Service dog handler lobby

[littleoc]

Don’t worry — dogs are omnivores! Some plant protein is okay :)

I can’t wait until I can get dog food myself. But for now, that’s too expensive. Oh, well. Nice to know that there are places like Chewys to look

 

[littleoc]

I have a question now.

My living conditions this summer will be without air conditioning. (I will describe why in italics below, but it’s not important for you to get my question. :p)

How do I keep my dog cool?

The Residential people will put me on the first floor instead of the second. That should help.

I worry becuse two summers ago I was without A/C, and my dog’s work performance went down because she was too warm to sleep properly.

What I usually do:

I provide a cooling pad (which she doesn’t like, unfortunately) and much water. I have an ice machine that can make small amounts of ice for her water.

I open windows at night and put fans by them to bring in cool air. During the morning just as the sun rises, I close windows and position fans in different parts of the room.

During thunderstorms or rainstorms when the wind is higher and cooler, I open up windows.

I will have four windows, in two rooms, but unfortunately none of them are across from each other. The door out leads to a hallway — it’s a dorm hall.

Anyone have other thoughts? If I can, I’d like to avoid paying extra for A/C!

Explanation:
Renting an air conditioned room costs $1388, which is about a much as I’ll be making this summer and therefore not reasonable. The not-air conditioned rooms are $371 total, which is an amazing price — that’s total for three months. I will need a one-month solution afterwards but that’s another story.

The reason the not-air conditioned room is not air conditioned:
They are legally not required to help me out with that becuse the law only specified that they offer it — which they do, it’s just more expensive than what it’s worth (for me). (Weird, because no one is being paid more than me!) The windows in this room are small and open sideways with a crank (the building was made before 1930ish) so my A/C unit won’t fit (and obviously it can’t be sideways).


Thanks for any advice!

 

[Friday]

You could buy an air conditioner... window units are $50 on the cheap side, a couple hundred top of the line. The cheap ones will keep a single room frosty if a bit loud. If the place doesn’t allow window units (many places don’t), or a unit wouldn’t fit, there are in room ones that only need a 4” space to fit the vent, but they start off at a couple hundred bucks.

Old school Air-Con = Fan behind a block of ice in a bucket. At about $1 per block of ice, that’s $30 - $45 a month.

Science, yo! ;) Give him a bath before bed. Your room will reek of wet dog, but he’ll be cool as the evaporation cools him naturally. Ditto, spray him down with a hose once or thrice a day.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I provide a cooling pad (which she doesn’t like, unfortunately) and much water. I have an ice machine that can make small amounts of ice for her water.

After hurricane Irma during the power outage I took Chopper's bed away and all soft surfaces and then laid down wet towels on my area rug which stayed cool all day. Luckily I have hard floors in all rooms but the bedrooms so he was forced to lay on the hard cool floors or the wet towels. Took him a bit to adjust but he got used to it.

I also froze a paper OJ container of water and then in the morning tore off the paper and placed that inside of his bowl. It thawed throughout the day keeping his water cold at all times.

Someone told me to put tin foil on the windows shiny side out but that never worked. Maybe search some ways people stay naturally cool without AC in hotter areas like Austrailia. Many people out that way like the zero waste, minimumal usuage, tiny house, solar types of living and have some amazing tricks!

Anyway to shade the windows from outside at all? Or maybe position a sun shade for a car or reflectix (which you can buy on Amazon) around the window so that it reflects the sun and shades them. Unfortantly from the inside the windows are already hot but could help.

I would also maybe try a few brands of a cooling mat or buy a few and lay them around in areas so it gives the dog less of a choice?

The windows in this room are small and open sideways with a crank (the building was made before 1930ish) so my A/C unit won’t fit (and obviously it can’t be sideways).

Buy a standing inside AC! My therapist has one in his office and the office loaned me one when my AC went out!

Link Removed

You can put it sideways and it adjusts down to as small as the hose. They are priced differently at different places.

Can also try one of these. Cooling naturally through evaportation: Dead Link Removed

They have an as seen on tv but smaller: Arctic Air™ | Quick and Easy Way to Cool Any Space!

ETA: Oh, and keep your dog wet as much as possible! It cools via evaporation naturally. After Irma I soaked Chopper twice a day. Once in the morning before work and once in the evening when I got home. Both times with the water that was the ice so cold. I also kept a cooling rag soaked in ince water around his neck and did same with his bandada and also did not use his crate so that he could have as much area flow and free access to more water as possible.

Will your service dog be worked during the day at classes? If so, will there be AC in them? If so, that will certianly help. Try to find areas with AC and hard floors to let your dog lay on and cool off. And not sure what breed (as you shouldn't shave a double coat) but if a breed with the ability to be shaved, keep the coat shaved and short at all times. Make sure the belly is the shortest possible so the dog can lay on its belly and cool off.

 

[littleoc]

Old school Air-Con = Fan behind a block of ice in a bucket. At about $1 per block of ice, that’s $30 - $45 a month.

Science, yo!

That works! And that’s like the swamp coolers that @lostforgottensoul gave links to as well!

I actually have a swamp cooler... but it’s filter desperately needs to be changed. It was starting to smell strongly of algae. I need more rubbing alcohol!

