Keeping the dog cool through an Australian summer

Australian summer does not negotiate. Double-coated dogs, flat-faced breeds and seniors feel it worst, and panting on the tiles is their only built-in plan. Give them a better one.

Water they actually drink

Dogs drink noticeably more from moving water. The Fresh Flow Water Fountain 2L ($49) keeps two litres circulating through a charcoal filter, quietly. More drinking is the single best heat defence, and the quiet pump means even suspicious dogs use it by day two.

A cool place to flop

The Cooling Mat Bed ($39) is a pressure-activated cool spot that lives wherever the dog does: no fridge, no power, just somewhere that is always cooler than the floorboards. The ice silk pad ($29) does the same job in the car or the crate.

The rules that matter

Walk before eight or after six, paw-test the pavement with the back of your hand, never the parked car, ever. And on the worst days, a frozen treat on the cooling mat is a genuinely great afternoon.

Summer kit lives in feeding & hydration and beds & comfort.