No Air Conditioning? Here's How to Help Your Dog Stay Comfortable During Ottawa's Heat Emergency
- Jon Wells
- Jul 14
- 5 min read
Today, Tuesday, July 14, is one of the hottest days of the year across Ottawa–Gatineau.
With temperatures reaching 31°C and a humidex approaching 45, today isn't about squeezing in one more walk or sticking to your normal routine.
It's about helping your dog stay comfortable.
If your home doesn't have air conditioning, don't panic.
Dogs have been getting through hot summers long before air conditioners existed. Our job isn't to control every moment of their day. Our job is to create opportunities for them to stay comfortable and let them choose what works best.
That's the BetterDog.ca philosophy.
Offer good choices. Let your dog decide.
Today Isn't About Exercise
Your dog doesn't need a long walk today. They don't need to chase a ball. They don't need a hike through Gatineau Park.
Today is about comfort.
If you can, get outside early in the morning while temperatures are still reasonable. Once the heat builds, slow everything down. A quiet day indoors is far better than an overheated day outside.
One missed walk won't hurt your dog.
Heatstroke might.
A Kiddie Pool Might Be the Best $20 You Ever Spend
One of my favourite summer purchases wasn't made at a pet store. It was a cheap plastic kids' wading pool.
On hot days I'll place it in a shady spot with just a few inches of water. That's it.
The goal isn't to make Mimi swim. It's simply to give her another option.
Most of the time she'll wander over, stand in it for a minute, have a drink, then walk away again.
Sometimes I'll toss a few frozen blueberries into the water. She happily noses them around the pool, and before she realizes it she's been standing in cool water for several minutes.
Every once in a while she'll decide to lie down. Her choice. That's the important part.
Never force your dog into the water. Offer it.
If they enjoy it, wonderful. If they'd rather simply drink from it, that's wonderful too.
And honestly, on a day like today, it probably wouldn't hurt if you stood in the pool beside them.
Dogs Usually Know Where They're Comfortable
Every dog we've owned has had a favourite place to cool off. For most of them, it was the bathroom.
Cool ceramic tile has always beaten an expensive dog bed on a hot summer afternoon. If your dog disappears today, don't be surprised if you find them stretched out on the bathroom floor. They're making a good decision.
Years ago our house didn't have much tile, so we created our own. We bought a simple 2-foot × 4-foot ceramic floor tile from the hardware store and laid it on top of the carpet.
Our Chow Chows loved it. Every hot afternoon one of them would be stretched across that tile like it was the best bed in the house.
It wasn't fancy. It wasn't expensive. It simply gave them another comfortable place to choose.
Sometimes the simplest ideas work the best.
Nature Is Pretty Amazing
We've shared our lives with several Chow Chows over the years. One of them, Maddoxx, was completely black.
On sunny afternoons his outer coat looked unbearably hot. If you touched the outside of his fur, it almost felt too warm to leave your hand there.
One day I pushed my hand all the way through that thick coat until I reached his undercoat.
It surprised me. It was cool. Not just a little cooler — actually comfortable.
That moment taught me something I'll never forget. A healthy double coat is remarkable.
The dense outer coat acts like an insulating blanket, slowing the sun's heat from reaching the skin, while the undercoat allows air to circulate close to the body.
Nature had already figured it out. It's amazing engineering.
Keep the Air Moving
Temperature is only part of keeping your dog comfortable. Airflow makes a huge difference.
If you don't have air conditioning, set up a fan where your dog likes to rest. Not because you're trying to make them stay there. Simply because you're giving them another comfortable option.
You might notice your dog spends twenty minutes enjoying the breeze, wanders off for a while, then comes back later. Perfect.
Whether it's a fan, a cool bathroom floor, a ceramic tile, the basement or the kiddie pool, you're simply creating comfortable places throughout your home.
Your dog gets to decide what feels best.
Serve Summer a Little Colder
Mimi eats a raw diet, so on very hot days we'll often serve her meals a little more frozen than usual. She certainly doesn't complain.
We'll also sit together in the shade and share a few pieces of chilled watermelon. Frozen blueberries are another summer favourite.
Fresh water should always be available, but there's nothing wrong with making hydration a little more interesting.
The Ground Is Often Hotter Than the Air
Most people check the air temperature. Dogs feel the ground.
By mid-afternoon today:
Grass: approximately 30–35°C
Concrete sidewalks: approximately 48–55°C
Black asphalt: approximately 58–65°C
At around 52°C, paw pads can burn in less than 60 seconds.
Today, choose grass whenever possible and avoid unnecessary walks during the hottest part of the afternoon.
Watch Your Dog, Not the Clock
One thing we teach every BetterDog.ca family is to watch their dog's Stress Gauge.
Heat affects behaviour. Dogs may become more restless. More reactive. Less patient.
Not because they're being stubborn. Because they're uncomfortable.
Sometimes the best thing you can do isn't another walk. It's helping them stay in their Green Zone — calm, comfortable and relaxed.
If your dog spends today sleeping on a cool tile floor, standing in a kiddie pool, moving into the breeze from a fan, or simply resting quietly, that's a successful day.
Comfort is the goal.
Know the Signs of Heat Stress
Heat exhaustion can develop faster than many people realize. Watch for:
Heavy panting that doesn't settle
Thick drooling
Bright red gums
Weakness
Vomiting
Wobbling
Confusion
Collapse
If you notice these signs:
Move your dog somewhere cool immediately.
Offer cool (not ice-cold) water.
Wet their chest, belly and paws with cool water.
Increase airflow with a fan.
Contact your veterinarian immediately.
Heatstroke is always an emergency.
Sometimes Doing Less Is the Kindest Thing
Some of my favourite summer memories with our dogs aren't the big adventures. They're the quiet ones.
Maddoxx teaching me how remarkable a double coat really is. A Chow stretched out on a simple ceramic tile. Mimi standing in her little pool chasing frozen blueberries. Sharing a couple of pieces of watermelon together while sitting in the shade.
Today doesn't have to be exciting. It just has to be comfortable.
Sometimes being a great dog guardian isn't about doing more. It's about knowing when to do less.
Help your dog stay cool today. Tomorrow's adventures will still be there.
Stay safe, Ottawa–Gatineau.
Jon Wells — BetterDog.ca
