Do Dogs Sweat? No, They Don’t. So How Do They Cool Off?
Key takeaways:
Dogs don’t sweat like humans. They pant from their mouths to cool their body temperature.
Dogs have sweat glands called apocrine glands. These glands release odors that are used to communicate with other dogs.
Your dog may need your help to cool off. Providing plenty of water and walking your dog at cooler times of the day can protect your animal from overheating.
Table of contents
Dogs and people have some things in common. For example, they both have sweat glands. But they use their sweat glands differently. People sweat to cool their body temperature. Dogs use their sweat glands to communicate with other dogs. So how do dogs cool off?
Here, we’ll look at how dogs cool themselves and what you can do to help them.
Do dogs sweat like humans?
No, dogs do not sweat like humans. Humans sweat to cool off or regulate their body temperatures (thermoregulation). But dogs have other ways of cooling off, such as panting.
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Dogs do have sweat glands, called apocrine glands and eccrine glands. So technically they do sweat, but the purpose is entirely different. Let’s take a closer look.
Apocrine sweat glands
Apocrine glands are also called epitrichial glands. They are found all over a dog’s body. They seem to produce sweat and odors that communicate with other dogs. But they don’t regulate temperature.
Eccrine sweat glands
Eccrine glands are also known as merocrine glands. They are found in a dog’s footpads.
“Dogs may sweat here as a result of excitement or agitation,” Christie Yamazaki, DVM, a board-certified veterinary dermatologist in Oakland, California, told GoodRx. “These glands seem to be most similar to human sweat glands and may help with thermoregulation.”
How do dogs sweat?
There’s not a lot of research on canine sweat glands, said Frane Banovic, DVM, a veterinary dermatology professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
Most of what we know comes from our everyday interactions with dogs. For example, Banovic said, “We know from living with dogs that they generally don’t have an issue with oversweating [hyperhidrosis], like some other species.
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“Dogs do likely produce some sweat through the apocrine and eccrine glands, but not to the extent of humans.”
Where do dogs sweat?
Dogs may produce sweat from their noses and paw pads. But the research isn’t clear.
“The nose makes sense to some point, considering that they use panting to regulate temperature and cool down the body,” Banovic said.
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As for paw pads, “The fluid they secrete consists mostly of water,” Melanie Hnot, DMV, a veterinary dermatologist with VCA Animal Hospitals in Hollywood, Florida, told GoodRx. “The water evaporates from the paw pad, helping to cool dogs.”
How do dogs cool themselves down?
Dogs rely on two ways to cool off: panting and vasodilation.
Panting
Dogs cool off primarily by panting. Panting helps regulate a dog’s body temperature. During panting, a dog inhales cool air. The cool air absorbs body heat and allows saliva to evaporate from a dog’s mouth and airway. This process lowers the dog’s body temperature.
Unfortunately, panting is not a great way to cool off. Dogs naturally retain heat, so panting goes against their body’s normal function.
Vasodilation
Vasodilation is a process that involves the blood vessels widening. “This allows warmer blood to be transported near the surface of the skin while cooler blood travels back to the heart,” Yamazaki said. The result is lower body temperature for dogs.
How to help your dog cool down
There are things you can do to cool down your dog when outdoor temperatures get hot.
Keep water bowls full, and provide water on long walks or outside playtime.
Take breaks when walking a dog.
Walk during cooler times of day, like early morning or in the evening.
Set up a kiddie pool.
Bring your dog indoors on extremely hot days.
Provide them with cooling items, like cooling mats and vests.
Turn on sprinklers.
Avoid walking on asphalt and pavement, which can burn paw pads.
Make icy treats with chicken broth or dog-friendly veggies.
Frequently asked questions
No, dogs do not sweat through their fur. They have sweat glands close to their fur, but those glands mainly produce an odor to communicate with other dogs.
No, humans can’t smell dog sweat. It’s possible that dogs can smell each other’s sweat. But the sweat released from a dog’s paw pads may produce a corn-chip odor. This happens when the pads come in contact with bacteria, but the odor isn’t from sweat.
Instead of sweating, dogs pant to regulate their body temperature. Their blood vessels also widen in response to heat, which helps them cool down.
The bottom line
Dogs don’t sweat as humans do. They use their sweat glands primarily to communicate with other dogs. To cool off, they pant through their mouths or their blood vessels widen.
Sometimes dogs need a little help cooling down, especially when temperatures outside get high. Providing plenty of water, walking at cooler times of the day, and avoiding hot asphalt and pavement can protect your dog from overheating.
Why trust our experts?
References
DermaVet. (n.d.). Our team.
Foreman, T. (2018). When panting is abnormal. Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.
Goldberg, M. B., et al. (1981). Panting in dogs: Paths of air flow in response to heat and exercise. Respiration Physiology.
Mazzaferro, E. (2015). Treatment of hypothermia and heat-induced illness. World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings.
University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. (n.d.). Frane Banovic.
VCA Animal Hospitals. (n.d.). Melanie Hnot.
Veterinary Partner. (2020). Doggy odor. Veterinary Information Network.
