How to Keep Your Dog Cool in Summer: Bed and Care Tips

Quick answer

Start by giving your dog a cool, shaded resting spot with good airflow, then build the rest of the day around it: walk early or late, keep water available, and check the bed surface before your dog lies down. A raised or breathable bed in the shade does more for most dogs than any single gadget. If your dog is panting hard, drooling, or wobbling, cool them with water and call your vet.

Summer heat hits large and thick-coated dogs harder than most owners expect. A dog bed that felt fine in April can turn into a heat trap by July, and the fix is usually a mix of where the bed sits, what it is made of, and when your dog uses it.

This guide walks through a practical order of operations: set up the sleep spot first, then adjust walks, water, and grooming around it. Each step includes the mistake that most often cancels out the benefit.

Step 1: Pick a bed surface that does not hold heat

Memory foam and thick padded beds are excellent for joints, but they also retain body heat. In summer, the goal is not to throw out the orthopedic bed; it is to make sure your dog has a cooler alternative available during the hottest hours. A raised cot, a thin mat, or a bed placed on a cool tile floor gives your dog a choice.

If your dog already uses an orthopedic bed like the Original Bully Bed - Large Orthopedic Dog Bed, keep it for night and cool mornings, and offer a cooler surface during midday. Rotating between two sleep spots is simpler than trying to make one bed do everything.

• Checkpoint: press your palm on the bed for 10 seconds. If it feels warm to you, it will feel warmer to a dog in a fur coat.
• Mistake to avoid: leaving a dark, thick bed in direct sun all afternoon and expecting your dog to use it.

Step 2: Control airflow and shade around the bed

A bed in the shade with moving air is cooler than the same bed in a closed room. Position the bed near a fan, a doorway, or a shaded patio rather than against a sun-baked wall. If you use a crate, keep the crate out of direct sun and remove heavy blankets from the top.

For outdoor time, rotate the bed or mat to follow the shade. Dogs will often lie on concrete or tile instead of their bed when the bed is in the sun, which defeats the purpose of having a comfortable spot.

• Checkpoint: if you would not sit there in a T-shirt, do not expect your dog to settle there.
• Mistake to avoid: pointing a fan directly at your dog's face for hours; aim it across the resting area instead.

Step 3: Adjust walk times and pavement checks

The single biggest heat source for many dogs is the walk itself. Move walks to early morning or after sunset, shorten them, and let your dog set the pace. Hot pavement can burn paw pads even when the air feels mild, so test it with the back of your hand for five seconds before walking.

If your dog still needs exercise, replace part of the walk with indoor games, puzzle feeders, or a supervised swim if your dog is a confident swimmer. Mental work tires a dog without adding heat load.

• Checkpoint: if the pavement is too hot for your hand, it is too hot for paws.
• Mistake to avoid: a long midday walk followed by a nap on a warm bed, which stacks heat exposure.

Step 4: Make water easy and consistent

Dogs drink more in heat, so keep multiple water stations in the house and one in the shade outside. Change the water at least twice a day in summer, and wash bowls regularly because warm water grows biofilm faster than most owners realize.

Some dogs drink less when they are panting heavily, so offer water after every walk and play session rather than waiting for them to ask. If your dog refuses water or seems lethargic, that is a veterinary issue, not a training one.

• Checkpoint: a dog that stops drinking in hot weather needs a vet call, not more encouragement.
• Mistake to avoid: leaving a metal bowl in direct sun; the water can get unpleasantly warm.

Step 5: Use bedding accessories that support cooling, not trap heat

Covers and liners change how a bed feels in summer. A washable cover that you can swap and launder keeps the bed from holding oils, dirt, and odor, which can make a bed feel heavier and less appealing. If your dog has a waterproof liner, remember that waterproof layers also block airflow, so a liner works best under a breathable cover rather than against your dog.

For dogs that drool heavily or swim, a spare cover means you can wash one and still have a dry bed available the same day.

