Oh Dog! A reader (and relative) mentioned to me that fans don’t really cool down dogs. So why do I do this?
Well, I got right on the ball and found an answer from none other than Marilyn vos Savant, that smart lady that knows the answer to everything!
And guess what? Fans don’t cool dogs!
Why? Well because we don’t have sweat glands, except for our nose and paws of our feet. Fans cool by evaporating sweat, and since we dogs don’t sweat, fans don’t work…. except for our noses.
See where my nose is? I’m cooling my nose!
However, if you have a dog and need to use a fan to cool, then first wet your dog. You can use a hose, a spray bottle, or *gasp* a bath! Then lying in front of the fan WILL make your dog cooler!
Just make sure when he dries to wet him down again.
Stay cool my friends!
.
Links:
Dogpaddling Through Life 
You are very right. I have been told that if I notice that my dog’s nose is dry, it is bad news. The heat wave must be a torture to you all. I wish I can send you some Vancouver rain. It’s still raining here and cold. No signs of summer.
I’ll be back,
Sankissjuice
I’m from Vancouver too and I wish I can send our rain to you.
Please do!!!!!
I don’t have any fans right now, my brother borrowed them and didn’t give them back. However, I have had dogs that loved to lay in front of a fan so I assumed they were cooling. I did not know that fans don’t cool dogs , that’s something new. I will have to guess the dogs just like the blowing air! I will remember to spray them with water 🙂
Jen thinks I like the air blowing my fur too. It may help get rid of loose fur?
Interesting! I knew about the sweat glands bit – hard not to when you’re a wolf! But iv never encountered fans used for purpose of cooling me…given the icy temp’s on Europa lol not really an issue!! I have a nice cold wet Wolfie nose all year round 😉
Can I come for a visit…… A long one?
I like sitting in front of the fan cos it ruffles my fur:-)
I hope my humans don’t read your post otherwise they might be tempted to bath me more!!!!
Your humans know your fur helps cool you, right? Tell them they should not shave your fur. Jen made that mistake once.
seriously???
Yes, unfortunately not many vets know about our breeds, and my vet was the one that suggested shaving me. So ask your breeder or a reputable breeder of Malamutes for the inside scoop!
You poor thing!
Oh don’t worry…. I’m fine. But I share Jen’s mistakes so others won’t have to make them too!
If Jen shaved you once, then she learned from her mistake. If she took you to a groomer and the groomer shaved you, besides never going there again, I would make sure the groomer learns and other people don’t go to her/him.
I took BJ to Biscuits and Bath in NYC to be groomed last July. BJ has creamed color thin hair with pink skin. She left him with 1/2″ of hair. And thought nothing of it. Besides screaming, I lambasted B&B on Facebook. They made the mistake of sending me a survey. I received a call from the manager in less than 24 hours and the offer of a free grooming. I declined his offer.
Thats good information! I always leave the AC on my dogs and Im also glad you shared the tip about not shaving. So many people dont know that about huskies and other thick haired dogs. Including vets!
urban hounds
Hey, thanks for weighing in! Yes, I learned the hard way, and my vet suggested it! BTW, found out what the problem was with the site… it wasn’t just you either that was affected, it was several bloggers. But I think it’s all fixed now.
Cool is overrated. I love heat. When I get outside away from the air conditioner, I fall on the hot ground and roll all over the place like a mental case. Mom eventually lures me back in by saying the ridiculous words, “It’s too hot!!” It’s NEVER too hot for me!
Love and hot licks,
Cupcake
Just be careful to not get a sunburn Cupcake! woo woo woo!
Thanks for the information. We don’t have any fans, but we do keep our AC on at all times this time of year.
The AC is a requirement here, but the fans also help circulate the cool air.
That’s interesting info Rumpy – didn’t know dogs didn’t sweat but if that fan keeps your nose cool it helps right? Besides – we ALLLLLLLLLLL know you’re one cool dog no matter what!!!!!!!
Kitty Hugs, Sam
woo woo woo!!!!
You learn something new everyday, Rumpy. Thanks!
It’s my pleasure!
barkstastic information
Stay cool my friend!!!!
An article about this was in our Sunday paper and said the exact same thing. We have used fans before and never knew that they were not cooling the dog. Now we know! 🙂
So you are saying I need to get my furs wet then sit in front of the fan. Well if I must {shutter}
Blessings,
Goose
I didn’t know this. So that’s why dogs always lay facing a fan! Good info. Stay cool Rumpy! P. S. – Sorry if you got a DM from me. I think I have it fixed now. 🙂
Smart Info 🙂 xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxo
I always thought the fan kept my dogs cool! Our Shiloh sleeps with a fan blowing on her face all night. She won’t go to sleep until the fan is turned on her! Weird! By the way, I mentioned your article about fireworks in my post.
This is the url:http://dogsnpawz.com/pets-and-the-4th.html
Hope you don’t mind! Have a great 4th and stay cool 🙂
Oh Dog! Thanks so much! I gotta go check that out!
