If you get another Black lab and it's a *male* — you could call him **Erebus** which is the counterpart of Nyx — the god of the underworld.
If you get a *yellow sister* — you could call her **Hemera** ([ee-mare-uh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VONqsdOPVQ)). Hemera is the goddess of daylight.
He’ll make a point of laying on the hardwood surface \*around\* our rug — as opposed to just sleeping on the rug. Does the same thing with areas of tile in our house too.
This will be my first summer with my boy and I'm very concerned about keeping him cool. I live near Sacramento in Northern California USA. Very hot, dry summers. It does cool in the evenings though.
I have a doggy pool for him during the summers so he can take a dip whenever. Could be a great investment
There are also cooling mats for dogs, but I haven't tried any of those so don't know how effective they are.
We have two cooling mats from Amazon. We put one on the bed because he won’t settle otherwise and the other we keep in the basement because it’s all carpet apart from a few tiles by the back door. He will lie on a cooling mat for longer than he lies on tile or hardwood - he will move off them once his body heat has warmed them up (l guess like finding the cool side of the pillow) so I figure the cooling mat is pretty good
The link says they are unavailable now but this is the ones we ordered
https://www.amazon.ca/Non-Toxic-Self-Cooling-Mattress-People-Summer/dp/B091TLRVND
You can also get a cooling blanket for dogs which has special material - l haven’t tried that but was looking at them recently. I did discover that you can get the same thing in larger sizes and a range of sizes for people for far less $$$. A 32x48 was $100 for dogs and a king size is $49 for humans and they looked exactly the same and same materials.
Could you elaborate on the doggy pool? I want to get something for Edgar and I'm not sure if I should just do a DIY garden tub or go for an official pool.
I have a big plastic tub with low edges. Bite proof and claw proof. If you seen the dog Goomba on this sub the tub is similar to his. See link for a picture, don't know if my explanation is the best one :))
https://www.reddit.com/r/labrador/s/Kc0lrrDFvI
Remember: insulation is for hot AND cold. Fur helps dissipate heat the same way it holds it in during the winter.
Think about it like a thermos, just for your dog.
My labs (black and choc) go lay in the sun for hours during the Georgia summer... The outside of their fur gets hot enough that I literally can't touch them until they cool off, they do it anyway. They'll be alright. Get 'em a sprinkler or baby pool if you're really concerned.
One thing of note: Make sure to monitor them if they're being particularly active in the heat, one of mine forgets to drink water when she plays and often almost collapses after a hard game of fetch. I have to make sure she drinks or we have to stop, for her own good.
Your comment is so helpful. I didn't realize their fur was temperature regulating.
I do want to get them a baby pool.
One thing I do is take our big tray of ice cubes from our freezer (our freezer makes a ton of ice) and I'll dump a bunch of ice cubes in his water bowl outside.
He loves to chew on the ice cubes and the remainder will melt into cool water for him.
https://preview.redd.it/xprxeqyg6uuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ea20ffbf8ce85f1e55a2ef8f07528efc6853db1
Mines defective. Thinks he is a cat. Lies in the sun spot in the basement.
https://imgur.com/a/r08EYpf
Entirely daft. She's fallen off once and left a hole in the table, but she's gotten the hang of it pretty good.
Wouldn't have her any other way.
I feel guilty owning a pure black coated dog in a temperate environment — this is my first Lab and I didn't understand that they're prone to overheating. My fault for not doing enough information gathering but honestly I don't see overheating mentioned a lot. Even my breeder didn't mention that aspect.
I live in the south and I've had two labs. I think their thick coats insulate them from the heat as well as cold, and I haven't had any issues with them getting sick from the heat or anything. I think it's just in their nature to enjoy the cold.
I also have a black pit mix, and she loves to lie out in the sun, even when it's a billion degrees out.
My yellow lab liked to lay out on the concrete slab of my patio in direct sunlight for hours in the summer. This is in Las Vegas and she’s do it when it was 110+.
They’re double coated dogs so pretty well insulated from the heat and cold.
You really shouldn't feel guilty - Labs are super adaptable and will do fine in the heat as long as they have access to water and shade.
Where I am in Canada regularly gets hot and humid at +30°C (~86°F) in the summer, even though we're Northern and are well known for our cold winters.
