Build a summer dog bed setup for your beloved friends

It isn't personal. Dogs can't sweat the way we do. They cool themselves by panting and by pressing their bodies against whatever surface is cooler than they are, which is why tiles win and plush bedding loses once the temperature climbs.

An Australian summer asks a lot of a dog, and heat stress moves faster than most owners expect. Here's how we'd approach keeping your dog comfortable through it — what actually works, what a dog cooling mat does and doesn't do, and how to adapt the bed they already love rather than replacing it.

Why dogs struggle more than we realise

A dog's normal body temperature sits between 38.3°C and 39.2°C — already warmer than ours. They shed heat mainly through panting, plus a small amount through the pads of their feet. That's it.

Panting works well in dry air and much less well in humidity, which is why a muggy 30°C day in Sydney or Brisbane is harder on a dog than a dry 35°C day inland. Some dogs have a much smaller margin than others:

• Flat-faced breeds — French Bulldogs, Pugs, Boxers. Shortened airways make panting far less efficient.

• Thick-coated breeds — Huskies, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, anything bred for a colder climate.

• Senior dogs and puppies, who regulate temperature less effectively.

• Overweight dogs, who carry more insulation and generate more heat moving around.

• Dark-coated dogs, who absorb noticeably more heat outdoors.

Know where your dog sits on that list, because it changes how much effort summer needs from you.

The basics that matter more than any product

Before we talk about bedding, the unglamorous things do the heavy lifting.

Water, in more than one place. Multiple bowls, refilled often, with a few ice cubes on the worst days. Dogs drink more when water is cold and close by.

Walk early or walk late. If you can't hold the back of your hand on the footpath for seven seconds, it's too hot for paws. Early morning is better than evening — asphalt holds heat for hours after sunset.

Shade that moves with the sun. A patch of shade at 10am is full sun by 2pm. Check where your dog actually lies during the hottest part of the day.

Airflow. A fan does less for a dog than it does for you, because they aren't evaporating sweat off their skin — but moving air across a damp towel or a cool surface genuinely helps.

Never, ever the car. Not for five minutes, not with the windows cracked. Interior temperatures climb fast enough to be fatal.

And know the warning signs: heavy relentless panting, thick drool, bright red gums, wobbliness, vomiting, or a dog who lies down and won't get back up. That's a vet call immediately, not something to manage at home.

How a dog mat cooling actually works

Once the basics are handled, this is where bedding comes in — and it's worth understanding what you're buying, because "cooling" covers three quite different things.

Pressure-activated gel. The most common type. A gel layer inside the mat absorbs body heat when your dog lies on it, then releases that heat and resets once they get up. No power, no freezer. The trade-off is that it works in cycles rather than continuously — most gel mats stay effective for around three to four hours before they need twenty minutes or so to recover.

Water-filled mats. You fill them from the tap and the water sits at floor temperature, which is usually a few degrees below air temperature. Heavier, but longer-lasting than gel and easy to refresh.

Cooling weave fabrics. Fabric engineered to pull heat away from the body and feel cool to the touch. Less dramatic than gel, but it works continuously and doesn't need a reset window.

None of these refrigerate your dog. What they do is give your dog a surface that sits below their body temperature — the same thing the bathroom tiles were doing, but somewhere you'd rather they slept.

What to look for in a dog cooling mat

If you're shopping for one, a few things separate the good from the disappointing.

Size it properly. A cooling mat only works where the dog is touching it. Measure your dog lying fully stretched on their side, nose to extended tail, and size up from there. A mat your dog overhangs cools about half of them.

Check it's chew-resistant, or supervise. Gel mats and determined chewers are a bad combination. Watch how your dog treats a new one before you leave them alone with it.

Firmness is a feature, not a flaw. Cooling mats are meant to be firm. Padding insulates, which is the opposite of what you want.

Work out where it goes. Some dogs want a dog mat cooler placed inside their existing bed. Others want it on the floor beside the bed so they can choose. Give them the option and let them pick — they'll tell you within a day.

Make sure it wipes clean. Most cooling mats aren't machine washable. Check before you buy, because summer means muddy paws and wet fur.

Is a cooling mattress for dogs worth it?

