How To Keep A Dog Cool Inside The House -15 Helpful Tips

Whenever I get finished walking my Basset Hound around the block, he is always panting hard with his tongue hanging out (mine too but that’s another story)! Common sense tells me he is tired and needs to rest and cool off.

How to keep your dog cool inside the house not only is your responsibility as the owner but could save your pet’s life.

Additionally, when you are away from your home, you need to make sure your puppy or dog is kept cool during hot days and summer months.

In this article, I would like to provide 15 tips on how to keep a dog cool inside the house so that you can be sure your best friend is comfortable and happy.

Here we go:

1) Plenty Of Drinking Water

Similar to drinking a glass of cold water for us humans, H2O can work magic to keep your dog cool. Therefore, it is ideal to ensure your dog has access to clean drinking water throughout the summer.

If you have several dogs, you can have several bowls or buckets. Just make sure to refill them regularly.

Additionally, you can encourage your dog to stay hydrated by making it an interactive and icy treat to play with. You can give your dog ice water since it not known to cause blot.

No matter how you decide to provide water, make sure your pet can reach the water easily.

2) Ventilation

If you have a fan, turn it on and hunker down with your dog to watch Netflix during the heat spells. Your dog will apparently appreciate your company and having a cool place to hide from the scorching sun outside. The cool environment will keep you and your dog rejuvenated.

Additionally, you can keep the windows open for the air to circulate. This way, you and your dog will enjoy a better indoor environment as there is no sunburn, and you are breathing freshly.

Note that not all dogs can stay lazing indoors. You may want to supervise them to stay indoors, especially underneath the cold air, if you are using a fan.

3) Trim Your Dogs Coat

Lengthy fur can give your dog extra heat and for this reason, you would not want to see them wear such a coat during the hot season. To help your dog stay cool and happier during summer, you can trim their long fur.

Before you trim the extra-long fur on your dog’s coat, make sure to understand the breed. There are some breeds that will naturally shed as summer approaches.

As a final note, if you have doubts about your trimming skills, it is a good idea to leave it in the hands of an experienced groomer.

4) Additional Water During Play

If your dog cherishes playing in the water, you can let them soak in a tub or “dog pool” with water. With debilitating heat, this can be an excellent way to keep your pup cool and happier. You can introduce a few ice cubes on the water to keep the water cooler.

When buying a kiddie pool, make sure to get the right size for your dog. Set up the pool in your bathroom and let your dog lie there or play with water.

Because of safety concerns, just know it is ideal to supervise your pooch every time they are in the bathroom.

5) Create A Cool Resting Spot

Naturally, your dog will look for cool places to rest during the hot season. Therefore, it is ideal to offer them a more soothing spot to relax. You can get them a cot or a pet pad and incorporate an advanced cooling system.

By introducing a pan with ice under the cot or several ice packs around the mat the coolers will keep your dog comfier and serve as an effective remedy.

6) Use A Cooling Gel Collar Or Bandana

Cooling gel collar or bandana is a great way to protect your dog from heatstroke. Usually, these products come with an outstanding cooling material, cooling gel, embedded in them.

Simply lay them in a freezer or soak in cold water with ice for about 30 minutes before applying them to your dog.

The cooling material will do its magic and help your furry friend keep cool. They are a great resource during summertime and are very easy to use.

7) Provide Freezable Dog Toys

If your furry friend is a toy addict, they will love an assortment of icy toys. As your dog uses their tongue to lick frosted treats, it cools them. All you need is to fill the toys with your dog’s favorite treat or water and freeze it.

Freezable dog toys offer an excellent way to entertain your furry friend, refresh them, and, most importantly, cool them. If your dog likes chewing, you can as well check out some frozen chew toys.

8) Mist Your Dog With Cold Water

Spray bottles offer an ideal and economical alternative to keeping a dog cool during the hot month. When misting your dog, focus on misting the paws and underbelly where there is less hair. Spray your furry friend on a towel to avoid watermarks on your clean floor.

 9) Use A Damp Towel

Normally, you would use a towel to dry your dog after spending minutes in the dog pool or using a hose. Few people know that a wet towel can be a perfect solution to help to stay cool during hot days.

Depending on the size of your dog, get a large towel, and dip it in water until it is saturated.

