The dog days of summer are upon us here in NC, so today I’ll share several tips on how to keep dogs cool in the heat!
But first, let’s take a quick look at how a dog’s internal cooling system works.
Since dogs don’t sweat like humans do, they have a different way of cooling themselves down.
Meaning when dogs get hot, they pant. Panting is when a dog breathes fast with their mouth open. This helps them get rid of extra heat from their body.
When a dog pants, they breathe in cooler air, and this air moves over their wet tongue.
The water on their tongue evaporates, which means it turns from liquid into a kind of mist that goes into the air.
This process takes away some of the heat from their body, making them feel cooler.
Dogs also have some sweat glands in their paws, but they don’t use them as much as humans do.
So, panting is their main way of staying cool when it’s hot outside. It’s like they’re built-in air conditioning!
Unfortunately, it’s nowhere near as effective as our human sweating, so keep reading to learn how to keep dogs cool in summer.
How To Keep Dogs Cool In The Summer Heat
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Water Doggie Playtime
Water may be one of the first elements (literally!) which comes to mind when you’re thinking about how to keep dogs cool in the heat.
The ocean or a pool we can jump in along with our pup is no doubt the ideal scenario for refreshment!
But no worries if you don’t have the luxury of an actual, “real” pool in your backyard.
A kiddie pool works just as well.
Below, you see Buzz (left) and Missy (right) in their kiddie pool! They love to lounge in it.
The hard plastic ones are a better choice than the inflatable ones. The latter can easily be damaged by your dogs’ nails ~ no matter how well trimmed they are!
If you only have an inflatable pool, you can make it more durable by lining it with a heavy duty tarp.
Tip: Your dog’s paws and belly should be submerged in water for ultimate heat relief.
Below, my water shy pup Wally (on the right) is starting to realize that the ocean IS refreshing during summer time!
Frozen Dog Treats
Make frozen treats using dog-safe ingredients.
Freeze water, bone broth, or dog-friendly fruits like apples, blueberries, and watermelon in ice cube trays or special treat molds.
Check out some fun, easy doggie popsicle recipes here.
Or smear a Licki Mat with plain yogurt (and optional kelp), then pop it into the freezer for a few hours.
Indoor Doggie Playtime
On especially hot days, play with your dogs inside!
You can play indoor games like tug-of-war, hide and seek, or interactive dog puzzle toys.
For example, Snuffle Mats or treat dispensing balls like the Pet Zone IQ treat ball.
ACs, Fans & Blackout Curtains
There are a few options to keep our dogs cool inside.
The AC would obviously be your first option, but tower fans are definitely a runner up.
Also, open your windows during the cooler early morning and late evening hours for a nice cross-breeze.
Once the sun comes up, close your windows, shut your blinds and pull your curtains closed.
Blackout curtains do a really good job at helping to keep the heat out.
Bonus: They also decrease the power bill, and are visually appealing. I definitely love mine!
Morning and Evening Dog Walks
Schedule your dog’s walks during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening.
Also, be aware that pavement (and sand!) can become extremely hot and burn your dog’s paws, so always check their temperature with the back of your hand before you have your pup walk on it.
If it’s too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for their paw pads.
Try to stay on grassy areas or get your pups some doggie shoes.
Shaded Rest Areas
Set up shaded spots in your yard or on your patio with water and comfortable bedding for your dog to rest and relax in.
Cooling Dog Mats
Invest in cooling mats for dogs or pads that are designed to keep pets cool.
In the picture below, my Boxer mix Missy is staying cool on one in the car. This was on a road trip during summer time when the AC stopped working all of a sudden!
I looked up the nearest pet retail store, pulled up and bought one. Total life saver!
Dog Grooming
Regular grooming can help your dog stay cooler by preventing their fur from becoming too matted or dense.
However, be careful not to shave certain breeds with double coats, as their fur actually helps regulate temperature!
Limit Dog Exercise
On very hot days, it’s important to limit strenuous exercise.
Overexertion in high temperatures can lead to heatstroke.
Doggie Cooling Vest
Consider using a dog cooling vest that you can wet and put on your dog.
This helps them stay cool through evaporation.
