You might have heard that dogs “don’t sweat.” This is not true, but in a way it’s a useful myth - because, while dogs do have sweat glands, they don’t keep cool by sweating like humans do.
“People are fairly unique in their ability to sweat as much as they do,” says Brian Collins, DVM, a veterinarian with the Cornell Riney Canine Health Center, “and that’s a very effective way for us to cool off. But for dogs, it’s a minor, almost negligible way to lose heat from the body.” Keeping this difference in mind can help us protect our dogs from getting overheated on sweltering days or during exercise.
The main way that dogs regulate their body temperature is by panting. Drooling and vasodilation (the expansion of blood vessels) also play roles. We’ll get into what this means for them on hot days a bit later. But, in the meantime—if dogs’ sweat is not keeping them cool, what is it doing?
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