Summer And Dogs

[brandybaby]

I have purchased a bulldog pup and reading all the books it says to keep them cool in summer.So I was going to keep her inside of a day[while at work]and have the air conditioner.My question is.Do i realy need and air conditioner to keep her cool.I noticed some breeders have there bulldogs in large yard with a kennel each.How do the dogs handle being in the sun all day.

will I be over reacting if I do keep her inside all day with the air con. on?

[shellbyville]

Wow, your electricity bill will be sky high, if you keep the dog inside over the whole of summer. I am not sure what your backyard is like, but during the summer, as long as the dog has plenty of shade (tree cover etc, or garage/carport area etc, and not just the dog kennel as shade) I would think that would be adequate, along with lots of water to drink.

Maybe during the extreme heat of summer around the Christmas/January period, when it is really hot, the dog could be inside in those times.

My dogs are outside during summer, but we live in a rural area and have a huge area for them. We have plenty of shade trees and cool gardens etc where they can lie. I also have one of those clam shell wading pools, that I keep filled with water for them to cool down in. In the extreme heat my dogs like to come inside on the tiled floor and that is ok, because I am at home most of the time.

[Poodle wrangler]

You could also consider one of those kiddie clam shell paddling pools if your bulldog likes water.

As long as you have a grassed, shady area she should be fine outside. Pavers get very hot, so I'd not leave her outside if she has only a paved courtyard with little shade.

[LittleMiss]

As an extra treat for when you are there with the dog during summer (afternoons, weekends etc) frozen chicken necks etc are a great treat and cools them down a lot too.

[Over It]

All our dogs chase ice cubes around the house on the tiles ;)

Clam Shells are great (it cools them down, but also stops them from digging in their water bowl and then not having anything to drink!)

You can buy the shells from Toy World and the likes - but have a look on eBay because often people will buy them (They come in a set of two) but only want one for their dog, so sell the other.

Good luck with your new puppy

[First Time Puppy Owner]

Clam shell - kmart $30 - sand from landscaper - 5 x 10 litre bags into one side of the clam shell for digging and the other for swimming!

Also heard people freeze an ice cream container filled with treats and water so they stay cool and get the treats once the block has melted!

[Dogsfevr]

The breeders of bulldogs i now have there dogs in there runs until the heat starts up then they go into there day runs/rooms/house.

If you have a doggy door & the backyard has shade then i would give the dog access to house & yard.

be careful if you shut the dog in with air con because if its evaprotive the humidity can be just as stressful & if refirig you need an are where the dog wont be so cold & get other issues.

The key is a good balance

[BC]

On the really really hot days in summer I keep mine inside all day, but without the airconditioner. This air con is only on when I'm home aswell.

I find they sleep all day cos of the heat, so I just find it easier and more comfortable for them inside.

They also have a clam shell that they dig in, and that cools them off aswell.

[brandybaby]

Hi Evereyone

My bulldog will be an inside dog and I already have a cocker spaniel inside dog.Sometime of a day i will be at work and there will be no-one home.I was going to put the air con. on so i new the dog was ok.Theye have the run of the whole house so if it gets to cold they can go upto the front of the house where it doesnt get cold.I sometimes have trouble breathing in summer so expect the bulldog to realy suffer.we have a big backyard but nothing in it.The rottweiler already gets under the back verandah and as the bulldog is not a common breed and we might not be home.I dont feel comfortable letting her into the backyard when no one is home.And as we had a huge brown snake here last year in the yard,only new because it was the weekend and we were in the yard that we killled it,she might get bitten.i am looking at buying a cooling mat and a jacket for all of them.Not cheap i know but hopefully they will work

Thanks again

[Yoshi&Kaiser]

I live up in a remote mining town where even today it is 30 degrees. Last summer never saw it below 40 for 3 months with the average temp something like 45.

My dogs cope pretty well. I have lots and lots of water available (in the shade where they sit and on the back porch) plus like others said those clam shell pools (just remember to change the water often as they do drink out of it) Instead of locking them up at night in summer we encourage them to play as much as possible so they can relax during the day. When I first get home from work I also bring them inside to the air con for a couple of hours so they can have a cool down. We also hose them off every day as well, they love running in the sprinklers.

[Asalei]

We got our puppies in January this year and left them inside in the aircon as we were concerned that they wouldn't know what to do if it was hot. Thankfully they've done a lot of their growing up during the cooler months and when the hot summer days hit again, they'll be 12 months old and hopefully will know how to take care of themselves in summer.

We have a doggy door that leads into the laundry and a gate to block the laundry off from the house. It's tiled and they loved lying on it earlier this year as the tiles were nice and cold for them. I'll be going to buy a clam shell and filling it with water (from a tank of course) to see what they do.

Other than that, we'll be doing the ice bricks with treats in it as they LOVE ice.