Dogs get hot in the summer too. When I was growing up I used to compete in 4-H with my dog. When we were competing through the summer it could get really warm in the hot sun. We tried to keep the dogs as cool as possible, but sometimes it was difficult. One of my dog’s favorite ways to cool off was with a damp towel that had been soaked in cool water. Our dog Emily likes cool towels too. The only problem is it won’t stay on when she’s moving around the backyard. I came up with a way to hold the towel on her so she gets the full benefit of the damp coolness. This dog cooling towel is super easy to make, and it will make your dog happy on hot summer days!
Supplies:
- towel, hand or bath depending on your dog’s size: 1
- ribbon or cording: 4 to 5 feet
- thread in coordinating color
Instructions:
Step 1: Try the towel on your dog for size. You may have to cut a towel in two, or grab a different size towel. You don’t have to use a new towel for this—your dog won’t care if it’s new or old when they’re digging in the dirt or running around the backyard.
Step 2: While you’re trying on the towel, check to see where you’ll place the ribbon and how long the ribbon will have to be to tie around your dog’s chest and under their belly.
Step 3: Fasten two ribbons around front end of the towel where you’ll wrap the towel around your dog’s chest. Turn under the ends of the ribbon, make sure they’re even on each side, and sew them in place by hand or with a machine to the underside edge of the towel so the ribbon is sticking out and you can tie it around your dog’s front.
Step 4: Fasten two ribbons around the center sides of the towel, at the same spot on each side, so the ribbons will tie just behind your dog’s rib cage around their belly. Make sure you cut the ribbon long enough to tie around the dog’s belly once it’s secured to the towel. Turn under the ends of the ribbon and stitch it in place, either by hand or with a sewing machine.
Step 5: Wet down the towel with cool water.
Step 6: Place it on your dog and tie the ribbons to hold it in place and keep your dog cool on a hot day.
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