Keeping Cool During The Dog Days Of Summer

It’s the dog days of summer. The mercury rises and we sizzle.

It happens every year and every year we complain about it because we are human.

I get that.

But this summer is just so darn hot!

I have found myself hanging out inside with the dogs rather than outside with the kids these days.

When I do venture outside with the dogs I often encounter this statement from other people, “I bet your dogs don’t like this heat.”

No. No they do not.

They hibernate. Only to go for walks when I feel that they can not get overheated, which is not very often these days.

They would rather feel that white cold stuff under feet rather then the brittle dry grass.

It’s been so hot I have found myself trying to accommodate everyday things in order to keep the dogs comfortable.

This is more challenging for Sherman who wants to be outside with us all the time. If we are out there, he wants to be out there and if he’s not I get this look from the window:

Leroy not so much. He would rather be laying inside on the cool tile floor. He could care less if we were outside. If he had his way he wouldn’t go out again until there was a fresh coat of snow on the ground.

Besides the obvious of always having fresh cool water available for them, monitoring their time outside, keeping the air conditioner set on FREEZING, playing inside, and making them cute little ice cubes,  I have also moved my grooming station from the garage to the basement. I have given up hope that there will be a day with temps below 80 anytime soon.

They have a big pool and a little doggie pool.

They prefer the doggie pool.

It’s easier to drink from and to lounge in.

I also set up a misting station outside if I know that the dogs are going to out for more than 15 minutes.

I got this idea from Facebook and as soon as I saw it I went outside and hooked it up. Of course my way of doing this was a bit different from what I saw on Facebook but it worked pretty good. I just set the hose on mist and bungee tied the hose nozzle to the pole.

I also have a cooling towel that I purchased a few years ago at a dog show. It’s basically a large bath towel that has velcro straps on it to strap around the dog’s chest. I use this if we are going to be out and about, or at a show during the summer. I don’t strap it on the dogs because of their double coated hair but I do put it in a cooler of ice and then when I need it I take it out and have the dogs stand on it for a bit.

So those are a few way that I am keeping my dogs cool this summer, how about you?

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