Best dogs for hot weather
Lean, short-coated breeds built to cope with heat — ranked by coat, build and muzzle length. Any dog can overheat, so this is as much about which dogs to avoid in hot climates as which to choose.
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The ranked shortlist
Hand-picked by our editors using breed trait profiles — scores are out of 5.
1. Vizsla
5/5The golden 'velcro' gundog — elegant, affectionate, always touching you.
2. Greyhound
5/5The 70 km/h couch potato — a gentle sprinter who mostly wants to nap.
3. German Shorthaired Pointer
4/5The all-terrain athlete — pointer, retriever and devoted shadow in one sleek package.
4. Whippet
4/5A pocket Greyhound — sweet, quiet, and astonishingly fast.
5. Basenji
4/5The barkless hunter of the Congo — cat-clean, fox-quick, entirely its own dog.
Heat tolerance is about coat and muzzle
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, so the breeds that cope with heat tend to have a short, single coat, a lean build and a full-length muzzle that moves air efficiently. The flip side matters more: thick double coats trap heat, and flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds struggle badly, because a shortened airway makes panting far less effective — the reason we cover why flat-faced dogs breathe so hard. Whatever the breed, walk in the cool of the day, never leave a dog in a car, always provide shade and water, and learn the signs of heatstroke.