That is interesting Rumpy! We haven’t had very warm weather for the doggies to worry about yet, though. We can send you some rain!!!!
I’ll take it! Thanks!
Hey Rumpy, thanks for persevering with my blog. Someone else emailed me about the blogarama thing and I removed the widget from my sidebar! So it’s all cool …. unlike you sadly!! Hope the heat goes soon xx
I use a fan to circulate the AC air – the Bull Terrier let me know she didn’t care for this by crawling under a blanket. Some dogs just don’t appreciate a cool nose 🙂
well there ya go! woo woo woo!
I suppose we can do this with cats too, right? 😮 I think so!
Do cats sweat?
Fellas, I’ve miss seeing each of you.
It’s good to see you again too!
I’ve missed …
Oh no…..!!!! My mom said that she didn’t know fans don’t work for dogs! She always turns on the fan for me and Shiro when humans go to sleep.
I have to let her know about this or we will stay hot!!! 🙂
uh oh! Hot dog!
Hey Rumpy! check out our latest post, we just nominated you http://angelandchaos.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/you-are-my-sunshine/
Love and wet kissies,
Angel and Chaos
Oh Dog! Thanks so much!
My black Lab has always lain on her back with her rear paws propped against the box fan on the floor! My little Maltipoo always lies on his back with his nose pointed straight up at the ceiling fan! And wetting down is heavenly for all of us!
she’s cooling her heels, eh? *giggles*
Hay Rumpydog, me fur gets a bit
Sorry Rumpydog, wee’s got a new mousie and it seems to have a brain of it’s own ! so me last comment ment nofink. Anyway, Dadhom put’s the fan on me when I goes out in his van to work. I like the air to catch in me chops but then wee’s stop at the beach, I go for a dip and then I’m in heaven 🙂 Cool!!
Big Huggies Mollie
Stay cool, Rumpy!
I thought I’d share with you two things that were favourites of my dog Bo (she also had a thick undercoat like you). She loved plain tap water ice cubes to crunch on, and frozen (raw) lamb shanks – perfect on hot days 🙂
I like the ice in my water bowl. Gotta try those lamb shanks!
An a/c works best. It doesn’t blow our hair around.
We saw your comment above about shaving our breeds. So many peeps ask Mom why she doesn’t have us shaved in the summer – horrors, can you imagine how awful we would look and how long it would take to grow back, not to mention the risk of sunburn!!! We do like the cool air from our floor vents:)
Woos – Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Interesting. I didn’t know this. LOL. I do put ice cubes behind the fan so that the water droplets or the cool air gets to be blown to Chooey and Peanuts when it’s too hot here.
Huggies and Cheese,
Haopee
Hey, I’m nieghaway’s pug and I like a blow dry . . .:)
Must do something, as Henry is glued to his during the summer months – and not with his nose. Perhaps he just likes the way the fan ruffles his fur. Perhaps the fan ruffling the fur releases the hot air trapped under his heavy coat. I know if he’s really hot he’ll face the fan and let it blow on his panting tongue and that clearly is helpful!
I am close to the fan also. Jen has tried to wet my coat when I lie close, but I’m not having that.
I didn’t know this! Thanks for sharing Rumpy!
🙂
I’ll be sure to tell this to my mom so my canine sister can benefit from this! Thanks for sharing this information!
But fans do keep the mosquitos from landing. So that’s a good thing, right?
I never knew that. Thank you Rumpy!
Mom says they kept a huge fan on their back patio for their Sibes, just to move the air, but they also kept a kiddy swimming pool filled which was way better! And at doggy shows they always kept water spray bottle to squirt their paws.
You are such a wealth of good information Rumpy! Thank you so much for sharing.
Good to know that the fan should be aimed at a dogs nose.
I always thought the panting helped cool them down. Not sure why though.
You’re right! Panting does cool down a dog!
I learned that from my small-town vet many decades ago. I thought the humid summer heat in South Texas could be stifled some for Bosco by giving him his own fan. Vet said, Not!
I can’t. I refuse to believe! We live in the desert, and fans are critical to air circulation. Maybe it’s not the fan, itself, that’s doing the cooling, but definitely circulating the milliondy-dollar air conditioning around MUST be cooling these poochies.
I like lying in front of a fan, but it’s not cooling me!
LOL.
Aw, love ‘im.
ブルガリ アルミニウム
This is incorrect information you should update or delete this article. While it is true a dog does not sweat and a fan does not cool a dog in the same manner as it cools a human fans can indeed help cool a dog down. That’s the fan so long as it is blowing cooler air than the dogs temperature will in fact “pull” heat from the dog. There is no evaroptive effect like with a sweating humans skin but there still is a cooling effect.
Well thank you for your holier- than-thou response!
Fans do cool dogs even without sweat. Just like a fan cools your computer CPU even though it doesn’t sweat.
Proof? A dog is way different from a CPU.