• Checkpoint: if the cover feels slick and warm, add a cotton or breathable layer on top.
• Mistake to avoid: stacking a waterproof liner directly on top of the bed surface in summer.

Step 6: Groom for airflow, not for a shorter coat

A clean, brushed coat insulates better than a matted one. Regular brushing removes dead undercoat and lets air reach the skin, which helps with heat regulation. Bathing can also help, but use a dog-specific shampoo and do not shave a double-coated breed down to the skin unless your vet advises it.

If your dog has skin folds or a heavy coat, dry them thoroughly after swimming or bathing. Trapped moisture in summer leads to hot spots and odor, which is a comfort problem as much as a cosmetic one.

• Checkpoint: brush before bathing so you are not washing loose hair deeper into the coat.
• Mistake to avoid: assuming a shaved coat is always cooler; for many double-coated dogs it removes insulation.

Step 7: Know the warning signs and act early

Heavy panting that does not slow down, thick drool, bright red gums, wobbling, vomiting, or collapse are signs of overheating and possible heatstroke. Move your dog to a cool area, offer small amounts of water, wet the paws, belly, and inner thighs with cool, not ice-cold, water, and call your veterinarian immediately.

Do not leave cooling to chance. Keep a plan for who checks the dog during the hottest part of the day, especially if you work away from home.

• Checkpoint: cooling should start before the dog stops panting normally.
• Mistake to avoid: using ice-cold water or ice packs directly on the body, which can constrict surface blood vessels.

Your summer cooling checklist, in order

1. 1. Set up the cool spot first: Choose a shaded, ventilated area and put a breathable mat or raised cot there. Keep the orthopedic bed available for cooler hours. Checkpoint: the spot should feel cool to your hand after 10 seconds.
2. 2. Shift the daily schedule: Walk early and late, shorten routes, and test pavement with the back of your hand before heading out. Checkpoint: if the pavement is too hot for your hand, skip the walk.
3. 3. Refresh water and bedding: Change water at least twice daily, wash bowls, and swap or launder bed covers so the sleep area stays dry and breathable. Checkpoint: a dry bed is a cooler bed.
4. 4. Groom for airflow: Brush out dead coat, bathe with dog-specific shampoo when needed, and dry thoroughly after swimming. Checkpoint: matted coat means trapped heat.
5. 5. Watch for overheating: Act on heavy panting, drooling, wobbling, or vomiting by cooling with water and calling your vet right away. Checkpoint: early action beats waiting to see if it passes.

Products that fit a summer cooling routine

• Original Bully Bed - Large Orthopedic Dog Bed: Comes in sizes from Medium to XXL with 4.5lb density human grade memory and support foam, and is described as ideal for elderly, large arthritic dogs and those with joint and muscular problems. Keep this bed for cool nights and air-conditioned rooms, and pair it with a cooler surface during the hottest hours so joint support does not come at the cost of overheating.
• 3 Sided Bed Waterproof Liner: A waterproof liner made to fit the 3 sided bed, available in Medium 34x22x4, Large 48x30x5, XL 52x34x7, and XXL 60x48x7. Useful for dogs that swim or drool in summer, but place it under a breathable cover rather than directly against your dog, because waterproof layers reduce airflow.
• Faux Fur Round Calming Bed Covers: Ultra soft faux fur covers for the round calming bed, available in peach or gray, in L 34 inch, XL 44 inch, and XXL 54 inch diameters, and they are washable and removable. This is only a bed cover, not a complete bed. A removable, washable cover lets you keep the sleep spot clean and dry in summer, which matters more when dogs are swimming, drooling, and shedding.

Keeping a dog cool in summer is less about one product and more about the order you do things: cool resting spot, adjusted schedule, clean water, and a coat that can breathe. Set the bed up so your dog has a cooler option during the hottest hours, and you will spend less time worrying and more time enjoying the season together.