I became dissatisfied with my swamp cooler the summer I used it, slightly because of the bad-filter smell (which is fixable), but mostly because it doesn’t work well after a few days. The swamp coolers rely mostly on humidity levels in the air, and it adds to that until water takes a while to evaporate. I live in a pretty humid place.

I could look into a small-as-the-pipe A/C! I think the university will be unhappy that I installed it — it’s technically against a policy? They don’t want me installing it. They always schedule someone to install it for me; likely protecting themselves from messed up windows from people trying to improvise. :P

The window is very tall, though, maybe 4-5 feet (1.5m -ish) so I’d have to find a creative way to cover the top part... maybe reflective stuff?

But, if no A/C is possible, I will remember the rest, thanks! I’ll look on Google and see what Australians or Spaniards etc do!

 

[Sideways]

I’ll look on Google and see what Australians or Spaniards etc do

Australians? We have pet kangaroos, not pet dogs:rolleyes::laugh:

Actually, we do pretty much the same as everywhere else in the world. Pump up the air con, toss ice cubes in the water bowl, run doggo under a sprinkler if you’ve got one:cool:

 

[littleoc]

Australians? We have pet kangaroos, not pet dogs:rolleyes::laugh:

Actually, we do pretty much the sam...

Lol, well, nice! Thank you!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

My bad, the vloggers I had in mind when writing my post lives in New Zealand, not Austrailia. But New Zealand is below Austrailia so im sure even hotter. They live in a Yurt. So, not well insulated.

Oh, give a lot of frozen homemade dog treats. Many good receipes out there that you can try out! Many good premade ones too! Or just an ice cube. I gave Chopper ice cubes after Irma and he loved it. Would just give one on the hardfloor and that kept him busy for a bit and then when he was done he'd come over and ask for more and I'd give him another out of the cooler. He liked to lick at the OJ cantainer ice block that was sitting in his water bowl too. Ice is great! And cheap. And it's hydrating as well. And can be a fun playtime.

Also, I know it's a contraversial topic, but don't shave a double coat (if your service dog has a double coat). It won't make it cooler as it's not reducing the hairs. It's only making the guard hairs (top coat) even with the under coat and it actually acheives the opposite as normally air blows on the guard hairs and gets down onto the skin and cools the skin. If shaved the guard hairs cannot do that. There's a good video I can link to that explains this very well. A double coat shaved actually makes the dogs hotter, not cooler. Then the under coat grows above the guard hairs and can perm distroy the coat. But, if it's not a double coat then yes, keeping it shaved will help a lot.

Heatcoolers.com has a cool swamp cooler but you can make them. Just know it's directional so likely won't cool the whole room but rather cool you and your service dog when sitting in front of it. You can face it at your service dog and let it blow right on them though.

Here's a good looking DYI AC that doesn't blow over ice but rather through it. Looks awesome if you have a jig saw or can borrow one or can borrow someone to cut it for you.
Homemade Portable Air Conditioner DIY - Version 2 - Runs off 12 volt battery, car, or solar!

And I'm positive you can make that run on normal 110v plug but here's an adaptor if not: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Universa...7598&wl11=online&wl12=908862427&wl13=&veh=sem

Maybe even buy a Ruffwear swamp cooler to wear inside? It would last a good while I'd think and can resoak it and put it back on. You can use shammies as well. You can even sew shammies together in a vest syle to them soak in ice water and put on your dog. If you do use Ruffwear Swamp cooler or use the shammies or even just a cooling rag, I'd make sure to soak it in ice water and not just water. That made a huge difference for us after Irma. That extra coolness of ice water really helped out a lot.

 

[Sideways]

lives in New Zealand, not Austrailia. But New Zealand is below Austrailia so im sure even hotter.

NZ is cooler. Closer to Antartica;)

 

[littleoc]

Thank you for the ideas!

I got a portable A/C and am having it shipped to the place. I’m thinking of using the window cover it comes with for installation, then using cardboard to cover the rest! The window has a screen, so that’s good!

I’ll probably use it only at night, unless the toom gets above 26C (80F), so I won’t bother the university. They don’t seem to want me installing one at all? But I’ll explain it’s mainly for the dog — I’m mooching :P

I have the appropriate accommodations so maybe they’ll let me be! If not, I can use the other tips y’all suggested. Thanks!

 

[Justmehere]

I had a friend who had an otherwise prohibited AC unit approved as an ADA accommodation. Didn't have a dog. It was about lowering those stress cup levels...

 

[littleoc]

I had a friend who had an otherwise prohibited AC unit approved as an ADA accommodation. Didn't have...

That was beautiful, lol :tup::roflmao::roflmao:

And good point. (Useless info ahead:) If I get caught with it (I stealthily installed one) I will bring this up. ADA already allows me to have an A/C if the room could get above 26C (80C) during the day/night. Reason being that she needs to be able to rest as best she can. I have a letter from her vet. And I took pictures of N curling up neat the A/C and of a temperature reading of 82F during the nighttime.

I am thinking I won't be challenged. They technically aren't breaking a law (supposedly/as far as I know) because they do offer a place for workers to stay that has A/C. It's HIGHLY unethical though -- costs more to live there then the university workers will even get paid total this summer. So... pretty much no one there, unless they were here only to avoid going home/etc.

The A/C is (safely) hidden and I doubt anyone would care much anyway. I don't even have it on during the day, just at night.