Hello to all.

I am wonder how folks keep their pets cool in the summer. I am in south Florida, and it is HOT! My corgi, Eli, has a very thick undercoat, and doesn't tolerate the heat well. He LOVES to be outside, though. He goes to the groomer, and they try to comb out as much of the undercoat as possible. They aren't doing such a good job lately, as the shop has a bunch of new groomers, and they seem to be in a big hurry these days.

How can I help to keep him cool? Should I shave him or no? So far, the info for either or is confusing. I have thought of combing out the undercoat myself, but I have yet to purchase a Furminator, the comb E's former groomer used. They are expensive!

Anyone have any thoughts?

 Hi Susie!

Wow!  I cannot imagine what it would be like to try to keep dogs cool in Florida in the summer!  I always wondered about people that have northern breeds, like huskies or malamute, and live in the south....what do they do??

Anyway, I live in northeastern Ohio, and while our summers are pretty short, they can get pretty hot and humid.  I keep wading pools, those cheap ones they sell for kids at the discount stores, filled with fresh, cool water for my dogs to jump in whenever they feel like it.  When I take them out for walks, I try to route the walks somewhere near water where they can take a swim, even for a few minutes.  There are so few places around here anymore where dogs are allowed to go offleash, so, I have to admit it, I sneak to places when there is no one else around and let them off leash to take a dip.  I always rinse them off with fresh water when we get home, too, or even give them a bath, much to their discontent....  I know you probably have to be careful of alligators and snakes (shudder!), so you would be better off sticking to a pool in a controlled environment!

Providing shady areas helps, and also dirt that they can dig and burrow into.  They love cool dirt!  My border collie mix, Annie, loves to go under bushes and dig a 'bowl' to lie in.  All that I see is her nose sticking out from underneath.  If you're worried about Eli destroying your landscaping, you could set her up with her own "dig box" in a shady area.  She would love it! 

I have read that if you are going to shave their coat, to not go too close, because they can then get sunburn.  You should leave about an inch of fur. 

 Hope this helps!

 Rachel

 

 Try a cooling pet bed or cooling jacket, they allow the dog to dissipate the heat. The beds allow for a cool surface for the dog to sit or lay down and the jacket allows the dog to dissipate heat like humans perspire.

Thanks for all the info. Eli had a cooling pad, and it worked pretty well until he chewed a hole in it. I was hoping not to spend another $60 on a pad. We have ceramic tile floors, and they tend to stay pretty cool, even in summer, so I didn't buy a new one.

Swimming in ponds around here is dangerous, as there really are alligators in most ponds. With all the miles of beaches, one would think there was one that was dog friendly, but alas, not in this county. The closest public beach that allows dogs is in the next county. We are close to Fort Desoto, and there is a dog beach there, but it's gross because no one picks up after their dogs. What a shame.  Went once, and never went back.

I haven't shaved Eli at this point, and probably won't. I have been limiting his time outside at the peak of they day, and we spend more time outside in the early morning and later evening. We are at the hottest time of the Florida summer. Hopefully it will start to cool down in the next 6-8 weeks. E isn't doing too badly, so, we'll keep doing what we can.

 Susie the problem is obvious, you forgot to leave the instructions with E to read to not eat the bed.

I know. It's all my fault! I think E was weaned too soon. He has another bed that he doesn't sleep on, but sucks on. It's really weird, but I don't have the heart to take it away.  He does have another bed that he actually sleeps on. It's still not my fault...my husband picked him out........

Hi there, Susie! I think Rachel has some grrrreat ideas for you - ditto all those. What my companions do is hose me down and get me soaking wet BEFORE we walk on the hottest days. I just LOVE it! I know, I know, Eli's coat is high maintenance but that undercoat is important to keep - sunburn and all but it's well, just the way Corgi's are. So imagine how cool your dog will be if that undercoat is wet? Pretty nice:) Also, I think you should tell Eli some really cool dog jokes on a regular basis and that should pick up the spirits! Like.. ah... let's see if I can remember the punch line... Q. What do sled dogs say before telling you a joke? A. This one will sleigh you! http://www.athropolis.com/jokes5.htm Happy Woofs! Hap the Pup http://www.thepuppysong.com http://puppytrainingplan.com Remember: You can't trust your dog to watch your lunch!

 Sometimes things seem obvious when they really are not. Keeping a dog wet in the sun is one of those things. It is not a good idea to bathe a dog or soak a dog and leave to dry in the sun. The reason being is the moisture heats up enveloping the dog in hot with a similar effect as a steam room raising the dog temp. It sound counter intuitive but it can lead to heat stroke in extreme conditions.

Yes, it's way too hot in Southern Florida to hose a dog down and leave him outside to dry. Even the hose water is hot in the summer here. Keeping a kiddie pool of water isn't practical either, as the water heats up very quickly and becomes hot bath water before you know it.

For now we keep him in during the day, and let him out in the evenings.

PS-it's 8:30AM here, and it's already 86 dgrees!