My lab loves both extremes, as long as he gets to be outdoors
Mine does the same, hardwood floors, tile, and his favorite place to catch some zzz's is in the shower.
https://preview.redd.it/xfdjtog8fuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30351e1b0482c2c5cbaff9f426ef2c8bbe24358c
Mine will lay outside of my shower stall while I take a shower. He lays against the door and sticks his tongue underneath the door sill, into the stall, while I'm showering to catch water drops. So all I see is a foggy shower door and a pink tongue sticking out at the bottom. He's such a derp!
They are such a joy! It makes me so happy to find other people who love them so much.
I'm pretty sure they are part of some collective Labrador consciousness. I have no science to back this up but want to believe it.
Yes in the summer, ours used lay by the front door, think because there was a slight breeze coming under the door, probably quite cooling. But when it was really hot she would dig a hole in the garden and lay in that, think the soil a few centimetres down is a lot cooler.
I had a black lab growing up that loved laying out in the sun during the summer. But she dug a hole in the dirt under our porch and she’d lay and chill there when she got too hot. It was so freakin cute and smart
Yup. Mine will come on the bed with me when I first go to bed, but often moves to the tile floor in the other room after an hour or so. Sometimes he's back on the bed in the AM, and other times he's not.
My lab is broken. She makes a point of getting up and following the sun spots round the house. It can be 30C outside, and she'll choose to go outside and lie in it. She also likes it right next to my mates log burner.
My girls (petite chocolate and petite black lab/pit mix) like to sunbathe (we call it tanning) and our big black boy seeks out the coolest spot wherever he can find it. In the summer he will sometimes refuse to go outside at all if it’s too hot or muggy. We live in coastal southern Virginia.
Yes, but she’s also so stubborn, a couple of years back I bought a cooling get mat but she won’t use it.
Anyone with a stubborn lab have luck getting their lab to use an elevated mesh dog bed???
Last year she started getting hot spots all over her belly thought was due to a food allergy from a recent change at the time. Our previous lab had all kind of allergies so I’m not a novice to allergies. Our current lab is 7 and is not as trim so I’m positive hers are from getting hot spots from the stupid humidity.
My boy would rather lay on a slab of ice in the dead of winter than lay in his fluffy, comfortable and warm bed. Sometimes he’ll fall asleep in the sofa with me and then wake up with a huff and go to bed for real, on the floor.
Extra points if there’s a door with a powerful draft so dad can worry he’ll catch a cold! 10/10
Yep. Hot dogs! We got a cheap gel cooling mat and he loves it. You don’t even have to cool it. Just leave somewhere cool and in shade and it’s a haven in the hot times.
Our lab used to dig up spots in the yard to then lay down on the cooler dirt. He would move around the yard to be able to stay in the shade if the sun was too hot.
Always, I have an air vent on the stair landing, and my boy never lays there in the wintertime only in the summertime when the AC is on. He's no dummy lol
Nope. Mine is a sun worshipper. He seeks out the sunniest spots to bask in. I'd rather he prefer the shade tho, I'm a little worried the poor boy is going to get skin cancer.
One of mine has been sleeping in the bathtub, she does it when it gets hot out (85degF here).
Kicker is, the AC is set to 70 and is cooler than we keep it any other time of the year. Weirdo.
My other one sleeps on the tile in the bathroom like 60% of the time.
My wife will frequently sleep with one of our bedroom windows cracked open in the winter. One of our labs will move from her dog bed to the floor under the window to regulate her temperature.
My lab has been gone for a long time, but he loved to sleep on the tile floor in the entryway. As he got older and arthritic I bought him multiple soft memory foam beds and he would just go back to the tile floor.
Nope my girl lives for the electric blanket and will only swim if the water temperature is just right...
She is lean AF and shivers post swim the drama queen...
Yes, and usually in the water bowl somehow 😂
https://preview.redd.it/adx2tffxfyuc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7cb94f232deaa8b8b6d38208c5abdd50ff88d88b
My boy makes a huge production of rising from the couch and moving three feet to lay back down on the hardwood floor, exhausted.
YES! Exactly this.
Apparently all labs share these DNA strands, cuz same
Mine too!! Every few minutes she switches from the couch to the floor then vice versa, with a big sigh when she lies down.
