11/07/2025
☀️🧊 Top Tips to Keep Dogs Cool, Entertained and Safe During Hot
Weather🧊☀️
1. ❌ Skip the Midday Walks
Walk early morning or late evening (before 9am or after 8pm) when it’s cooler. The pavement can burn their paws! Cautious outdoor temperatures are generally above 23°c but again depends on your dog.🌡️
2. 🐾 Do the 10-Second Pavement Test
Place your hand or bare foot on the pavement for 10 seconds, if it’s too hot or uncomfortable for you then it’s too hot for your dog.
3. 💧Set Up a Paddling Pool
Most dogs love splashing and water! Therefore supervised play in a shaded paddling pool is both cooling and fun.
4. 🍦Make Doggy Ice Lollies
Freeze dog-friendly ingredients like:
-Chicken or beef stock (low salt)
-Blueberries, strawberries, banana
-Peanut butter (xylitol-free!)
-Natural yoghurt
Freeze in silicone moulds or ice cube trays!
5. 🐶 DIY Lick Mats & Frozen Kong Fillers
Use a silicone lick mat or stuff a Kong with wet dog food, mashed banana, peanut butter or any dog friendly fun treats. Freeze it for long-lasting stimulation.
6. 🧩 Play Indoor Nose Games
Hide treats around the house, in a snuffle mat or a dog puzzle for a cooling brain workout.
7. 🍃Create a Cool Zone Indoors
Use fans, cooling mats or damp towels in shaded areas. Keep curtains/blinds closed to block out direct sun.
8. 🚿 Wet Their Belly, Paws & Armpits
A cool (not ice cold!) damp cloth on their belly and paws to help reduce body temperature. You can also lightly mist their coat using a spray bottle (I love to take one of these out on walks to keep the dogs cool).
9. 🚫 Never Leave Dogs in Cars – Even for 1 Minute
Temperatures inside cars soar dangerously in minutes, even with windows open.
10. 🐶 Use Cooling Vests and Bandanas
Soak them in cool water, wring them out and pop them on your pup for a wearable chill.
11. 🐕🦺 Walk in the Shade or on Grass Only
Grass is gentler on their paws and stays cooler than tarmac, if wanting to walk on paths/tarmac do the 10 second path test with your hand.
12. 🚰 Keep Water Everywhere
Place bowls of cool and clean fresh water in multiple locations. Always take portable water bottles with a built-in bowl or a bottle and a bowl anytime you go out with your dog.
13. 🧠 Indoor Obedience & Trick Training
Teach your dog new tricks or even scent work indoors. Mental stimulation = tired & happy pup!
14. 🧸Frozen Stuffed Toys
Stuff soft toys with wet food or low-fat cream cheese and freeze them. Supervised chewing helps dogs relax.
15.🏃Set Up a Doggy Obstacle Course Indoors
Use cushions, tunnels, boxes or whatever you can find to encourage slow, treat-motivated exploration to keep their minds active.
16. 📺 Play Dog TV or Calming Music
Enrichment can be as simple as canine-focused YouTube videos or relaxing classical playlists.
17. 🏡Let Them Dig (obviously in the right place!)
Dogs love digging to cool off! Make a shaded digging pit or box with cool damp sand or soil.
18. 🚗 Car Travel: Air Con, Shades, & Water!
Always cool the car before they get in, use sunshades on windows and offer water frequently on long trips.
19. 💈Grooming Matters
Regular brushing removes dead undercoat. For double-coated breeds, NEVER shave as it ruins their natural heat regulation!
20. 🐶 Know Your Dog’s Limits
Some dogs don’t know when to stop playing – it’s your job to help them rest in the shade and cool off.
🚨Signs of Overheating & Heatstroke🚨
⚠️ Urgent Red Flags:
Excessive panting
Bright red or pale gums
Drooling excessively
Weakness, collapse, or confusion
Vomiting or diarrhoea
Seizures
Rapid heartbeat
🩺 How to Treat Heatstroke:
1. Move your dog to a shaded/cool area immediately.
2. Cool them with room-temp water (NOT ice cold) – wet their paws, belly and armpits. Use fans if available.
3. Offer small amounts of cool water to drink.
4. Call your vet urgently. Even if they seem to recover, internal damage is possible – a check-up is ESSENTIAL.
🚫Do NOT:
Use ice baths as it can shock their system.
Force water down their throat.
🚨 Dogs Most at Risk in Hot Weather:
-Flat-faced breeds (Pugs, Bulldogs, Frenchies, Boxers)
-Seniors (7+ years)
-Puppies under 6 months
-Overweight dogs
-Thick/double-coated breeds (Huskies, Chows, Newfoundlands)
-Dogs with heart or breathing issues
☀️🧊Tips for Crate Users🧊☀️
1. 🌡️Create a cool shaded spot for the crate and your dog. 🚫 Do NOT use a crate cover or cover the crate.
2. 🧊 Add a chew safe cooling mat into the crate.
3. 🚰 Provide fresh cool water, can add a FEW ice cubes to this.
4.🧸Use frozen toys for enrichment.
5. 🕕 Limit crate time in hot weather.
6. 🛏️Keep bedding thin and breathable.
7. 🧼Keep crate clean and dry.
8. 🐶Monitor your dog when they are in the crate by checking on them or using a monitor or camera.
🌟Bonus advice🌟
🌡️Hot Dog Clues:
🐾 Damp paws, mild sweating – Could be too hot
👂 Hot ears or belly - Body temperature is rising
👅 Heavy or deep panting - Overheating risk
🛌 Lying stretched out - Seeking to cool down
💤 Lethargy or disinterest - Early signs of heat exhaustion
🧊 Tongue bright red or wide - Heat stress
💧Dry nose or gums - Dehydration risk
These are clues that you may need to help them cool down, therefore monitor them and the situation while helping them to cool down.
If you are concerned with their temperature, then if you are confident and it is safe to do so you can in check your dogs core temperature 🌡️:
🟢Normal dog temperature: 38.3°C to 39.2°C (101–102.5°F)
🟠A temp above 39.5°C (103°F) = early overheating (cool them down)
🔴Above 41°C (105.8°F) = heatstroke emergency (contact vets)
📞Emergency Lines for pets:
Vets Now Bristol - 01173361170
MiNightVet - 01275832410
💗I really hope this helps any dog owner in this hot weather. Thank you for reading and please share to ensure every owner is able to keep their gorgeous furry companion safe in this hot weather & during heatwaves💗
