Summertime is one of the nicest times of the year to spend time with family and friends, especially when the sun is shining and the temperature is just right. Pomeranians seem to always be bright and cheery even during the winter, so it can be difficult to tell if they’re not having the coolest Summer. With all that hair, it’s no wonder than Pomeranians can easily come down with heat exhaustion and even strokes.
As you may already know, Pomeranians have two coats that keep them warm in the cold and protected from the elements. Their ancestral lineage comes from Arctic work dogs that spent a lot of time in the coldest of climates while working themselves to the bone. However, that’s certainly not the case anymore, since they’re at least half the size they used to be and are more likely to be lounging around indoors as opposed to pulling heavy sleighs.
Pomeranians can easily overheat in the Summer or in warmer climates, which should be the main concern for every Pomeranian parent. The responsibility to keep them cool and healthy is most definitely ours, and, thankfully, there are plenty of solutions out there to keep your Pomeranian cool in the Summer.
Signs of Overheating
Before we dive into the best ways to keep your Pomeranian cool in the Summer, it’s a good idea to know what an overheated Pomeranian looks like. There are a few signs to keep an eye out for, including:
- Excessive panting
- Salivating too much
- Overly anxious
- Slow to respond when spoken to
- Has warm and dry skin
- Has a rapid pulse
- Loss of appetite
- Easily tired
- Collapsing to the ground
- Glazed eyes
- Dark red tongue
- Vommitting
- Diarrhea
- Unconsciousness
If the weather is hotter than normal and you notice your Pomeranian expressing any of the above symptoms, your absolute first response should be:
- Take them to a cool shaded area
- Give them water to drink
- Take them to your local veterinarian
Even though Pomeranians are more likely to overheat in warmer weather compared to other dog breeds, that doesn’t mean there aren’t effective ways to prevent such a horrible event. If you care about your Pomeranian’s health and want to ensure they stay cool in the Summertime or warm climates, I highly suggest you read on.
Keep Your Pomeranian’s Hair Trimmed
We all know how it feels to get a stylish haircut right when the Summer starts, especially if it keeps us cooler in the heat. Getting rid of some of that hair can really make a difference in our overall body temperature. Well, one of the most effective ways to keep your Pomeranian cool in the Summer is getting their haircut.
Pomeranians are known to have a lot of hair, but some of the short hair looks can be extremely cooling and stylish. One of my favorite hairstyles that I like to give my Pomeranians in the Summertime is the lion cut. It keeps a well-sized mane around their head while removing a ton of hair around their bodies.
There are also other styles, like the fox and teddy bear cuts, that can keep your Pomeranian cool in the summer, so definitely consider these. An important note, however, is to avoid cutting your Pomeranian’s hair yourself as any damage to their inner coat is irreversible. Your best bet is to take them to your local dog hair stylist.
Cool Down Your Pomeranian’s Indoor Playpen
Whenever we’re at home with our Pomeranians, we let them run around and feel free so they can explore, play, and have fun. It’s easy for them to find their own spots to play, so there’s not much concern if they’ll sit in over sunny areas. However, if you leave the house and put your Pomeranians in a playpen (as we often times do), you want to make sure that space is free of sunlight.
If you have a playpen for your Pomeranians when you want to keep them in a controlled area, you’ll definitely want to make sure that space doesn’t get too hot in the Summer. This can be easily solved by keeping their playpen in a corner of your home where sunlight doesn’t come close, so, thankfully, there’s an easy solution.
If you have a playpen for your Pomeranians, I encourage you to check where it’s set up during the Summer. If you’re looking for a dog gate for your Pomeranian’s playpen space, I highly suggest taking a look at the Richell Wood Freestanding Pet Gate (link to read reviews on Amazon).
Cooling Mats for Resting
Who doesn’t like to stick their head in the freezer or put a pack of frozen peas on the back of their neck on a super hot Summer day? I know whenever I open the freezer I usually leave it open for a few seconds more. Well, one of the nice outcomes of modern technology is that Pomeranians and dogs alike are able to keep their bodies cool with cooling mats.
