First off, don't shave your dog. Shaving a long-coated dog actually makes it harder for them to stay cool. Dogs with heavy coats shake and fluff up their coats, trapping air in between the layers which cools them. If you shave them, they will overheat faster.
Do get a kids' wading pool and put cool water in it. Encourage your dog to stand in the pool. Cooling their feet helps to cool their whole body quickly. You can also put water on their heads to cool them quickly.
Most people keep one water bowl...I keep three! Having multiple water bowls means if one is empty or the water has gotten warm, there are others to choose from.
Walk your dog early in the morning or late in the evening so that they don't burn their feet. When the air temperature is 95', the grass is 105' in the sunshine, the cement is 124' and the blacktop is a whopping 140'! Where I live, daytime air temperatures often are in the triple digits meaning walks are completely out of the question for all of us!
Offer treats that keep your dogs cool. You can make your dogs popsicles using broth or liquid yogurt as a base and adding fruit or veggies to make it even more fun. Use cut up bully sticks or carrots for the popsicle "stick" and your dogs will have a blast.
While air conditioning is great, adding fans is even better at spreading around the cool air. I use both ceiling cans and floor fans to keep the collies cool.
Cooling collars and cooling pads on their beds rounds out the routine. And I frequently find collies on the cool tiles in the bathroom or the hard wood floor in the kitchen.
Older dogs, puppies, and those dogs who are sick or immune compromised will need even more help staying cool during the summer.
So, when the temperatures hit the triple digits here, I will be sitting by the fan eating popsicles with my collies. Stay cool everyone!
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