[Tollerowner]

I walk my 3 year old Toller 4 or 5 miles a day; mainly in shady woods. We are going though a heat wave and I am concerned about it. We walk either in the morning or late afternoon, attempting to avoid the mid day heat/sun.

I normally start by letting her swim a while; by the end of the walk, she is pretty dry.

With the heat, I am wondering how good an idea that is.
I can see that maybe the evaporation will cool her. Or maybe the wet fur won't insulate her from the sun properly. Or maybe it will insulate too well and won't let her body heat escape. I don't know, and can't find anything relevant on Google.

Anyone with insight or good links would be much appreciated.

 

[DaySleepers]

The only thing I'd be worried about is if her skin is staying wet for a long period and potentially making a good environment for hot spots. That's usually a bigger problem with double-coated dogs with a super thick coat (eg huskies) who get wet down to the skin (which doesn't typically happen with a regular swim), especially if they have a matted undercoat. Otherwise, I'd just go with how she's behaving - if she seems comfortable and not acting overheated, you're golden.

 

[Jimmie O'Chutt]

I wouldn't worry about it. I let my dog have a swim every time we get a chance, and he never has any problems with a heat stroke or skin lesions. He is a Lab mix.