Too hot for the dog

Question
QUESTION: I have a 12 year old black lab who is usually a very active dog.  During the winter and cooler seasons she loves to go for long walks in the park.  During the summer, when we are at our cottage, she can swim for miles at a time and needs to be forced to stop for her own good.  She would swim all day non stop if she could.  Unfortunately, in general, we can only spend weekends at the cottage and weekdays in the city because of work.  My dog seems to be very sensitive to the heat so when we do walk her we only take her out early in morning and later in the evening.  The problem is that this doesn't seem to be enough for her as she gets antsy in the afternoon.  We have tried to walk her at these times but she refuses to go.  To sum everything up I have two questions:
(1) Is there any other way for her to get rid of some energy without needing to take her for her walks in the sun?
(2) Is there anything we can do for her in order to help her keep cool?  We tried putting out a baby pool for her but she does not like walking on the plastic as it is slippery.

Thank you


ANSWER: WOW you're wonderful owners!  Energy can be expended using cognition also, although it's obviously not going to tire the dog (especially an older dog) as much as physical exercise.  There are games you can play with your dog (find it) indoors, there are toys available that provoke interaction and problem solving, and there are also indoor dog day care where dogs can interact and play in an air conditioned environment.  Here's a link to a site that has some interesting toys and I'm sure you can find more on the Internet:

http://www.planetdog.com/home/

One thought: the dog may have to urinate in the afternoon, if I understand your post correctly it seems she's only going out morning and evening.  Needing to eliminate may be making her "antsy".

If you opt for a day care experience, observe first (without an appointment) and be sure all dogs are heavily interviewed to rule out boisterous aggressive behaviors.  You might be able to find one that will let you drop the dog off for an hour or so; ask for references from people using the facility.

Re the pool: try putting down those tub decals (probably sold in most home goods stores) that prevent people from slipping on the porcelain enamel.  The dog may not realize the difference and may have to be coaxed in (by you) at first, but it could help.  Putting a sprinkler out that the dog can run through can help keep her cool and here's a site that has some unique products to help your dog be cooler in hot weather:
http://inventorspot.com/articles/10_hot_products_keep_your_pets_cool_5991


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the great response, I should have been clearer in my question.  My dog has all day acess to the backyard, there is somebody home with her all day.  That is actual another interesting behaviour in which she will continuously want to go in and out of the house over and over.  We always let her out because we're afraid she may have to go to the bathroom but she will usually step outsidem stand there for a few minutes, and then bark to be let back in.  Thanks for the idea of the tub decals I think that may work.

Answer
I have also had a dog that went out repeatedly and then stood there and did nothing!  I freely admit it! lol

THIS is a trained behavior (and I should know better!)  I "cured" the problem by closely observing the dog (surreptitiously through a window) and allowing her in ONLY after she urinated or defecated.  It takes time to effect this "cure" but it works.