For most dogs in most Australian homes, a cooling mat is a genuinely useful addition for maybe eight to twelve weeks of the year. For flat-faced breeds, thick-coated dogs and seniors, we'd call it closer to essential.

But it's a comfort tool, not a safety device. A cooling mattress for dogs won't protect a dog left outside in 38°C heat, and it won't substitute for shade, water and sensible timing. Think of it as the thing that stops your dog abandoning their bed for the laundry floor — not as heat protection in itself.

Building a summer setup around our teddy dog beds

Here's where we'd push back on the usual advice, which is to buy a separate summer bed and swap it out twice a year. Most dogs don't want a new bed. They want their bed, adapted.

Our Oatmeal Teddy Dog Bed ($189, Medium 70cm or Large 100cm) is built to be that base. The braided surround gives your dog a defined edge to rest a chin or a paw against — the thing they're looking for when they wedge into the corner of the couch — and the teddy sleeping surface is what makes them settle rather than walk past.

For summer, the useful part is what's underneath. The cover unzips at the centre base and machine washes on low, which matters far more in January than it does in July: hot weather means more shedding, more mud, and a dog who comes back damp from every walk. The waterproof liner beneath takes the spills and the wet fur, and the non-slip base keeps the bed steady on floorboards and tiles.

Oatmeal in particular earns its place in summer. A light neutral reflects rather than absorbs, and it sits comfortably in a room you've already opened up for the season.

The practical setup we'd suggest: leave the bed where it is, and add a cooling layer on top through the hot months. Your dog keeps the spot they've claimed, and you're not storing a second bed for nine months of the year.

Where a cooling blanket fits — and where our teddy blanket doesn't

Straight answer, because it matters: our Oatmeal Dog Blanket ($59.95) is a teddy comforter, not a cooling blanket. It's thick, plush and warm, and we're not going to tell you it cools your dog down.

What it is good for in summer is everything that isn't the hottest part of the day. Air conditioning makes indoor evenings cool enough that plenty of dogs still want something soft. It's the layer for the back seat, the caravan, the friend's place, the early-morning couch before the day heats up. It machine washes on low, it's sized to suit both Medium and Large Hersh Beds, and it strips straight off the bed when the afternoon turns.

If you want an actual cooling blanket, look for a cooling-weave fabric rather than anything plush — and we'd rather point you to the right thing than sell you the wrong one.

Setting a puppy up for their first summer

If you're bringing home a puppy over the warmer months, our Oatmeal Dog Bed Bundle ($225, down from $300) covers the bedding side in one order — the bed, the matching Oatmeal blanket, and a bottle of Pooch Perfume, saving $75 on buying the three separately.

The perfume earns its place in summer specifically. Heat means more oils, more odour, and more washing than you'd do in winter. A quick mist over the coat and the bed keeps things fresh between washes, which matters when the bed is drying on the line more often than usual.

A bundle also solves the first-summer problem of not knowing what your dog prefers yet. Some puppies burrow into the blanket; some drag it off and sleep on the bare cover. You'll find out fast, and you'll have both.

Why we'd shop our dog beds

We build beds that dogs actually use, and that you don't mind looking at.

Sally in Queensland told us hers is "so stylish it's become part of the furniture", and that her dog "loves resting a paw on the braid — he jumped in immediately and hasn't left".

Tammy in Victoria calls hers 'Rocky's safe nest', and mentions the same thing everyone eventually does: it's easy to wash. Garry in New South Wales was blown away by the quality, and pointed out it was the perfect addition to their décor. Greg in Queensland put it simplest — the teddy is soft and durable, and easy to clean.

That's the pattern in almost every review we get. Dogs choose it, and owners keep it in the living room.

Our teddy beds come in Oatmeal, Chestnut and Olive, in Medium (70cm) and Large (100cm), with machine washable covers, waterproof liners and non-slip bases as standard. Afterpay is available across the range, and everything dispatches from our Sydney warehouse.

Shop our dog beds and set your dog up with a spot they'll actually use — through summer and well past it.

Frequently asked questions

If your dog is showing signs of heat stress — heavy panting that won't settle, drooling, bright red gums, unsteadiness or vomiting — contact your vet immediately. Nothing in this article replaces veterinary advice.