Squeeze out the excess water to avoid dripping all over. Place the damp towel on spots that offer the quickest cooling like the neck, inner thighs, and underbelly. Instead of using your good bath towel, you can order a dedicated dog towel from Amazon.

10) Dedicated Cooling Clothes

Do you want to make your furry friend feel cool as they look? There are several uniquely-designed cooling clothes engineered to keep your dog cool. Certainly, you will find something for your pooch.

If your dog hates clothing, you may notice some aggressiveness. However, they will appreciate wearing clothing after noticing the cooling sensation offered by this fabric.

There are plenty of dog-cooling vests and dog boots to chose from that will undoubtedly provide a cooling effect to your furry friend

11) Air Conditioner Just For Your Dog

Another great and more reliable way to keep your dog cool inside the house is by installing a dedicated air conditioner. If you are leaving for work, leave your air conditioner running at a reasonable temperature.

A high-quality air conditioner will offer a soothing, cooling, and comfier environment for your dog. You will always find an ideal air conditioner that retails at a pocket-friendly price.

12) Buy A Dog Cooling Fan

If you happen to carve out a dedicated spot for your dog inside your home, you may want to consider buying a small dog fan.

Some dog cooling fans are installed with several operational speeds to adjust cooling during when the temperature changes. Cooling fans are small and compact and this will allow a personalized cooling-off experience.

They are designed to be highly effective and feature a smaller size to fit in indoor cages. Therefore, they are an ideal option if you bring your dog indoors or decide to keep the fan inside the kennel.

13) Get A Cage For Your Dog

Even though bringing your dog indoors during the hot days is a good idea, keeping them cool might be challenging.

If you own a curious dog, you may consider a well-designed dog cage to avoid causing damages to your belongings.

With a dedicated cage, you will be able to supply your dog with a fan, frozen toys with a treat, cooling mats, etc.

Other than being a precise and ideal place to help your dog cool down, it gives a kennel-like environment. It also allows you to keep your dog in a regular place in the house instead of roaming all over in search of a cool spot on the floor.

Get a cage and keep your dog cool without significant change from the kennel environment.

14) Helping Your Dog Sweat

Humans benefit from evaporative cooling when it gets hot, but this does not happen with dogs. Instead of sweating, dogs predominantly cool themselves by panting when it gets hot. Therefore, helping your dog sweat can work miracles in keeping it cool during the summer season.

There are some jackets designed to help keep your dog cool by simply mimicking sweating across its body. As the water on your dog’s coat evaporates, the body releases heat to the surroundings.

The jackets can be useful if you want to walk your dog on a sunny day.

15) Work On Your Dog’s Weight

Is your furry friend overweight? Dogs that need to lose weight find it a great hassle to keep their bodies cool during hot days.

Also, they are more susceptible to overheating, therefore, monitoring the weight of your dog is essential in helping keep cooler and live comfortably.

As summer approaches, help your dog have an ideal body condition for ultimate cooling during the warm weather.

If your dog has a pre-existing health condition that slows down weight loss, assist your best friend to lose some weight. Although this will take patience and time, long term and significant results will be achieved.

Additional Reading:

How To Stop A Dog From Being Aggressive Towards Cats (Complete Guide)
Can You Hold A Puppy Too Much? (Read This First)

Frequently Asked Questions:

1) What Should You Not Do To Keep A Dog Cool?

In an attempt to keep your dog cool, you should avoid walking in direct sunlight. Hot surfaces like pavements, tarmacs, and sand along the beach can be disastrous and hurt your dog’s foot pants. Simply, avoid anything or surface that feels hot for you.

Also, don’t use sunscreen or bug spray that is meant for humans. It can react negatively and harm their skin. Make sure to use products that are designed for use specifically by animals.

2) How Do I Know If My Dog Is Too Hot?

Excessive panting, hyperventilation, pale dry gums, rapid pulse, increased salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, confusion, or rectal bleeding are common symptoms

Conclusion

Keeping your dog cool helps inside your house will help in preventing overheating and heatstroke. It will ultimately lead to a healthier and happier life for you and your dog.

If you believe your dog is suffering from heatstroke, call your vet immediately to inform them. Although your pet may recover from heatstroke, it is deadly and usually leaves permanent damage. If the vet has discovered a heatstroke, you may need a special diet for your best friend for the rest of their life.