Car Dog Safety
Never leave your dog in a parked car.
Cars can become dangerously hot in a matter of minutes, even with the windows cracked.
Veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward created a wonderful, informational video about this topic that’s available on YouTube!
Hydration for Dogs
Always keep fresh, cool water available for your dog.
Dehydration can happen quickly in hot weather.
How to Keep Dogs Cool In The Summer Heat: Bottom Line
It can definitely be a challenge to keep our pups cool during the hot summer months!
For me, it always worked best to exercise the pups super early in the day or late at night combined with the AC’ed inside.
When we had a backyard, the pups also had pool time during the day. Sometimes, I’d bring out the sprinklers too.
You can also make refreshing doggie popsicles and entertain your pups inside with games like hide and seek, as well as interactive dog food puzzles.
This keeps them active without exposing them to the heat.
How do you keep your pooch fit & exercised in the summer months while keeping them cool?
As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below this blog post!
Related Reading
- How to make doggie popsicles
- Where can I take my dog to swim?
- How to deal with heat strokes in dogs
- This hedgehog squeaky dog toy floats
- How to play hide & seek with your dogs
- Dog car anxiety: How to travel with an anxious dog
- Croatia with dogs: Our summer road trip with Wally
- How to feed raw when overlanding with your dog
Barbara Rivers is the founder of K9sOverCoffee and a raw feeding educator with over a decade of hands-on experience.
She has fed raw in the US and Europe since 2015, after her Boxer mix Missy’s cancer diagnosis led her to move away from processed kibble and commit to species-appropriate nutrition.
As a former professional dog walker, she developed deep insight into canine behavior, conditioning, and the essential link between proper exercise and long-term health.
Barbara completed online training with veterinarian Dr. Marion Smart and Labrador breeder Dana Scott and works for one of Germany’s leading raw dog food brands, BARFER’S.
In 2026–2027, she is completing a year-long raw nutrition certification for dogs and cats at THP School, founded by raw feeding pioneer Swanie Simon.
Through her blog and weekly newsletter, she provides clear, experience-based guidance to help dog owners feed raw safely and confidently.
Important tips to share at this time of year. I’m thinking about getting a kiddie pool this year for Jack & Maggie. Neither are big swimmers, but maybe that will motivate them to enjoy water more,
Thank you, Kate ~ the hard plastic kiddie pools we got for Missy & Buzz were a great investment! I hope Jack & Maggie will enjoy their future pools a little ;-)
We are an early morning family, so we get our big exercise in by 7 or 8 am every day which is best in the summer. We also have a dog pool for those hot days when we want to play in the yard. If we do walk during warmer times we have KoolKollars which can be filled with ice to help keep us cool. Overheating is so dangerous.
So are we ~ we believe in the early bird catching the worms ;-) Your KoolKollars are cool indeed!
Great reminder and tips for this time of year.
Thank you, Talent Hounds :-) It’s so easy for a pup to become overheated.
All great reminders! We love our kiddie pool. We have the plastic kind like the one in your photo.
Thanks, Diane ~ aren’t they great? I sure hope they’ll last for several years, unlike the inflatable one we had to get last year because the hard plastic ones were all sold out!!
Great roundup! The boys seem to be just plain hot and uncomfortable some of the time. I really like walking in a steam for our walk or being able to find some water for them to take a dip in mid walk! I am just starting to learn about cool coats and want to test one out with the boys to see if these help!
Thank you, Rachael & Kevin ~ wading through water is so much fun, not only for the pups, but for us humans as well! Ian & I both got vibrams (those funny looking toe shoes) so that we could just walk right into the streams with the pups without having to worry about getting our shoes/socks wet or having to take them off first. Great investment for sure!
–> The cool coats are cool for sure I’ve heard :-) Looking forward to your review!
Mr. N is getting shaved down at his next grooming appointment (even though it makes him look like I never feed him) and he has a cooling coat. If he’s too hot, he’ll just plop down in the grass and I’ll carry him home.
Yay for Mr. N’s cooling coat! That’s awesome that you can just carry him back home…we were only able to do that with our pups until they were about 5 months old. I can just about lift Missy up, but forget about doing that with Buzz boy, let along carrying him!!