Dogs in hot countries

[Koodoo]

Subject to restrictions and vaccinations etc we're planning to take our dog to Spain. Has anyone had any experience of how to keep their dog cool in the heat? Although we have air con in the cab for travelling I'm more worried about when we stop in camp sites etc.

 

[Yorick]

Even when it's high 30s here, our mutt goes outside to sunbathe. He's outside now, but it's only 28c

 

[Langtoftlad]

Coolmat?
Coolcoat??
Fan...

 

[Koodoo]

That's good to know! It gives me some comfort I guess they must adapt well to the heat, unlike me!

 

[Jenka]

We had Hab AC fitted for the dogs only caveat you need Electric well worth the money .

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[Yorick]

That's good to know! It gives me some comfort I guess they must adapt well to the heat, unlike me!

I walk him at least 5 mile every day of the year and he never complains.

 

[Rachelc]

When we were in France in the summer it was a heatwave, we took a coolmat and have a endless breeze 12v fan which is excellent.

 

[TCG]

We have Hab Air con... but have to say if its hot the dog just makes a bee line for under the van, and lies there in the shade

 

[Googlebot]

We have a German Shepard Cross with longish hair. She happily sleeps outside by choice when it’s 0 degrees and will only come in when we go to bed.

We find she is fine and let’s us know if she isn’t. In the heat of the day she just lazes in the shade. We will walk her late at night or first thing in the morning and she loves to cool off in water.

She has a very thick coat and we have no hab air con. Just follow her lead seems to work.

 

[DBK]

Dogs vary enormously in their tolerance of heat, ours struggles on a hot summer day here in the UK. He keeled over a couple of times when a pup before we realised how bad he was.

When it's really hot I've used a cool coat which you soak in water first, pictured below on Corsica. This is very effective but is rarely used as I try to choose walks near water wherever possible. Putting the dog under a tap or the odd fountain in a town has also been done.

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[Helen Ariel]

Always stay somewhere close to a river, lake or ocean.

 

[Sundowners]

Living in Central Portugal it can easily get up to 40 degrees, we just say to ours when we see he is hot, do you want a shower and he will gladly walk in the shower and have a cool off. We have two cool mats, so when one gets warm, we swap it.

 

[Phill D]

another for a "cool mat" also for a toweling dog coat that when necessary we wet and drape it over our aging spaniel.
and the obvious stuff that we all do as normal i guess carry plenty of water and use a simple harness ( not too much body cover as some have ) instead of lead to collar.

ours likes to alternate from laying in the sun to the cool under the van, so we try to put an old towel with the cool mat under it, in a shaded place ( often under the van ).

 

[Podney]

Cool mats.
Cool coats.
Our dog struggled with 35 degrees plus as it got old,otherwise a very fit and not overweight dog,and the cool mat helped.

 

[Odd-no-more]

Wet tee towel and a fan

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[Fraggle 22]

Depends very much on the breed and age of the dog. Short faced breeds suffer more thsn long nosed and very old and very young also struggle. Black dogs feel the heat more than white ones. I agree about coolcoats and air con/ shade. Cutting the coat very short also can result in sunburn a well brushed longer coat allows protection

 

[WillH]

We never took our dog abroad, even here in Scotland he found summer temperatures really uncomfortable. He was a Miniature Schnauzer.

 

[138go]

Our dog is well traveled abroad. On a hot day we have two fans running and leave her with a bowl of fresh water. Our MH is well insulated and when we get back, she is always cooler than us. She does appreciate a dip in the sea and we have also cooled her off in one of the many dog washes, on the sites in Spain.

 

[Langtoftlad]

My dog gets overheated very quickly...
She hasn't the sense to lie in the shade.
Tolerates a soggy cool coat with sulky forbearance.
Will lie on a coolmat.
Hates a fan...

 

[C33JAY]

Our Chow hasnt been abroad but does not like the heat during a UK Summer so seeks the shade and lays on the lawn that works for him Wheras our Staffie had to be prompted strongly to move out of the Sun for his own safety, crazy dog.
Anyway we use a Water Soaked Towel and place it over our Chow like a Saddle and he will walk with this over his back and it works his panting eases and he appears more comfortable

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[Reallyretired]

One of ours is a sun worshipper, the other goes under the van, which is in the shade and funnels any breeze. Its actually very cool under there.

 

[Shrimp]

Our JRT was white so she wasn’t too bad in hot weather, we had a cool coat for her but you have to keep them wet so usually we just found a tap, fountain, stream, even a Rugby club boot washing bin, any water any where.
When we were on Aires she was usually under the van in the shade, they’re not daft they know where to find the coolest spots!