Keep Your Dog Cool in Hot Temperatures

These products promise to cool down the hottest dogs; just a few deliver.

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With temperatures in the 90s and 100s in recent weeks, WDJ decided it was a perfect time to test products designed to keep canines cool during the dog days of summer. We found a number of products that utilize the same technology: polymer crystals that absorb several times their weight in water, then release the water over a period of several days. The evaporation of the water creates the cooling effect.

We were somewhat concerned that there would be little variation between the products, but to our surprise, we found a huge difference in the quality and effectiveness of the various brands. The products we liked best “plumped up” quickly, evaporated slowly, were made of durable materials, and appealed to our test dogs.

Keeping your dog cool may not be much of a challenge when you’re at home, but what about at dog shows, when he must be crated in warm weather, or on car rides? In a stifling environment, these products could make all the differencefor your dog.

Please note that all of these pads release moisture from underneath. Indoors, they must be placed on a waterproof surface.

Click here to view “Keep Hot Dogs Cool This Summer”

-By Pat Miller

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Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, grew up in a family that was blessed with lots of animal companions: dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, goats, and more, and has maintained that model ever since. She spent the first 20 years of her professional life working at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, California, for most of that time as a humane officer and director of operations. She continually studied the art and science of dog training and behavior during that time, and in 1996, left MHS to start her own training and behavior business, Peaceable Paws. Pat has earned a number of titles from various training organizations, including Certified Behavior Consultant Canine-Knowledge Assessed (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). She also founded Peaceable Paws Academies for teaching and credentialing dog training and behavior professionals, who can earn "Pat Miller Certified Trainer" certifications. She and her husband Paul and an ever-changing number of dogs, horses, and other animal companions live on their 80-acre farm in Fairplay, Maryland.