Ways to Keep Dogs Safe and Cool in Hot Weather

Take the longer walk early in the morning or once it has cooled in the evening. Keep midday outings short and choose an easy pace. If the air stays hot or humid after sunset, keep the outing brief and give your dog something quiet to do indoors.

Bring plain drinking water and a bowl on walks and trips. Offer water during breaks and replenish the bowls at home. Plan a stop even if your dog is still eager to keep going, especially when a route has limited shade.

Set out a place where your dog can lie in the shade without losing the breeze. Check where the shade falls as the sun moves. If the yard or deck is still hot even in the shade, bring the dog inside where it can cool down.

Sunlit pavement and artificial turf can heat up enough to burn paw pads. If a surface feels too hot for your hand, choose a cooler route or come back later. Use grass or shade where possible, and avoid treating a brief hand check as proof that the whole route is cool.

Make an indoor room available when your home is cooler than the yard. Close the blinds against direct sun and use air conditioning if available. Let your dog move between a bed and a cooler floor so it can choose where to settle.

For a dog that likes water, set out a shallow pool in the shade. Stay nearby, let your dog get in and out on its own, and refresh the water as it warms or gets dirty. Keep a separate bowl of drinking water within reach.

Lay a dog cooling mat somewhere shaded or indoors. Leave a dry space beside it so your dog can move off when it wants. Supervise if your dog tends to chew bedding, and take the mat away if it starts to tear.

If an errand means leaving your dog alone in a parked car, leave the dog somewhere cool at home or change who goes into the store. A cracked window or a shaded parking space cannot keep a stopped car reliably cool.

Flat-faced dogs, older dogs, and dogs that carry extra weight can overheat more easily. Plan shorter, gentler outings for them and leave room to turn back early. Ask your veterinarian about exercise limits if your dog already has trouble breathing on walks.

Swap a chase game in the heat for a quiet indoor activity. A dog that enjoys licking can work on a favorite food toy chilled or filled with a small portion of its usual wet food and frozen. Supervise and keep fresh drinking water available.

Heavy panting that continues after exercise stops, unusual weakness or wobbling, excessive drooling, vomiting, or collapse can signal heat-related illness. Move your dog into shade or a cool room and start cooling its body with cool water, keeping it away from the face. Call a veterinarian immediately for urgent care while you begin cooling.