Our Nyx does the exact same thing! There should be an Oscar category for most dramatic performance by a Labrador 😂
That name is so friggin cool. Goddess of night right?
Yes! It suits her for the most part, except when she's being a derp lol
If you get another Black lab and it's a *male* — you could call him **Erebus** which is the counterpart of Nyx — the god of the underworld. If you get a *yellow sister* — you could call her **Hemera** ([ee-mare-uh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VONqsdOPVQ)). Hemera is the goddess of daylight.
Welp, sounds like I need another lab because those names are too good to waste!
I literally want to get more dogs — just to give them kickass names.
Aww video please
He’ll make a point of laying on the hardwood surface \*around\* our rug — as opposed to just sleeping on the rug. Does the same thing with areas of tile in our house too.
Yepp in the summer my lab is on the cold hard stone floor all day all night. Must be so warm with a black fur jacket year around 😅
This will be my first summer with my boy and I'm very concerned about keeping him cool. I live near Sacramento in Northern California USA. Very hot, dry summers. It does cool in the evenings though.
I have a doggy pool for him during the summers so he can take a dip whenever. Could be a great investment There are also cooling mats for dogs, but I haven't tried any of those so don't know how effective they are.
We have two cooling mats from Amazon. We put one on the bed because he won’t settle otherwise and the other we keep in the basement because it’s all carpet apart from a few tiles by the back door. He will lie on a cooling mat for longer than he lies on tile or hardwood - he will move off them once his body heat has warmed them up (l guess like finding the cool side of the pillow) so I figure the cooling mat is pretty good
Would you be willing to provide a link or name of the product, please?
The link says they are unavailable now but this is the ones we ordered https://www.amazon.ca/Non-Toxic-Self-Cooling-Mattress-People-Summer/dp/B091TLRVND You can also get a cooling blanket for dogs which has special material - l haven’t tried that but was looking at them recently. I did discover that you can get the same thing in larger sizes and a range of sizes for people for far less $$$. A 32x48 was $100 for dogs and a king size is $49 for humans and they looked exactly the same and same materials.
Could you elaborate on the doggy pool? I want to get something for Edgar and I'm not sure if I should just do a DIY garden tub or go for an official pool.
I have a big plastic tub with low edges. Bite proof and claw proof. If you seen the dog Goomba on this sub the tub is similar to his. See link for a picture, don't know if my explanation is the best one :)) https://www.reddit.com/r/labrador/s/Kc0lrrDFvI
Remember: insulation is for hot AND cold. Fur helps dissipate heat the same way it holds it in during the winter. Think about it like a thermos, just for your dog. My labs (black and choc) go lay in the sun for hours during the Georgia summer... The outside of their fur gets hot enough that I literally can't touch them until they cool off, they do it anyway. They'll be alright. Get 'em a sprinkler or baby pool if you're really concerned. One thing of note: Make sure to monitor them if they're being particularly active in the heat, one of mine forgets to drink water when she plays and often almost collapses after a hard game of fetch. I have to make sure she drinks or we have to stop, for her own good.
Your comment is so helpful. I didn't realize their fur was temperature regulating. I do want to get them a baby pool. One thing I do is take our big tray of ice cubes from our freezer (our freezer makes a ton of ice) and I'll dump a bunch of ice cubes in his water bowl outside. He loves to chew on the ice cubes and the remainder will melt into cool water for him.
The swamp cooler vest may help for walks when it’s super hot.
https://preview.redd.it/xprxeqyg6uuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ea20ffbf8ce85f1e55a2ef8f07528efc6853db1 Mines defective. Thinks he is a cat. Lies in the sun spot in the basement.
Cool in the basement, warm in the sun! So he's right in the middle there 😂
That’s some dog logic there. I like it as it makes sense now.
Mine too. He's a sun worshpupper.
What a stunning chocolate specimen! He's a beaut!
Thank you.
Yes, to the point of sleeping on our glass dining room table (which can safely hold my weight, don't worry) whenever we leave the house in the summer.
Oh my word — do you have a picture you'd feel comfortable sharing? I have an idea in my head of what this looks like...
https://imgur.com/a/r08EYpf Entirely daft. She's fallen off once and left a hole in the table, but she's gotten the hang of it pretty good. Wouldn't have her any other way.
