The last segment of my travels has been hot, hot, hot.  The AC will keep things cool in a regular car. My van, however, is a different beast. It has great AC, but the cool air tends to dissipate in the vast space behind the seats.

I am okay most of the day, but my traveling buddy wears a fur coat. I had his fur trimmed short before I left, but he is sometimes one hot dog! The sun beats down on the passenger seat where he prefers to sit. The back of the van is filled with stuff so his ability to move around is limited. Poor guy! I hate to see him sit there panting like crazy.

The last few days while driving long distance, I have had time to devise some strategies for cooling him down. I think they are worth sharing.

1. Trim dog hair as short as possible. Rely on the expertise of a dog groomer to decided what makes sense for your breed.
2. If you are traveling east and/or south like I am and your dog sits in the passenger seat, purchase stick on window screens (baby department at Walmart).
3. Keep water available all day. Find a place your dog can access at any time while you are driving. Use a heavy bowl so it does not tip over.
4. Clear enough room for a second place your dog can sit. They get achy, just like we do while staying in one position. In my case, I cleared up some space in the van behind the front seats. I bought him a nice fluffy dog bed, which he adores. It is dark and cooler back there.
5. Fill a large spray bottle with water. Whenever you stop, spray your dog liberally. Rub the moisture into the fur. For super hot days, keep a gallon water jug nearby. At rest stops, soak dog thoroughly.
6. Stop often. Chances are the air outside is cooler. Give you dog some well-earned treats!

Extreme Measure

1. Buy a 12-volt fan that plugs into 12-volt socket on dashboard (didn’t we call them cigarette lighters?). I found a great portable fan at a Flying J truck stop. The selection there included a number of fans with plastic blades, but I bought the one with metal blades, thinking they would generate a cooler breeze. Move the fan to where ever your dog is resting at any given time. I move Tango’s from the front console to the dog bed. He loves it and will put his face nearby.

Other comments

1. Travel later in the day or into the evening when things cool off.
2. I talk to my dog while traveling–giving lots of encouragement.

Costs

• Dog bed:         $36
• Spray bottle     $1
• 12 volt fan        $20

So, the supplies are a bit of a budget breaker, but my dog’s comfort level in the heat is important to me!  The above strategies got us through the humid midwest, with temps above 90 degrees!

When we move on through the deep south, I will need my bag of tricks again.