If you’ve never seen or used cooling mats for dogs, I highly suggest you take a look at the Green Pet Shop Dog Cooling Mat (link to read reviews on Amazon). These are some of the best products out there to keep your Pomeranian cool and relaxed when lounging around the house on a hot Summer day.
One of the great features cooling mats for dogs have is that they’re portable, so you can take them practically anywhere you go! On top of that, they have adjustable temperatures and they don’t spend a lot of energy.
Elevated Bed for Sleeping
Whenever I’m at home or out and about in the Summer and I feel that cool, refreshing breeze, I just want it to keep coming! Whether it’s while I’m relaxing on the couch with my legs propped up or walking around my neighborhood, the feeling is undeniably amazing. Well, Pomeranians must feel that 100 times with all that hair on them, so I imagine it’s something they want a lot more than me!
A great way to keep your Pomeranian cool and relaxed is with an elevated bed. Pomeranians truly have a lot of hair, so any amount of surface area on their body that gets a piece of some incoming breeze or simply the air around them is going to have a huge effect on their internal temperature.
That’s why an elevated bed makes so much sense because air can easily pass through the bottom, which can help your Pomeranian stay cool in the Summer. I bought each of my Pomeranians an Elevated Dog Cot Bed by K&H Pet Products (link to read reviews on Amazon) and they simply love it!
Fashionable Cooling Vests
We all know that putting on multiple layers of clothes and jackets are effective ways of keeping our Pomeranians warm in the winter, but in the Summer all we can do is remove clothes. And there’s no way you can take off too many clothing items. What if there was a kind of jacket that stayed cool in warmer weather?
While I’m not sure if this exists for people, it definitely exists for Pomeranians! There are a number of fashionable clothes that have cooling effects to keep your Pomeranian cool in the summer, and by far the most popular kinds are cooling vests.
The great part about cooling vests is that they don’t obstruct how your Pomeranian moves around while keeping their internal temperature at a good level during exceptionally warm days. There are a lot of great cooling vests out there, but I really like Ruffwear products so I bought my Pomeranians the Jet Stream High-Performance Cooling Vest by Ruffwear (link to read reviews on Amazon).
Carry Your Pomeranian When They Need It
Who wouldn’t want to be carried around, especially during the Summertime when the weather can be too tiring. Honestly, I try to avoid too much walking around when the weather is a bit too unbearable, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that our Pomeranians also feel a bit tired to walk around. Walking my Pomeranians around in the Summer usually ends up with me carrying at least one of them back home.
Now I’m not advocating for carrying your Pomeranian around all the time, but if you can see your Pomeranian is beginning to get fatigued and starting to pant excessively, consider picking them up. They’re more likely to overheat compared to other dogs, so it’s no shame if they can’t go on the same length of walks that they’re normally used to.
Brush Your Pomeranian’s Coat Regularly
Just imagine your hair being in a tangled, clumped up mess in the Summer and how that would make you feel warmer than normal. The problem with not detangling your hair in the Summertime heat is that your hair actually starts to retain the heat, which has the same effect on your Pomeranian’s hair. Unbrushed and tangled hair means a warmer Pomeranian.
As we learned earlier, Pomeranians have a thick, double coat system that keeps them exceptionally warm in colder climates. However, if their coats are regularly brush and detangled, there’s less airflow coming through their hair resulting in your Pomeranian warming up. That’s why it’s best to get your Pomeranian a good brush and brush them daily.
If there’s no air being able to get through and add a refreshing feeling to their skin, your Pomeranian won’t be staying cool in the Summer. Thankfully, an easy solution is to brush them twice a day with a high-quality pin brush!
