# keeping a dog cool in 98 degrees



## clearcreekranch (Mar 18, 2010)

Ok, how do some of you keep your dog cool in hot/humid climates? And I am not referring to outside in the back yard, but at a training session away from home with no shade. Wolf and I are going to a 2 day seminar this weekend and our temps have already exceeded 95 plus. He will be crated most of the time.

I will be taking a battery operated fan, a solar shield(the kind for windshields) for the top and partial 1 side of the crate,and plenty of water and ice. It is 2 hours from home, so if he and I are too hot on day 1, I am prepared to leave and leave him at home on day 2. They are also supposed to have kiddie pools for the dogs.

Just would like to hear what you guys would do in addition to what I have thought of.:help:


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

Our training club has a hose available at all times.

We hose our dogs bellies, legs and feet down constantly to help cool them off a long with lots of water. Occasionally the training director whose house it is will bring us out some ice cubes to put in the dogs water to help keep the water cool too. 

crate fans are a great idea. A lot of our club members keep thermometers in their cars and if it gets above a certain temperature they turn the car on and let the dogs cool down.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I use 02 cool fans - two of them - there is also a nice Ryobi rechargeable fan that moves a lot of air.

Where will he be crated? SUVs get hot even with shade - a lot of folks swear by this kind of cloth to cover their entire vehicle. (MY truck camper shell is white and my regular monitoring shows inside temps no hotter than outside air temps - If the crate is out of the car - may be better to pitch it like a tent to shade all around it and keep the sides open to air movement.

aluminet - cool greenhouse shade cloth

Just don't cool HIM down with ice on his skin (or around his neck) as it can mess them up by either closing down the cooling capillaries or sending the wrong thermal signal to his brain (if you do his neck).....

If it is arid I would look at evaportaive cooling. Hot and muggy has GOT to be air moving.

We often have to be out all day in 90+ weather. One day it was 103 at water training but the dogs could swim and we let them get in the water a lot and made sure none were in a plastic crate.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

You probably will not be able to get one before this weekend but for future reference ...

Swamp Cooler? Dog Cooling Vest ? Sun Protection Prevents Canine Heat Exhaustion - from Ruff Wear

KoolCollar - Home


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## RogueRed26 (Jul 15, 2010)

Ice cubes in their water or as treats. On hot days, nothing is better than an ice cube or frozen toy to chew on. Kongs can be frozen with treats inside by wetting them before placing it in the freezer to freeze. Wait about 3 to 4 hours before giving it your dog.


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## A_selders (Jul 19, 2010)

I use a hybrid of the two a collar that has the same material as the vest on my two. A golden and a lab mix and my MIL's dog a shepherd mix and it works great. Raya was still little last summer so we would spray her with the water bottle on her chest, legs and belly and that kept her cool.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

RogueRed26 said:


> Ice cubes in their water or as treats. On hot days, nothing is better than an ice cube or frozen toy to chew on. Kongs can be frozen with treats inside by wetting them before placing it in the freezer to freeze. Wait about 3 to 4 hours before giving it your dog.


Cool your dog slowly, instant ice cold water in their body while their internal temp is high is too much shock. It causes their stomach muscles to spasm and which can cause bloat.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Curious - when a horse is over heated, you cool body temp slowly by running water along their legs. Do you do the same with a dog? Run water on their legs until the body temp decreases before you wet the entire dog?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

sagelfn said:


> You probably will not be able to get one before this weekend but for future reference ...
> 
> Swamp Cooler? Dog Cooling Vest ? Sun Protection Prevents Canine Heat Exhaustion - from Ruff Wear
> 
> KoolCollar - Home


Evaporative cooling is great for dry climates but if it is humid it is counterproductive.

I know some FEMA handlers that swear by 50 degree phase change materials but the pad only works for about 2 hours so you need a spare and you recharge in an ice water bath. We use the same technology for shipping some pharmaceutical products.

http://www.coolzonedog.com/


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I have a cooling crate fan, it has two inserts that you put in the freezer and then insert into the fan to keep the air cooler. There are two so you can switch them off when one warms up.
This is the fan I have:
Amazon.com: ProSelect Deluxe Thermostatic Crate Fan: Kitchen & Dining
This is the cooling insert (it comes separately):
Amazon.com: Proselect Crate Fan Cooling System: Kitchen & Dining

I also have a Chilly Dog vest which works really well (military dogs use it):
Cooling Vests : Chilly Dog : Helpingudders.com

I used to use a Body Cooler vest for my Golden but it didn't work as well because it used evaporative cooling and it is very humid here in Chicago in the summer. What I did was I put it in the fridge so it would be cooler, that worked better than the regular usage but still not as well as the Chilly Dog.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

I have always heard to cool a pet off, you need to wet them at their belly first to reach their core. We use to have people drop off boxes of puppies and kittens at our office and this is how we did it.
My husband uses an ice vest, wonder if they make those for dog or it could be home made.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Chicagocanine said:


> I have a cooling crate fan, it has two inserts that you put in the freezer and then insert into the fan to keep the air cooler. There are two so you can switch them off when one warms up.
> This is the fan I have:
> 
> 
> ...


haha I just saw your post. Good to know since we hike in the extreme heat.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Oh here's a photo of my Golden wearing the Body Cooler wrap:












And here's Bianca wearing the Chillydog vest:











That reminds me, I have to put the Chillydog inserts in the fridge, it's supposed to be in the 90s this weekend.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

I bought a cooling mat- all you do is put water in it and it cools to 40 degrees below air temp. It's called a frog something and I got it at jeffers.com for &7.99. When it starts to dry out just wet it again. It's great for the bottom of a crate


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## clearcreekranch (Mar 18, 2010)

Thanks all.


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