An Australian summer asks a lot of a dog. They can't sweat the way we do — cooling happens mostly through panting and through the pads of their feet, which stops working well once the air itself is hot.
Heatstroke is a genuine emergency and can become fatal within minutes. If your dog is distressed and overheating, cool them and get to a vet immediately — don't wait to see if it passes.
The seven-second pavement test
Press the back of your hand to the footpath and hold it for seven seconds. If you can't keep it there comfortably, it's too hot for paws. Asphalt can sit 20°C or more above air temperature in direct sun, and it holds that heat well into the evening.
The practical rule: walk early morning or after dark. Late afternoon feels cooler to you long before the ground has actually cooled down.
Know the warning signs
Early overheating looks like:
- Heavy, fast panting that doesn't settle when they rest
- Thick, ropey drool
- Bright red gums or tongue
- Seeking out cold surfaces — tiles, concrete, the shower base
- Slowing down or lagging behind on a walk
Progressing to serious:
- Wobbliness, confusion, or glazed eyes
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Collapse
If you're at the second list, cool them with room-temperature (not ice) water, get air moving over them, and drive to the vet now.
Dogs that struggle most
Some dogs have far less margin than others:
- Flat-faced breeds — Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boxers. Their shortened airways make panting far less efficient.
- Thick or double-coated breeds — Huskies, Malamutes, Border Collies bred for cooler climates.
- Senior dogs and puppies, who regulate temperature less effectively.
- Overweight dogs and any dog with heart or airway conditions.
Practical ways to keep them comfortable
Give them a cool place to lie
Dogs will abandon a hot bed and sprawl on tiles — which is fine, except hard floors do nothing for ageing joints. A bed positioned in the coolest, most airy part of the house, out of direct sun, with a washable cover you can freshen up, gets you both outcomes. Our bolster bed has a zip-off cover, which matters more in summer than any other season.
Move air, don't just cool it
A pedestal fan at floor level does more for a panting dog than air conditioning aimed at head height. Dogs live in the bottom half-metre of your room — cool that.
Water, in more places than you think
Multiple bowls, refreshed often, in the spots they actually rest. Add a few ice cubes if your dog likes them. On very hot days, a shallow clam-shell pool in the shade is one of the cheapest wins available.
Frozen enrichment
Freeze low-sodium broth in an ice-cube tray, or stuff a rubber toy with wet food and freeze it. It cools them from the inside and occupies them during the hours they can't be walked.
The one rule with no exceptions
Never leave a dog in a parked car. Not with the windows cracked, not "just for a minute", not in the shade. On a 30°C day a car interior can pass 50°C in well under ten minutes. There is no safe version of this.
Plan the day around the heat
Through the worst of summer, the pattern that works is simple: exercise at dawn or after sunset, keep them indoors and cool through the middle of the day, and swap physical exercise for mental enrichment when it's genuinely too hot to move. A dog that's done twenty minutes of scent work is just as tired as one that's had a walk — and considerably safer in February.