Keeping rooms cool enough for dogs?

[Ranyhyn]

I have a lean-to at the side of my house. Would have originally been a side entrance to my house. It has a slate floor, white walls and one of those plastic corrugated roofs. No windows.

I want to think about keeping the dogs in there, which is fine in the winter but not in the summer, when it does get very warm in there.

Is there any way to cool the room down, without putting on a new roof?

I was thinking of hanging white fabric from the apex of the roof to the sides, so its a bit like a tent, which should reflect the heat??

Any other ideas?

 

[lindsayH]

I think the material is a good idea.

Is there any way you can put a window in the door?

At work we have these electric cooling units. They aren't proper air conditioning and they don't work as well as air conditioning, but they do help and are much cheaper!