Guide to Keeping Your Canine Athlete Cool
/In dog sports, at competitions or practices, it is common for dogs to need to be worked one at a time. This requires you having some sort of containment for your dog during this time. You can simply have your dog on a leash with you during this time, but this doesn’t allow the dog to rest adequately between turns. Mental and physical rest is important for our dogs especially when they are competing or learning (look up “latent leaning in dogs” and you’ll learn why!). It is very common practice in dog sports to have dog crates in the car, not only for safety while driving with our dogs, but also to allow for a safe and relaxing spot for our dogs to be between turns in class or at a competition. During the summer months there are a lot of tips and tricks to help keep your dog comfortable and cool in their crate in the car while at these events! Here is our list of what you should have for your dog in the summer.
Fans!
Fans are super important in the summer months to help keep your dog cool! Since we don’t often have access to electricity while at events or training with our dogs, having battery powered fans is a must. There are several brands out there but I have the Ryobi fans. They have a low and high setting and circulate air well. You can buy different size batteries based on your needs (I always bring extra batteries in-case mine die then I have a back up!). Ryobi even makes a misting fan which you can hook up to a bucket of ice water for even a more refreshing cool down on a warm day! Ryobi products are available at Home Depot.
Ryobi One+ 18V Hybrid Portal Fan
Aluminet Shade Cloth
Shade is another super important factor in keeping your dog cool. Aluminet shade cloths not only provide shade, but “It acts like a mirror, reflecting the intense infrared radiation, heat, and light of the sun to provide a cooler climate by up to 14°.” They come in various sizes so you can get one that covers your size car! I use these clips to clip them to my car so they don’t blow away. You can purchase these shade cloths from many suppliers but we like to support local businesses so we get ours from Clean Run, a company right here in MA. You can purchase them here.
Fresh Water
Of course access to fresh water is a MUST in the warm weather (and really all weather) for our dogs. If your dog is in a crate I recommend hanging a bucket of water in their crate so they can have access to fresh water at all times. Here are the buckets I hang in my crates. If your dog flips the bucket or doesn’t like a bucket in their crate or they are loose in the car, make sure you have a water bowl available and offer them water often.
Temperature Monitors
Being able to monitor the temperature (and humidity) in your vehicle is super important whether your dog is in the car while it is running with the a/c on or they are in the car with the windows down (aluminet up and fans on!). There are two temperature monitors I use in my car. The first is the SensorPush. This is a great device, but it only runs off bluetooth (unless you get the wifi extender) so the range isn’t very far. This device works great if you are working in an area close to where your sensor will be. I personally really like this since I have an SUV with rear climate control. I put the SensorPush in the rear with the crates and that way I can monitor the temperature back there and adjust it as necessary!
The second monitor I use is the Waggle (formerly the Nimble). This device runs off cell service and requires monthly subscription service, however you can monitor the temperature from any distance (even when I’m inside a metal building). The one major negative is the battery doesn’t last more than 24 hours. I keep mine constantly plugged into my car outlet because of this. Both monitors allow you to set your own parameters for temperature and humidity so you can get alerts directly to your phone (as long as you are in range for the SensorPush) when it goes outside those limits.
Cooling Mats
Cooling mats can be a helpful part of your plan to keep your dog cool. I only recommend using them if you are certain your dog is not destructive or you are watching your dog as they can eat the mat and get an obstruction. If you are interested in trying a cooling mat for your dog I recommend The Green Pet Shop Cool Pet Pad, it is pressure activated so you don’t need to store it in a cooler or hose it down with cold water.
Cooling Coats
If you have a dog that needs some extra cooling support you can try a cooling coat. Most of them need to be wet down and stored in a cooler before use. Once applied to your dog you need to monitor them as they start to warm up they can potentially make your dog warmer so only have them on while they are cold and take them off and replace them in the cooler to allow them to get cold again before putting them back on your dog. I personally don’t use cooling coats, but you can find some options for them here.
Other Notes
Kiddie pools and hoses are great for being able to cool down your dog as well if you have them available to you at an event. If you have the space to bring a kiddie pool with you, you can fill it with ice at the beginning of the day and it will make a nice cool bath in no time! Just monitor the temperature as it will get warm if it is very hot and in full sun.
Find shade to park your car in as well when possible.
If it is too hot then run your car with the a/c on. If you have a newer car you will need to make sure that your car doesn’t have an automatic shut off programmed into it. For example I have a 2016 Ford Explorer and it does have an auto shut off programmed in. I need to go into the computer each time (as it auto-resets each time) and turn off the auto shut off to keep my car running for longer than 15 minutes. When running the a/c in your car and you are not in it, it is VERY important that you are monitoring the temperature in your car regularly with a monitor as a/c can fail and it can be deadly.
In excessive heat warnings do not leave your dog in the car even with the proper setup and do not work your dog in those temps are heat stroke is a serious risk.
Be smart!