# Keeping cool



## hunter52 (Dec 16, 2005)

How do you guys keep your dogs cool when it is 90 plus outside? Do you bring them in when it is that hot? It is my first summer with a dog and I wasn't sure what the norm is.


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## ryanps18 (Jun 23, 2006)

My dogs are kept in crates inside . But I really do not have a lot of shade in my outdoor kennel, and my one of my dogs is black so he just can't handel the heat and humidity. I have seen some of those kennel mister's used and they work really well. They drop the temp. by at least 10 degrees, and the dogs do not really even get wet and they seem to love it. But if you have shade and a nice breeze you should be ok on all but the really hot and humid days.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

In the house on the bad days. They like the basement because it is 15 degrees cooler. A box fan seems to help inside or out, and it seems to keep flying insects off the dog.


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

We let the dogs go swimming. The Springer loves it and the Setter won't come near it.

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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Get a nice 10.00 fan from walmart. It will keep the skeeters off too...


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Dogs don't sweat thru their skin like people and horses, so fans don't help cool them much. They are good for bug relief.

Shade is what dogs need and plenty of clean water.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Our small outdoor kennel is covered on the sunniest end with a "Kennel Shade" net tarp. We also suspend a 1.5 gph mister in one end and keep it going on the really hot days. When the water gets on the netting, it cools the surrounding area as much as thirty degrees from the rest of the kennel. The dogs will move in and out of the misted area as they please and seem to do quite well. Having said that, when the mercury approaches one hundred, bring them into the house whenever possible. Losing a dog to heatstroke is a terrible expreience. Burl


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

My dogs are sleeping in the living room right now enjoying the air conditioning. Burly what kind of mister are you using.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

fishless
That would be Mr. Burly !!!


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

Bobm said:


> Dogs don't sweat thru their skin like people and horses, so fans don't help cool them much. They are good for bug relief.
> 
> Shade is what dogs need and plenty of clean water.


If dogs sweat thru their tounge, what are their arm pits for? 

My springer enjoys the inside AC on days that get above 85 deg.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Mine are in the house enjoying the AC. Our club hosted a hunt test this weekend and the help keep the dogs cool I filled up a cooler of ice and water and soaked towels in the cooler and put them in there crates refressing them every hour, aloge with shade and a breeze blowing through the truck the dogs seemed very comfortable Sat. was 99 deg. and today was 98 deg.


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## hoosier dhr (Jul 24, 2003)

Man my black lab is in the house 24/7 (spoiled) hope she doesnt talk to any of you guys dogs they might turn on you.

I know I know, some say they cant take the could when they are inside dogs but she does ok.
I did have a choc. that was about 10 and you could tell he got cold but didnt want to stop hunting. Had to watch him like you would when it got to hot.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

The mister I use is one from the Rain-Drip company and is designed to be used in gardens and flower beds in a micro-irrigation system, which we also use extensively and like a lot. Components are commonly available at Runnings. As an add on, if you set one of these systems up in the garden or flower bed, you will be amazed at how nice everything can stay in hot times such as we are having now. Very easy on the water bill, as the moisture stays where it does the most good. Burl


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

Bobm said:


> Dogs don't sweat thru their skin like people and horses, so fans don't help cool them much. They are good for bug relief.
> 
> Shade is what dogs need and plenty of clean water.


Put the fan in the shade and see if they don't like it. Mine will sleep in front of it all day.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Shade is cool air.

I wasn't being critical just pointing out that a fan will not cool a dog like it does us so someone that doesn't know better won't put a fan on their kennel and think its sufficient.

Fans help evaporate sweat on us by increasing the amount of hot air passing over the sweat and that additioanal heat increases the evaporation evaporation rate and cools us more efficiently.

That won't happen on a dog. They sweat by panting and thru their feet.

Burlys mister idea is a real good one because the mist provides a liquid to gas change absorbing heat and cooling the air passing over the dogs.

Hes a pretty smart dude :beer:


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## pack999 (Jun 9, 2006)

sorry bob, but fans work by blowing the small layer of heat generated by our bodies away.


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## roostman (Jan 20, 2006)

each year I buy a ten dollar plastic baby pool at Menards and let them have at it, at the end of the summer I throw it out. If you change water in it every other day on normal days and every day on really hot days it works out great. 8)


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