How to Keep Your Dog Cool

I dug out two old terrycloth towels and wetted them down. I draped them over the dogs back and tucked them under the collar to keep them on. The wet towel cools down the dog’s body as the water evaporates. Within ten minutes, my dogs and stopped panting almost completely. As the towel dries off, I mist it until it’s good and wet.

If I had two more towels, I’d wet them down and keep them in the fridge. When the two they are wearing dry out, I’d replace them with the cold ones and wet down the dry ones and put those in the fridge.

It’s a challenge to keep the towels on the dogs, though. I learned from previous attempts that the best thing to do is to cut a neck hole for the dog and make two ties on either side of the dog’s chest. These get crossed under the dog’s body and tied on the back. These stay on.

It may look strange to put a blanket on a dog on a blistering hot day, but these wet-down coats, as they are called, do work. I once drove home with a friend from a dog show on a sunny afternoon. My golden retriever was in the back of her hatchback in the full sun. I put a wet down coat on her and she was perfectly comfortable. We stopped several times to make sure she was ok. When I stuck my hand under the towel, it was amazingly cool under there.

This wasn’t an original idea by me. People have been using them for years, and even sell them ready made.

Keep cool water available for the dog. Drink cool water yourself. Exercise in the cool hours of the morning or evening. If a dog starts to wobble or stumble, get him in water fast! Give the dog plenty of shade if he is outside or keep him inside by the air conditioner or fan.