Living in Arizona means our summers get really hot! With a big indoor dog that loves to play outside, we have a few tips to help keep your pets cool in the summer. My daughter does an excellent job making sure our husky isn’t outside for extended amounts of time and when she is enjoying the summer heat she always has access to water.
We get asked a lot how we could have a Siberian Husky in Arizona. Our pretty dog, Sophie, was born in Arizona from a long line of huskies that have acclamated to our warm summers. Her fur is the same insulation that keeps her warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Although it’s warm during the summer outside, her most favorite thing to do is run through the park with my daughter.
When planning a visit to the park, Sophie is included in our count for water bottles. Staying hydrated and always having access to water for your children and pets while playing outside is necessary in Arizona during the summer. We also have a few other tips we follow to make sure our dog stays cool during the summer.
Tips to keep your pets cool in the summer
1) Leave a play pool set up outside with water
We have a small plastic pool in the yard but on especially hot days, my daughter and our dog hop into a taller inflatable pool to stay cool.
2) Add misters to your yard
You can permanently line your patio with misters or connect a hose to a portable mister like the Orbit 10360 FlexCobra Flexible Three-Nozzle Mistand Mister (affiliate link).
3) Intall a patio fan
If your pets enjoy lounging on the patio during the summer, an outdoor fan helps circulate the air with a light breeze to keep them cool.
4) Add ice cubes to the water bowl
When I talked about our experience with positive reinforcement dog training, I also shared that our dog loves her stuffed squirrel and chewed up baseball. During the summer, you can add ice cubes to her list of favorite things. She loves crunching ice cubes when it’s warm outside.
5) Always leave fresh water outside
Sometimes our dog gets distracted when she steps outside for a potty break and ends up playing in the yard instead of coming back in to the air conditioned house. Even if your pets reside indoors, always provide access to fresh water. An automatic water bowl that connects to your hose is a great way to make sure the bowl is always full of fresh water. Remember to keep it in the shade and clean the bowl regularly. The H2O Animal Hydration Aqua Buddy 2-Quart Homelife Series Automatic Waterer
You could also get creative and use a fun product like the Doggie Fountain from Allied Precision Industries. The fountain connects to your hose and has a step pad for your dog to activate the water spray. My in-laws have one in their backyard for their four border collies.
Regardless of how you plan to keep your pets cool in the summer, make sure they always have access to water!
What do you do to make sure your pets are staying cool in the summer?
Hello I have just come across your page and seen that you give your dog ice cubes!!! do you know how dangerous this is to your poor dog? They can actually cause damage to the dogs internals there are many posts out there stating this and myself who works as a veterinary assistant here in Jersey Channel Islands UK have seen many dogs undergo surgery and even pass away because owners think it is harmless but it isn’t. If you value your dogs life stop giving it ice cubes. Just some friendly advice from someone who knows.“