Doggie Coolers

After several weeks of apparent schizophrenia, the climate in the area has finally started to behave like spring. OK, that’s a lie. We have apparently skipped spring all together and moved straight into summer. But anyway, with the weather hovering in the 80’s and even hotter temperatures no doubt lurking around the corner, I decided to tell you guys about a product that I purchased last year – a dog cooler.

Now for my disclaimer. I’m not trying shamelessly to promote anyone’s product. I’m just making some observations about what I think is a very nifty idea.

So, what exactly is a dog cooler? Basically it usually takes the form of a terry cloth cape. They are usually light in color, in order to reflect heat, and can be worn dry or damp. According to people who have seen me taking Chelsea for a stroll, they basically look like the canine equivalent to a trench coat.

Why shell out money for a product like this when I have a closet full of terry cloth towels that could be used in the same way? The reason for me is that the coolers stay on the dog pretty well, whereas a towel usually answers the call of gravity very quickly.

In the past, I’ve used a damp towel on hiking trips. However, even with a backpack on top of it, the towel was constantly sliding off. But Chelsea’s cooler has Velcro straps that hook across her chest and a belly strap to lock it into place.

Of course, I imagine for those do-it-yourselfers out there it really wouldn’t be that difficult to make a cooler of your own. But unfortunately, with the exception of the cross-stitch, I’m rather needle impaired.

So far, I have only found two on-line sites selling coolers. The Cool Coat at Arres Kennel ( http://hometown.aol.com/arresknnls/page/... ) and the Kanine Kooler at Rottweiler Brothers ( http://www.rottbros.com/ ). Chelsea has the Rottweiler Brother’s model. It drapes over her entirely from the shoulders all the way back and even hangs over her rump a little. Judging from the pictures, the Cool Coat is a bit of a tighter fit.

I have been very pleased with our Kanine Kooler on the whole. I bought it in preparation for the trip to camp we made last summer, since we were going to be outside for a great deal of the time. Unfortunately, that trip coincided with a cold snap in the weather, so Chelsea didn’t need it. But the cooler has more than paid for itself in this lovely Southern humidity.

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