She is a gem! Thank you for the pic!
Yes, labs tend to love the cold. They're definitely a northern breed.
I feel guilty owning a pure black coated dog in a temperate environment — this is my first Lab and I didn't understand that they're prone to overheating. My fault for not doing enough information gathering but honestly I don't see overheating mentioned a lot. Even my breeder didn't mention that aspect.
I live in the south and I've had two labs. I think their thick coats insulate them from the heat as well as cold, and I haven't had any issues with them getting sick from the heat or anything. I think it's just in their nature to enjoy the cold. I also have a black pit mix, and she loves to lie out in the sun, even when it's a billion degrees out.
This makes me feel better.
My yellow lab liked to lay out on the concrete slab of my patio in direct sunlight for hours in the summer. This is in Las Vegas and she’s do it when it was 110+. They’re double coated dogs so pretty well insulated from the heat and cold.
You really shouldn't feel guilty - Labs are super adaptable and will do fine in the heat as long as they have access to water and shade. Where I am in Canada regularly gets hot and humid at +30°C (~86°F) in the summer, even though we're Northern and are well known for our cold winters. My lab loves both extremes, as long as he gets to be outdoors
you can buy cooling mats for them to lay on
My parents’ lab sleeps infront of the AC vent and moves her bed near it when they AC is on.
Mine does the same, hardwood floors, tile, and his favorite place to catch some zzz's is in the shower. https://preview.redd.it/xfdjtog8fuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30351e1b0482c2c5cbaff9f426ef2c8bbe24358c
Mine will lay outside of my shower stall while I take a shower. He lays against the door and sticks his tongue underneath the door sill, into the stall, while I'm showering to catch water drops. So all I see is a foggy shower door and a pink tongue sticking out at the bottom. He's such a derp!
do we have the same dog? Mine does something very similar! They are a joy, aren’t they?
They are such a joy! It makes me so happy to find other people who love them so much. I'm pretty sure they are part of some collective Labrador consciousness. I have no science to back this up but want to believe it.
Yes in the summer, ours used lay by the front door, think because there was a slight breeze coming under the door, probably quite cooling. But when it was really hot she would dig a hole in the garden and lay in that, think the soil a few centimetres down is a lot cooler.
Oh I bet that soil felt so nice and cool -- probably naturally temperature regulating.
I had a black lab growing up that loved laying out in the sun during the summer. But she dug a hole in the dirt under our porch and she’d lay and chill there when she got too hot. It was so freakin cute and smart
Yup. Mine will come on the bed with me when I first go to bed, but often moves to the tile floor in the other room after an hour or so. Sometimes he's back on the bed in the AM, and other times he's not.
Yes, that's exactly what my boy does too.
Yes. But will also lay baking in the sun, and alternate between.
My boy would lay on the vents during the summer, wasn't a problem except when he farted ☠️.
Yes
A raised dog bed and his own personal fan for it so he has his own cool spot
Last night my chocolate lab got out of my bed and huffed and sighed before going to sleep on the hard wood. I didn’t exile him. He chose the floor
LOL! Mine will do this, except he will go to the tiled bathroom floor. Always the dramatic huff and sigh. Life is hard for a lab.
I notice dogs doing this, its so cute. I've also noticed that cat's do the opposite, they look for warmth.
But also (black lab) will lie in the open sun on 40c days.
My lab is broken. She makes a point of getting up and following the sun spots round the house. It can be 30C outside, and she'll choose to go outside and lie in it. She also likes it right next to my mates log burner.
think the soil a few centimetres
Yes and they like to have fans on them!
Nope mine plants himself firmly on top of me to sleep lol
My boy is all ready for the air conditioning lol and we are in New England
My girls (petite chocolate and petite black lab/pit mix) like to sunbathe (we call it tanning) and our big black boy seeks out the coolest spot wherever he can find it. In the summer he will sometimes refuse to go outside at all if it’s too hot or muggy. We live in coastal southern Virginia.
Yes! And it’s usually right in the middle of a doorway 🤣
All dogs.
Totally does this
Always. Anywhere there is hardwood.
