7 Ways to Keep Dogs Cool and Busy in the Summer

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How can you keep dogs cool AND busy in the summer? We’ve gathered up seven ideas to help Fido chill both figuratively and literally! The hottest months of the year are almost here. We humans have various ways to keep ourselves cool in the summer. We also have plenty of ways to fill our day with fun activities!  But what about our fur-babies? They can’t just head out to the air conditioned movies for the afternoon or to a water park for a day of splashing! Still, there are plenty of things you can do to help your dog cool down that don’t involve sneaking him into the mall! Check out our ideas below for inspiration, and let the summer fun begin!

Related:5 Summer Outdoor Safety Tips for Dogs You Need to Know

How to Keep Dogs Cool and Busy in the Summer

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1. Kiddie Pool Play Time–Everyone loves a cool bath on a hot day, and our pets are no different. Go pick up a kiddie pool, plastic works best, inflatable might not last too long with pets. Fill it with water,  your dog’s favorite toys and even some ice, so when you’re outside barbecuing in the summer heat, they can be cooling down in style.
2. Frozen Doggie Treats—frozen treats are a dog’s best friend in the heat of summer. Choose whatever ingredients you know your dog will like and is safe, then freeze them and feed them to them on hot days. Can be made from chicken broth, beef broth, frozen hamburger, frozen fruits, yogurt, and much more. Limit how many you feed them depending on what ingredients you choose to make them out of. You’ll save money with DIY instead of buying something overpriced at the store.
3. Homemade Doggie Ice Cream- ice cream is a cure all for hot days, and we humans know this, so why not treat our pups to the same treat, but with homemade ice cream made just for them. You can make it out of peanut butter, yogurt, and more. Recipes can be found everywhere online, and your pet will love them. For a super easy one, check out our 3-ingredient frozen yogurt! With a little creativity, and knowing what they like, it’ll be easy to do.
4. Frozen toys with treats in them–one of the most popular dog toys is the Kong. These are made to be frozen and treats put inside of them, they will keep pets happy and busy all day as they try to lick the frozen treat out of them. There are other toys that can be frozen to for entertaining pets like ropes, tennis balls, rubber balls, while they’re playing with their frozen toys they’ll keep cool and stay busy all at the same time. Be creative and research different options for you pet.
5. A cooling vest–these are totally cool, no pun intended, for pets. Best used for dogs, because cats are not going to enjoy you dressing them up much.  They can be made out of a pair of cargo pants and all you have to do is put frozen ice packs in the pockets then let them prance around in their new attire, meanwhile they’re keeping cool and happy.
6. A cooling bandanna–all you need is a regular old bandanna, some water, and a freezer. This can be done a couple different ways: wet the bandanna and keep in it in the freezer until the next hot day comes around, then let your dog wear their bling, or on a hot day simply run it under cool water and put it on your pup. They’ll stay cool and be so stylish that the neighborhood dogs will get jealous. Win-win!
7. A hair cut for longer haired pups–this goes without saying, if you fur baby is all fur, consider giving them a trim to help with keeping cool in the summertime. All of that hair can be hot and tiring for your pets, leading to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration. We want our pets healthy and playful, not lethargic or ill.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg, so to say, of what you can do to help keep your pups cool and busy in the summertime months. Hopefully, these will give you some inspiration to come up with your own ideas.  

The unwritten rule is to keep clean, fresh water available at all times for your pets, as well as easily accessible shade for them to relax in. Also,  never leave your pet in the sun for long periods of time or in a locked car, as it can lead to unfortunate circumstances for you and your pets.

Do you have any fun ways to keep your dogs cool and busy this summer? Share below!

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