How do dogs sweat?

If you love dogs, understanding how they cool themselves is more than trivia — it shapes how you plan walks, handle hot days, and respond when a dog looks off. I’ll walk you through what dogs do instead of “sweating like humans,” why that matters in daily life, what to watch for, and practical steps and gear to keep your dog safe and comfortable.

Why every dog owner should understand how dogs sweat

Dogs and people use different cooling strategies, so habits that feel safe for us can be risky for them. Knowing the basics changes simple choices — when you take that mid-afternoon run, whether the car stop is five or thirty minutes, or how hard you push a dog in play on a humid day.

• Common scenarios where cooling matters: walks during warm afternoons, waiting in a parked car, off-leash sports and long fetch sessions, grooming after a heavy coat blowout.
• How misreading cooling signals creates risk: a dog that’s panting from excitement may be mistaken for “just happy,” while subtle changes such as slower recovery after exercise may suggest they’re close to overheating.
• Benefits of recognizing and responding early: earlier intervention usually prevents severe injury, shortens recovery time, and reduces the chance of emergency vet visits.

Do dogs sweat? The short, clear answer

Dogs primarily cool themselves by panting — a rapid breathing behavior that encourages evaporative heat loss from the airways. They do have sweat glands, but these are concentrated in paw pads and in a limited number of skin glands, so overall sweating contributes relatively little to whole-body cooling. Panting, changes in blood flow to the skin, and behavior (seeking shade, reducing activity) are the main ways dogs shed heat.

How a dog’s body cools itself: glands, panting, and circulation

Panting moves air quickly across moist surfaces inside the mouth and upper airway. As moisture evaporates it takes heat with it, and the circulation beneath those surfaces carries heat from the body’s core to the airways. That’s why heavily panting dogs may have drool and warm, moist tongues; those are part of the evaporative process.

There are two broad types of skin glands relevant here: eccrine and apocrine. In dogs, eccrine glands — the ones that produce watery sweat — are mostly limited to paw pads. Apocrine glands, which are associated with hair follicles, may produce secretions that have roles beyond cooling. Because eccrine sweat area is small, whole-body sweat isn’t the primary cooling tool for most dogs; panting fills that role.

Dogs also shift blood flow to the skin, a process likely linked to heat loss: blood vessels near the surface can widen (vasodilation) so warm blood releases heat through the skin. Behavioral cooling — lying on cool surfaces, moving into shade, spreading out — complements those physiological changes. Saliva spreading (licking) can also provide localized evaporative cooling, especially on fur or paw pads.

When dogs kick their cooling systems into gear — common triggers

Two broad categories tend to trigger canine cooling responses: external temperature/humidity and internal drivers such as exercise, excitement, or illness.

Ambient conditions matter in two ways. Higher air temperature increases the gradient the dog must work against to lose heat. Humidity reduces the effectiveness of evaporative cooling — panting works less well when the air is already moist. I often see dogs struggle on humid days even when the air temperature doesn’t seem extreme.

Activity intensity is a direct trigger: running, chasing, and sustained play raise metabolic heat production quickly. Emotional states such as stress or excitement can also increase respiratory rate; because those changes may not be tied to heat load, they can mask or mimic overheating. Fever and certain medical conditions (cardiac or respiratory disease, endocrine problems) may make dogs pant more or impair cooling.

Individual factors shape how strongly any trigger affects a dog. Brachycephalic breeds (snub-nosed dogs) may have reduced airflow and so are less efficient at panting; dogs with thick or dark coats retain more heat; older dogs and overweight dogs often have reduced tolerance for heat. Breed, coat, age, and body condition all interact with environment and activity to change risk.

Heat dangers to watch for: spotting early signs of overheating

Most owners first notice an overheating dog because panting becomes heavier, drooling increases, or the dog seems unusually sluggish. Those early signs matter because they let you act before a crisis.

Warning signs that a dog may be in serious trouble include collapse or unresponsiveness, very high body temperature, blue or very pale gums, seizures, repeated vomiting or diarrhea, and breathing that is either frantic and ineffective or abnormally slow. Temperatures above roughly 104°F (40°C) may suggest significant overheating; 106°F (41.1°C) or higher is commonly treated as an emergency and is likely to cause tissue damage if not cooled.

