Owning a long haired, double coated breed, some people are having trouble keeping their dogs cool in this heat. Apart from fans on all day, or air con, what do you do? I've heard people say put wet towels on them or a damp t-shirt but wouldn't that heat up eventually in the sun?
Any ideas, tips please?

We bought a big air conditioning unit a few years back...its a godsend.
I also do what people in hot countries do, we pull the blinds in the hottest part of the day.

I read somewhere that if you are desperate open your loft hatch and all your windows ...the hot air is drawn up like a chimney/

Some common sense idea's here: Tips For Keeping Dogs Cool in Summer. Personally, I have found that shutting the blind/curtain in one room, opening the windows and doors and letting the dog's come and go as they please, suits us best. My lot tend to seek out 'dark' if it gets to hot for them. I also give them a carrot from the fridge (but never ice) and make sure they have lots of fresh water to hand.

As an aside: I have been disgusted at the amount of dogs I have seen being dragged around during the heat of the day. I have been sorely tempted to 'recommend' that the owners take their shoes/socks off and walk on the concrete/asphalt paths they expect their dogs to walk on. And as for dogs left in cars .. Grrrrrrrr

I'm in Italy...we keep our wooden window blinds ,which are outside the glass windows ,closed.In. uk you could close curtains.
We have tiled floors.We use a fan,the dogs crash in front of this.
We open windows in the roof to let out hot air.
we walk in the early morning and later part of the day.We walk in our dog friendly malls.
With a long coated breed you could shave the stomach and underarm areas to create a false skirt effect...the dog looks full  coated ,but will feel some relief from the shorter coated ,underbelly area.

I have been putting towels in the freezer, I also squirt some water over it befor putting it in so I can unfold it, I tryed putting her coat in the freezer after soaking it but couldn't open it when I took it out lol

We have laminate flooring so that helps and have been leaving the doors open that lead to the conservatory and the dog to the outside with a gate up so she can't get in there but gets the breezed.

We can't have our ceiling fans on as it makes my bird fall over but it's not been that hot I side to need it realy, also leaving all the Windows open untill I go to work.

Walks have changed to early morning and later on in the day.

Wet towel on the freezer here too, plus we have a stream in our harden that Daisy paddles in.

I have a heavy double coated  breed and I bought an air cooler some years ago. I place it at the end of the hallway and fill with chilled water from the fridge and it blows down the hall. The 3 girls lay upside down in a row in-front of it ! I also have all the doors open and the ceiling fan in the conservatory on full. Upstairs windows all open with curtains pulled against the sun and open once it has moved round. Tiles, cushion floor or solid wood throughout the downstairs apart from the lounge and loads of shade outside under the oak tree. They can come and go as they please. Loads of bowls constantly filled with fresh clean cool water. We walk early mornings and after 8pm.
I have also made yogurt lolly-pops. Just stick a small thin chew into a pot of natural yogurt (Small pots..1 each) and freeze, the girls love one to lick around.
I do not put cool coats on as my breed has enough heavy coat to carry. If I do need to go out I have lightweight reflective coats for short trips. I drench the shady areas out in the yard with the hose and that helps to keep the surface cool too.
Aileen

Some good ideas thank you. Just pulled the blind down, can't believe its cooler already :)
My Girls all lie on the tiled floor, especially under the table out of suns' rays, and none of them want to go out in this heat
Will pass on the freezer ideas too.

Thanks

Hoping someone can offer some experience - I have 3 german spitz mittel - Koda neutered boy 8, Lunar 6 year old bitch and Buffy 3 yr old bitch - Lunar is currently at the height of her season and Buffy is about to come in - Koda although neutered still likes his girls and is stressing over them - problem is in this heat he is really suffering - he's black/has a typical neutered coat and its 31c in the house even with fans and wet towels he is starting to struggle :-( I am seriously considering clipping him off completely as I am very worried but have always been told not to clip as the coat insulates both in heat and cold - what to do? To complicate things we are on holiday next week - my mum is staying over with them and I know she will be very worried about him

Wow, some great ideas there, thank you =)
Mine like paddling pool / hosepipe fun and I make them ice cubes with a twist - chicken stock or gravy put in ice cube trays then frozen. For an extra treat I put a piece of ham in the tray before adding stock. They love them!!!!

My dogs won't be without me for some odd reason, much cooler inside but want to lay outside where I am laying in the sun, they huff and puff with the heat, even shut the Bern inside in the end, really not the brightest spark!

I use the cool coats which do help :-)

Firstly keep him in the shade

Try soaking him around the ears and belly, and inside his thighs.   These areas help to cool quickly

If he likes water, you could try a paddling pool in the shade for him to dip into - he'll cool down nicely as he dries ;-)   My own dogs think all water is acid and won't go near one LOL

With a thick neutered spitz coat I wouldn't put any other coat on him ;)   If he's really bad, you could try just shaving his underbelly and under his thighs and then spraying the area with water - surprising how quickly this can cool, them down.

You could also try winding elastic bands around a metal comb and see if you can get any coat out of him that way.  

Thanks Dill - never will I again have a spitz neutered (he was done as monorchid) He loves water but is stuck to Lunar like glue and she hates the water so atm he wont entertain it :( I have trimmed his underside tonight and hosed them all down which has def helped = will try the elastic bands thankyou :)

I've bought a paddling pool the plastic kind that comes in 2 halves, it's been a god send we put toys in which she enjoys fetching out and is in heaven when she scratches the bottom as it causes a splash and she as to catch the bubbles.  It's also wonderful watching her in it (well I live watching her lol ) you can see her mind working and looking at the water moving on the slabs.  She spends most of the day either wet or in the shade, I shall miss it in the winter more than she will lol

I buy car chamois, wet them and stick them in a cooler of ice water for a couple of hours then bring them out for the dogs to lie on in the shade. They are absorbent enough that the hold the ice water for longer than a wet towel. They're especially useful to bring ringside if you're in a large class at a show because the dog can stand/lay on the towel without getting soaking wet. I know some people who have even made cool coats for the dogs out of the material.

I put old plastic drinks bottles three quarters full of water in the freezer then stand them on a tray in front of the fan.  Helps cool the air rather than just blowing the warm stuff around. 

Completely agree, my neutered jap bitch coat is huge and she has not moulted like the rest, I find bathing her once a week to keep the coat open is helping and damping her feet often as she likes this. I will only nueter now on health grounds as the coats are impossible.

One thing I am doing is walking early and then lawn feeding eg frozen mince etc under the sprinkler so they are getting soaked whilst eating, I think they quite enjoyed it !!

Mine aren't being walked until after 9pm atm - I clipped Koda's underside off last night - much to his disgust mind lol and today he seems better although its warmer here in Manchester. Thanks all for the advise :)
Angela

Too some extent a double coat offers better protection than a single sparse one as it act to insulate the dog from the heat of the sun, providing they can get into shade and have plenty of water they should be fine. You can hose down the area around the house as that causes evaporation and cools the air entering the house/kennel. The elderly or sick need special care but fit dogs should be fine in normal conditions with air movement and plenty of access to water.

Special care with white animals, apply sun block to any are that you can see skin like ears, this applies to cats and rabbits too they can get burnt.

Trouble with the spayed bitches coat on the jap it becomes more like one big coat very similar to a persian coat. Thats why its so unmanageable as ive never had a harder coat to keep than my Persians coat.