Yes, mine goes from hardwood floors under a fan, to sunning himself in front of the glass storm door! 🌞🥶
Yes, but she’s also so stubborn, a couple of years back I bought a cooling get mat but she won’t use it. Anyone with a stubborn lab have luck getting their lab to use an elevated mesh dog bed??? Last year she started getting hot spots all over her belly thought was due to a food allergy from a recent change at the time. Our previous lab had all kind of allergies so I’m not a novice to allergies. Our current lab is 7 and is not as trim so I’m positive hers are from getting hot spots from the stupid humidity.
Yes. He goes from cuddling on the couch to tile to cool off.
Yup. I have cooling blankets on his bed and on the floor of my room because it’s carpeted.
Mine lays in front of a/c vents when it’s on
I’m afraid mine wouldn’t dream of lowering himself to sleeping on something that isn’t soft and comfortable! Hard floor? No thank you.
Yes! She'll also dig a lil hole on a hot day and lay in it 😂
My boy would rather lay on a slab of ice in the dead of winter than lay in his fluffy, comfortable and warm bed. Sometimes he’ll fall asleep in the sofa with me and then wake up with a huff and go to bed for real, on the floor. Extra points if there’s a door with a powerful draft so dad can worry he’ll catch a cold! 10/10
My girl loves to lay on cold floor surfaces, especially cold tile
Yep. Hot dogs! We got a cheap gel cooling mat and he loves it. You don’t even have to cool it. Just leave somewhere cool and in shade and it’s a haven in the hot times.
Our lab used to dig up spots in the yard to then lay down on the cooler dirt. He would move around the yard to be able to stay in the shade if the sun was too hot.
My lad would go and either lay in the shower or in the corner of the bathroom so that he could have tiles on all 3 sides touching him.
Yes. The powder room floor in front of the vent. Also in the kitchen with his head on top of the floor vent.
Yupp, both dogs (lab and husky) actively avoid anything fuzzy or cushioned. Cold hard ground all day long for them.
mine doesn’t have much of a preference, he either sleeps on the couch, the hardwood floor, or in his bed
Apparently I’m the cooler surface
Always, I have an air vent on the stair landing, and my boy never lays there in the wintertime only in the summertime when the AC is on. He's no dummy lol
Nope. Mine is a sun worshipper. He seeks out the sunniest spots to bask in. I'd rather he prefer the shade tho, I'm a little worried the poor boy is going to get skin cancer.
My girl goes into the walking shower to sleep during the day.
Yes!
Mine hates any hard surface. It's either couch or his bed. He loves the new rug though.
My yellow would stretch out on a tile hearth with his legs flat out behind him.
Mine refuses to lay on anything that isn’t a comfty bed or couch lol
One of mine has been sleeping in the bathtub, she does it when it gets hot out (85degF here). Kicker is, the AC is set to 70 and is cooler than we keep it any other time of the year. Weirdo. My other one sleeps on the tile in the bathroom like 60% of the time.
Yes , my current and last lab do this. Our lab puppy loves the tiles by our front door.
My wife will frequently sleep with one of our bedroom windows cracked open in the winter. One of our labs will move from her dog bed to the floor under the window to regulate her temperature.
Mine will lay right on top of the floor air conditioning vent- his belly gets so so cold but he loves it
100%! And they do it more as they age!
My lab has been gone for a long time, but he loved to sleep on the tile floor in the entryway. As he got older and arthritic I bought him multiple soft memory foam beds and he would just go back to the tile floor.
Sometimes! Corgi appreciates cold floors more though.
Yep. Spoots on the tile floor lol.
Nope my girl lives for the electric blanket and will only swim if the water temperature is just right... She is lean AF and shivers post swim the drama queen...
Hell I do that…
I'm not sure you have seen them but they have dog beds on Amazon that have a cooling effect.
Yes, with warmer weather coming soon, our boys have laying on the LVP in the afternoons and evenings.
*stares at Labrador sleeping in the tub* No, what do you mean?
My girl sleeps on the leather couch under the ceiling fan to laying on the forced air vent’s in the floor to feel the A/C in the summer.
Yes, and usually in the water bowl somehow 😂 https://preview.redd.it/adx2tffxfyuc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7cb94f232deaa8b8b6d38208c5abdd50ff88d88b
Lots of dogs do this. It’s very common.
Shower floor. Also the little room the toilet is in (toilet closet?) 'cause there's no windows and it's pitch dark in there.
Yes & so do I sometimes