Concerning respiratory signs include gasping, very rapid shallow panting that doesn’t lower respiratory effort, or noisy breathing that suggests airway compromise. Check the paws and pads: burns from hot pavement or excessive paw sweating accompanied by redness and blistering are red flags. If you see these signs, the situation may require immediate veterinary attention.

If your dog is overheating: immediate, practical steps for owners

When you suspect a dog is overheating, act quickly and calmly. First, move the dog out of direct sun and into a shaded, ventilated or air-conditioned area. Offer small amounts of cool (not ice-cold) water. Encourage drinking but don’t force the mouth open; swallowing while breathing fast can increase aspiration risk.

Begin active cooling: wet the dog’s body with lukewarm or cool water, focusing on the chest, groin, and pads. Lightly wetting and then fanning the dog increases evaporative cooling. Avoid prolonged ice baths; very cold water or ice can constrict blood vessels and push hot blood back toward the core, and intense cold can trigger shivering, which generates heat.

Monitor key signs while you cool and prepare for transport if recovery stalls. For many dogs at rest, a respiratory rate around 10–30 breaths per minute is typical; higher rates that don’t slow after a few minutes of cooling are concerning. Check gum color (pink is usual; pale or blue gums may suggest poor oxygenation), alertness, and if you have a thermometer, take a rectal temperature — but do this carefully and only if it won’t delay veterinary care.

If the dog is not improving within minutes, shows severe signs (collapse, seizures), or has a very high measured temperature, get to a veterinary clinic immediately. When you transport, continue cooling with wet towels and provide clear, concise information at intake: how long the dog was exposed, activity level, measured temperature and time, any preexisting conditions, medications, and your cooling measures. After emergency care, document the episode for your regular vet: what happened, how quickly you acted, and any treatments given, because heat-related damage can have delayed effects on organs.

Designing cooler spaces and training dogs for hot weather

Reducing long-term heat risk is about planning and conditioning. Schedule walks and higher-intensity activity for cooler parts of the day — early morning or evening during summer. Avoid mid-day pavement runs; hot surfaces can burn paws and add heat load.

Create predictable, cool rest areas at home: shaded spots with good airflow, multiple water stations, and a low-height cool surface such as tile or a cooling mat. I typically recommend having portable shade and water when you take a dog to sports fields or the beach, because shade at those locations is often limited.

Acclimation matters. If a dog is moving from cool to warm conditions after months indoors, gradually increase exercise intensity and duration over a week or two, watching recovery times and respiratory rates. Conditioning and slow ramp-up are especially important for brachycephalic, elderly, or overweight dogs.

Training can make cooling measures less stressful. Teach your dog to accept a cooling vest and gentle restraint, to drink from portable bottles on walks, and to lie calmly on a specific mat on command. Reward calm behavior during cooling so that future interventions are less fraught.

Cooling tools that work: vests, pads, and other gear

Practical equipment makes timely cooling easier and more likely to happen. Useful items I recommend keeping on hand include:

• Evaporative cooling vests and pads — these use water evaporation or phase-change materials to keep skin surface temperature lower; they work best when shaded or in moving air.
• Cooling mats (gel or water-based) and lightweight breathable beds — these provide a cool surface when indoors or in a shady outdoor spot.
• Portable water bottles and collapsible bowls, plus electrolyte solutions formulated for dogs when recommended by your vet; small battery fans or clip-on fans to increase airflow; a digital rectal thermometer and a pet first-aid kit.

A few practices to avoid: never leave a dog unattended in an enclosed vehicle, avoid prolonged ice baths, don’t cover a panting dog with heavy wet towels that prevent evaporation, and be cautious with human sports drinks or home electrolyte mixtures unless your veterinarian has approved them.

Research sources and further reading

• American Veterinary Medical Association: “Heat Safety for Pets” — guidance on recognizing and preventing heat-related illness in animals.
• Merck Veterinary Manual: “Hyperthermia (Heat Stroke) in Dogs” — clinical overview of causes, signs, and treatment approaches.
• American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) / Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society resources on heat-related illness and emergency protocols.
• Journal review: “Heat stroke in dogs: pathophysiology, clinical signs and treatment” — Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care publications summarizing current evidence on canine thermoregulation.
• British Small Animal Veterinary Association: “Heat Stress and Heatstroke in Dogs” — practical owner-facing guidance and veterinarian resources.