How to keep dog in crate at night cool??

[Wonderingwhyme]

Ddog sleeps in the crate at night no problems. Trouble is she woke me around midnight due to her breathing (she snores so nothing new being woken by her!!) but she sounded a bit odd and I was worried about her over heating, I got her out and she was panting. Took her downstairs and she’s had a drink and back to sleep on her day bed. I now can’t go back to sleep.

She has a cotton sheet over the crate. I took this off. She isn’t keen on fans but I had one on full pelt in the bedroom, should I put one in the direct path of her crate on the floor tomorrow night? She has a cooling mat and isn’t interested in that so that doesn’t help.

We have tomorrow night just as hot as tonight..: what else can I do? She’s small and short hair so no cost to add to her issues thankfully...

My dog is more than happy to be left with comfortable sofa to lie on when I leave him but other dogs will pace, whine, mess the house and become destructive if they're not left in their crates.

This though is an example of what crates aren't meant for and backs up @BigChocFrenzy's point rather than disproves it - for human convenience as it's easier than to train out or train to avoid that sort of awful separation anxiety that means a dog can't be left, or to avoid paying expensive day care bills. Crates do have their place but that's not it.

Is your dog a brachycephalic-type breed? You need to be extra careful.

My dog is more than happy to be left with comfortable sofa to lie on when I leave him but other dogs will pace, whine, mess the house and become destructive if they're not left in their crates.

They do those things because they are distressed. Do you think locking them in a cage stops their distress?

@Medievalist

My dog is more than happy to be left with comfortable sofa to lie on when I leave him but other dogs will pace, whine, mess the house and become destructive if they're not left in their crates.

They do those things because they are distressed. Do you think locking them in a cage stops their distress?

For some dogs it does. Some dogs are perfectly calm in their crates and will just curl up and sleep. The dogs that aren't happy being crated make their distress perfectly clear.

Anyway, I'm not here to argue about whether crating dogs is acceptable or not. OP's question wasn't "should I crate my dog" it was "what can I do it make my dog more comfortable in the heat". Your opinion on crating dogs is irrelevant.

OP's question wasn't "should I crate my dog" it was "what can I do it make my dog more comfortable in the heat".

Exactly. And part of the answer is ...... stop locking it in a crate.

Crates if used correctly are fantastic and dogs love them

I always use crates and always will do.

My dogs are working dogs and we work different shifts, the dogs do not have a regular routine BUT the one thing they know is that when they are in their crate they can relax, unwind and know they are no longer working. They choose to go into crates.

I do not shut the door in the crate, unless in a vehicle or dangerous location. (although two of my dogs do pull the door shut behind them )

To keep a crate cool:-

put near an open window if possible put in a position where air is moving so maybe between an open door and a window.

use cool mats if supervised (being on a sofa will be way warmer than in a crate in the right location) or just used wet towels in one part of the crate.

I would remove the sheet and make the room darker by other methods.

Plenty of water in the crate this could be cooled.

You can get reflective covers for the crate but this is no good at night!

Fans are good things to get dogs used to but of course do this in the day to start with and at a distance but air movement will help to cool your dog

Regulary brush or groom your dog to stop build up of hair

Just read your post in more detail - many dogs hate cool mats so no worries there.

What you can do is use ice with the fan and this will make the air cooler
I am assuming that you are using a metal crate not an enclosed fabric or airport transport crate? If not do use the metal crates

The OPs dog was clearly happier out of its crate as when it had had its drink it chose to sleep on its day bed so the answer is obviously let the dog choose where to sleep . FWIW our dog sleeps upstairs on a double bed with his fan on

Crates if used correctly are fantastic and dogs love them
*
I do not shut the door in the crate, unless in a vehicle or dangerous location. *

And that's the point - IF USED CORRECTLY. Unfortunately, too many people use them INCORRECTLY.

It's understandable that a working dog would see it as a safe haven and somewhere nice to chill - especially if you leave the door open so they can leave whenever they want.

Hardly in the same league as people who work all day and lock their dogs up so they don't wreck the house. Or lock them up at night so they can't alert you easily if they're distressed or find somewhere cooler and more comfy to sleep.

My dog usually seeks out a hard floor to sleep on when it's hot. She doesn't like the air flow from a fan (although I know some dogs do) and will endeavour to get away from the breeze they cause. Because of this I think it would be unkind to put a dog in line with a running fan it can't escape from.
The answer is surely to let your dog sleep where it's most comfortable. Can you not put the crate downstairs and leave the door open so the dog can choose?
I am not a fan of crates being used as a sort of hutch for dogs - shut in whenever the owner is asleep or out, although they are useful for ill or injured dogs, or as a temporary safe place away from children/travelling etc. Once a dog reaches adulthood (beyond the chewing and crapping stage) they should be able to decide for themselves where they sit, sleep and mosey about. Why would a well trained adult dog need shutting in a cage for part of the day and all of the night?