Use Leave-In Spray with Sunscreen
Keeping down the heat can be done in a number of ways but we tend to forget that protecting our hair and skin with sunscreen can also keep us cool. When your skin becomes exposed to the sun’s rays and starts tanning your skin, your internal temperature stays higher for longer periods of time since your body’s reacting to these rays.
Pomeranians not only get warm from having thick coats but also having their skin exposed to the sun. If you want to keep your Pomeranian’s hair nice and shiny while also ensuring they have the proper protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays, I’d highly suggest looking into leave-in sprays for your Pomeranian.
I suggest using Gerrard Larriett’s Leave-In Sunscreen and Skin Conditioner (link to read reviews on Amazon). Not only will they look and feel great, but you’ll be enriching their coat for years to come.
Protect Your Pomeranian’s Nose with Nose Balm
We’ve all been there when we go out into the blazing hot sun, put on sunscreen, and for some reason everything but our noses get protected! That’s why you’ll always see me with a huge glob of sunscreen on my nose since it’s almost always the case that it gets burnt. When it comes to Pomeranians, it’s extremely common that their noses get burnt when the sun is strong!
Pomeranians’ noses are black and very exposed to the sun, causing them to get sunburns rather easily. While the most effective way to avoid getting sunburns is not going out at all, nowadays there is dog nose balm specifically made to block harmful UV rays.
A lot of great brands exist that help dogs avoid getting burnt by the sun and most of them make products that are organic and safe for your Pomeranian to consume. I use Sun Protection Dog Nose Balm by My Dog Nose It (link to read reviews on Amazon) and my Pomeranains’ noses are definitely well-protected.
Cover Your Pomeranian’s Paws with Paw Wax
Whenever I go for a walk with my Pomeranians, I never really stopped and thought about how they’re essentially walking around barefoot on the hot concrete. I’ve definitely felt the sidewalk when it the temperature in my area starts going up and up, so I decided to invest in some dog paw wax to cover my Pomeranians’ paws from getting warm.
Not only is paw wax great for keeping your Pomeranian’s paws safe from the heat, but they’re also effective at keeping them safe from all kinds of situations. While you can also consider getting your Pomeranian dog shoes, paw wax is also a healthy alternative since they often contain essential vitamins and moisturizers.
The next time you take your Pomeranian on a walk around the block or on some trails, throw some paw wax on them and see how they like it. Check out Musher’s Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax (link to read reviews on Amazon). It works amazingly!
Keep Fans and Water Handy
If you’re anything like me, I keep fans galore around our house during hot Summer days. Having them in the living room, bedrooms, kitchen, and hallways are a must in our house, and our Pomeranians clearly enjoy the fact that that’s the case. It’s quite common to see them sitting around the areas where the fans are normally blasting, especially the non-oscillating fans.
On top of keeping fans around the house, it’s also a great idea to have water readily available so your Pomeranians can stay hydrated easily. During the summer, my family and I stay on top of keeping their water bowls filled up throughout the day.
Along with keeping drinking water handy, I’ve started to fill spray bottles with water to occasionally give my Pomeranians a nice spritz. I wasn’t really sure how’d they’d react at first, but apparently they like it!
Take Walks in the Early Mornings or Late Evenings
We all know how important exercise is to keeping an active and healthy lifestyle. Not only is it important for physical health, it’s also known to improve mental health, and there’s no denying this is the same for Pomeranians and dogs alike. Keeping them active and moving around is the job of every Pomeranian parent, so making sure they get enough exercise is a top priority.
That’s why in the Summertime, I like to take my Pomeranians on walks either early in the morning or late in the evening. This makes it almost a guarantee that the temperature won’t be blazing so we can do our normal walk and maybe even take a trip to the dog park for some socializing and playtime.
Whenever you take your Pomeranian on a walk in the Summer, make sure you bring some water with you and, if you have one, a portable doggie bowl. Better yet, get them a portable dog water bottle for walking. If your Pomeranians are anything like mine, they’ll really appreciate it!
