Hot Dogs need Head Dunks: an effective cooling method from the Penn Vet Working Dog Center

Dogs are at increasing risk of overheating, as our seasons get hotter and more humid. Researchers and trainers at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center have identified an effective cooling method that is practical for a wide range of settings: training dogs to voluntarily dunk their heads in a bucket of water.
We will demonstrate with one of the PVWDC's working dogs in training how to train a dog, using positive reinforcement, to perform this potentially life-saving technique. Our research has shown that this is a highly effective method for rapid cooling of a dog's core body temperature before and after exercise. It is a portable method that you can teach your own dog, and a valuable way to help prevent exercise-induced hyperthermia or exercise-induced heat stress.