11 Ways To Keep A Dog Cool At Night

To keep a dog cool at night you can give your dog access to plenty of cold water, place a cooling mat on your dog’s bed, use an elevated dog bed, groom your dog, let your dog sleep in a tiled area, give your dog a wet towel, let your dog sleep downstairs, put a cooling bandana on your dog, give your dog some frozen treats or keep the air conditioning on.

Table of Contents

1. Give Your Dog Access To Plenty Of Cold Water

The number one way for your dog to cool down and stay hydrated is to give them access to plenty of cold water. One of the reasons why dog’s overheat so easily is that they can not sweat (except through the pads of their paws) like humans can. Without this bodily function to cool down and the additional layer of fur, they need to rely on drinking cold water and other methods to cool down.

Pro Tip: Add ice cubes to your dog’s water dish to keep it extra cold as it gradually melts throughout the night!

2. Place A Cooling Mat On Your Dog’s Bed

A dog cooling mat is a pressure activated rectangular mat that is usually filled with a gel substance between nylon cushioning that has cooling properties. They are a safe way to keep your dog cool for up to on average three hours. The mats are generally very low maintenance as well and do not need refrigeration, water, batteries or electricity. All your dog needs to do is sit or lie on it and then it will start cooling down.

This Dog Cooling Mat Is Highly Rated On Amazon…

Find Out The Current Price On Amazon Here

3. Try Out An Elevated Dog Bed For Maximum Air Flow

During hot summer nights, you might want to consider investing in an elevated dog bed. These beds do not have any extra soft and fluffy materials that are characteristic of a dog bed so they do not give your dog any extra heat. The elevated nature of the bed in addition to the mesh fabric maximises air flow, ultimately allowing your dog to stay cool easier.

The K&H Pet Products Elevated Dog Bed Is Great Value…

Find Out The Current Price On Chewy Here

4. Groom Your Dog

Many dog breeds have long, thick fur coats. During hot weather these can become quite a nuisance and prevent them from cooling dog properly. The best option is to groom your dog by cutting their fur much shorter during hot weather. You can either do this at a pet grooming salon or go for the cheaper option of doing it yourself with a dog grooming kit.

5. Let Your Dog Sleep In A Tiled Area

A floor that is tiled is going to be much cooler than a room with carpet. If it is a super hot night, consider letting your dog sleep in an area that has tiles. This might be your bathroom, laundry or garage.

If your dog starts feeling too hot, he/she might decide to leave their bed and lie down on the tiled floor to keep cool.

6. Give Your Dog A Wet Blanket or Tea Towel

A damp/wet towel or blanket is a cheap option to keep your dog cool at night. Simply run a piece of material under water and then wring it out so it’s not dripping wet. You can then drape it over your dog or wipe your dog down so he feels colder for a short period of time. This is like a DIY version of a dog cooling vest.

7. Let Your Dog Sleep Downstairs

As hot air rises, letting your dog sleep downstairs is very logical to keep your dog cooler at night. So if you have a two storey house and your dog usually sleeps in your bedroom at night, when there is hot weather you should put your dog’s bed downstairs instead.

8. Put A Cooling Bandana On Your Dog

A dog cooling bandana works similarly to giving your dog a wet/damp towel, however it will be secured around your dog’s neck.

Dog cooling bandanas are usually made of highly absorbent material that is put into water, twisted, then put it into the fridge for about 10 minutes. It can then be secured around your dog’s neck for immediate cooling effect.

A Dog Cooling Bandana Is A Cheaper Alternative To A Dog Cooling Vest…

Find Out The Current Price On Amazon Here

9. Give Your Dog Some Icy Treats

Another way to keep your dog cool at night is to feed your dog some icy treats. Many people like to make their own frozen treats in dog bone shaped ice cube trays. These treats could contain an array of dog friendly foods but most commonly people put peanut butter, yoghurt or banana in their frozen treats.

If You Want A Recipe: This frozen dog treat recipe looks pretty good!

10. Clip A Dog Fan Onto The Side Of Their Crate

If your dog sleeps in a wire dog crate you could get a clip on dog fan to put onto the side of your dog’s crate. A fan will create a nice breeze to cool your dog down during the night!

This Dog Crate Fan Has Is Highly Rated On Amazon…

Find Out Current Price On Amazon Here

11. Keep The Air Conditioning On If Possible

This is a more pricey option but if you are willing to leave the air conditioning on your dog would highly benefit from the cool air. If you choose this option I would suggest that you let your dog sleep in your bedroom with the air conditioning on so everyone benefits from it. This is better than just leaving the air conditioning on for just your dog in the living room!