dog is actually going to be hotter than if they had their coat. Look at the traditional clothing of desert climates - it isn't less clothing but long light fabrics that cover the majority of the body.

 

[dainerra]

another big factor as to why shaving doesn't actually doesn't help (even negating factors that indicate that it doesn't hurt) is that dogs don't regulate body temperature through their skin like humans do. They radiate heat through their tongues, the pads of the feet and to some degree the stomach/groin area.
A good way to cool, if you want to shave, is to simply shave the back of the stomach/groin. Blood is close to the skin there and allows for heat to leave the body. That is why the first step of treatment for a dog in heat distress is to place cool (never cold) cloths in the groin

 

[ChickenLuvr84]

Today, A blast of heat has hit our country. Our dog Has been panting all day even when we gave her ice-cold water. Any tips to keep her cool?

Are you able to freeze any large blocks of ice, or gallon jugs of water, in order for your dog to lay next to them, such as by her dog bed? I have always done well with putting a fan in front of an ice block, and my dogs can lay in front of it like a mini-air conditioner.