Oh boy, it’s hot with temperatures reportedly reaching 41c (106f) today and tomorrow. Just as we are brooding, so are our poor, hot, and bothered puppies.
My own dog, three-year-old Buddy the cockapoo, hates hot weather and can sensibly fight its way through the current heat wave, lying under the table on our cold stone kitchen floor.
Wise boy. Overheating poses a serious health risk to dogs. They can contract heat stroke that can cause permanent damage to their vital organs. Humans rely on sweating to regulate their temperature, but dogs don’t have that mechanism.
They pant instead, which cools her down. But during a heat wave as extreme as the one we’re going through, panting may not be enough. In that case, we, their dedicated owners, must step in and help.
Temperatures in the UK will hit 41c (106f) today and tomorrow, so Rachel Halliwell and her dog Buddy (pictured) tried out products that will cool your dog down in a heat wave
With a third of British homes having at least one canine companion, that adds up to a lot of concerned animal lovers trying to cool down their hot dogs.
But fear not. As you would expect from the £10 billion a year dog industry, there are plenty of products on the market to help. Buddy and I put them to the test…
THE COOL JACKET
Petface cooling dog coat (£8.50, Argos)
Petface cooling dog coat (£8.50, Argos). Rachel gave this full rating and said not only does this keep Buddy cool, he looks cute too
Adding clothing to an already warm animal seems counterintuitive, but this coat is chilled. It’s easy to prepare – just place it in a bowl of cold water before kneading it so it can absorb the liquid. Then wring it out and slide it onto your dog’s back.
In the winter, Buddy refuses to wear his coat, so I’m surprised when he stands still while I put this on him and fasten it in place. Poor boy is hot.
It should give him relief as he tries not to shake it off and is soon back under the table, the coat obviously comfortable to wear as he falls right back to sleep.
VERDICT: Full marks. Not only does this keep Buddy cool, he looks cute too. 5/5
COLD MAT FOR MUTTS
Sunny Daze cooling mat (£16, pets at home)
Sunny Daze cooling mat (£16, pets at home). The only problem for Rachel is that you can’t leave a dog unattended in case they chew through the material
It’s not just hot days that you have to worry about during a heat wave. After the sun goes down, temperatures stay so high that our homes can’t cool down – that means little rest at night for us or our pets.
During the day, Buddy has shown little interest in this cooling mat, which is filled with a non-toxic gel that automatically cools under your dog’s weight.
But when I put it next to my bed on a particularly warm night, it lays right on it. It must give a blessed relief, because I notice that his panting is calming down a bit.
The only problem is that you can’t leave a dog unattended if they chew through the material. And not everyone is as tolerant as my husband is about sharing their bedroom with their stray wife’s mutt.
VERDICT: Also good for cooling your dog down after a walk. 4/5
MAGIC FOUNTAIN
Whitedrop Pet Water Fountain Dispenser (left, £19.99, amazon.co.uk)
Whitedrop Pet Water Fountain Dispenser (left, £19.99, amazon.co.uk). This is a gimmick and much more expensive than a regular old water bowl
Preferably drinking from dirty ditches and muddy puddles, Buddy approaches most goblets with great suspicion.
This adorable water fountain, which then filters fresh water from a daisy-shaped spout, gets the same treatment.
He sniffs, walks away, comes back for another sniff, then he leaves again.
This continues for ten minutes until the cat appears and drinks so deeply from this fountain that you would think it had been there forever. Wherever she leads, Buddy follows. A few careful licks, and he’s gone in no time.
This is a gimmick and much more expensive than a plain old water bowl – but it will help keep my picky boy hydrated.
VERDICT: A precious watering hole. 3/10
PADDLE POOL
Sunny Daze Dog Plunge Pool (£35, Pets at Home)
Sunny Daze Dog Paddling Pool (£35, pets at home). Rachel says this is great but feels guilty about filling it with a garden hose
Anyone who has a cockapoo like Buddy knows how obsessed with water this breed is. It may be cooking outside, but my dog thinks Christmas has come early because he has suddenly installed his own pond in the backyard and no one is yelling at him to get out. He jumps in and out before shaking off and diving right back in. This is the happiest I’ve seen him since the heat wave started.
This is a pop-up pool, so easy to set up and take down for storage. My teenage daughter, however, is unimpressed – her attempts to sunbathe before the gloomy weather returns are hampered by Buddy clambering soggy over her. A small price for a happy dog, I tell her.
VERDICT: Great product, but it loses a point because it has to be filled with a garden hose, which I feel guilty about when our reservoir level is so low. 4/5
AND DON’T FORGET SPF!
Petkin SPF15 Doggy Sunmist Spray (below, amazon.co.uk, £6.07)
Petkin SPF15 Doggy Sunmist Spray (below, amazon.co.uk, £6.07). According to Rachel, this is probably more useful for dogs with short hair
Spraying sunscreen on a dog is new to me. This doggy version, which the label says is comparable to SPF15 for humans, smells like the stuff I spray on myself and has the same milky-white consistency.
The instructions recommend using on your dog’s ears, nose, muzzle and any pink areas, all of which are particularly vulnerable to sunburn. Buddy has other ideas and runs off in shock after the first spray of his nose. But it’s a different story when I put it on his stomach – he lies, legs crossed, while I rub it in, like a spoiled pet enjoying a tummy massage.
Buddy likes to lie on his back on the patio, enjoying the sun on his stomach, so this could be a good idea. But I think it’s more useful for dogs with short, thin hair.
VERDICT: Rubbing your hands first, instead of spraying, is less scary for a dog. 2/5