Dogs and Heat: A Dangerous Duo, 7 Tips to Cool Down

Attention dog owners, summer is here. Finally, it's time for ice cream, long baths, and cozy lounging in the sun. But everything we humans love about summer can very quickly become a dangerous burden for our four-legged friends.

Dogs and heat are a dangerous duo. We humans decide when to go into the shade, how lightly we dress, and how much sun we can tolerate. We sweat and regulate our temperature this way. Dogs can hardly do that.

In summer, dogs are completely dependent on the vigilance of their owners. In this guide, you will learn why dogs are so sensitive to heat, how to support them on hot days, which seven simple measures provide cooling, and how to recognize a life-threatening heatstroke.

The crucial difference to us: Dogs have almost no sweat glands. They only sweat significantly through their paw pads. They regulate their body heat almost exclusively by panting. On very hot, humid days, this is often not enough to keep the temperature stable.

The normal body temperature of a dog is around 38 to 39 °C. If it rises above around 40 °C, it becomes critical, and heatstroke is imminent.

Before we get to the tips: Not every dog suffers equally from high temperatures. Origin, coat type, age, and breed play a crucial role in heat tolerance. A Siberian Husky, bred for icy snow landscapes, never feels as comfortable at 30 degrees as a heat-loving Rhodesian Ridgeback.

As rough guidelines: For short-nosed (brachycephalic) breeds, it becomes critical already from around 25 °C, for most other dogs from around 28–32 °C. These values are for orientation, not a free pass – always observe your dog individually.

Especially difficult they have in summer:

• Short-nosed breeds (brachycephaly): Pugs, French Bulldogs, or Boxers have massive problems breathing in air for cooling due to their shortened airways. Heatstroke risk particularly high.
• Severely overweight dogs: A thick layer of fat additionally insulates the body, the circulation is already stressed.
• Sick and older dogs: Seniors and dogs with cardiovascular diseases suffer particularly from oppressive humidity.
• Dogs with dense undercoat: Breeds like Newfoundlands or Bernese Mountain Dogs struggle more with the heat.

These dogs need special attention in summer, lots of rest, and gentle care.

The good news: With a few simple routines, you take away the greatest part of the heat burden from your dog.

1. Move walks to the cool times of the day

Move longer rounds to the early morning and late evening. In the midday heat, a short walk is enough to let off steam. This way you avoid the strongest sun and the hottest ground.

2. Always provide fresh water

Make sure you have several water stations at home and always take water with you on the go. Cool, fresh water encourages your dog to drink and keeps the circulation stable.

3. Create shade and cool retreat places

Your dog needs a shady, airy place at all times. Cool tiles, a darkened room, or a shady area in the garden are good. Make sure that the shade moves with the sun.

4. Reduce activity and exertion

Avoid jogging, cycling, and wild playing in the heat. Exertion is the most underestimated trigger: In a large study, the majority of heat illnesses were attributed to physical activity, significantly more often than the enclosed car (Hall et al., 2020a).

Many owners consider shaving their dog in summer so that they sweat less. Whether this makes sense, however, depends heavily on the coat type. A close shave is almost always the wrong decision.

• Dogs with a double coat (e.g. Husky, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Australian Shepherd): better not to shave. The topcoat protects against UV radiation and even helps with temperature regulation. Regular brushing and the proper removal of loose undercoat are more sensible.
• Dogs with single-layered, continuously growing coats (e.g. Poodle, Bichon): can be professionally trimmed. Leave at least about 2.5 cm of fur and never shave down to the skin.
• Short-haired, light-skinned or hairless dogs: do not need shaving, but rather particularly good sun protection.

A jump into cool water is the best way to cool down on hot days. To keep the bathing fun safe, you should know about a rare but life-threatening danger: water intoxication.

If your dog swallows a lot of water in a short time, its blood becomes diluted and the sodium level drops dangerously. Typical triggers are long periods of retrieving with an open mouth, diving for stones or toys, and snapping at the stream from a garden hose or lawn sprinkler. Round balls make it easier to swallow water than flat, easily graspable swimming toys.