A hot dog faces a lot of difficulties if it is not looked after well. Why might this be, though, can't dogs regulate their temperature? Do dogs not sweat? How do they keep themselves cool in summer?

Ultimately, your job as a dog owner is to keep it safe and happy through the years, no matter the threat posed. When it comes to heat, that threat can be incredibly significant and incredibly worrying. So what's the deal with hot dogs? Can dogs sweat and regulate their body temperature through evaporative cooling? How do they keep themselves cool in summer?

Yes, dogs do sweat through their mouth, nose, tongue, and paws, but not enough to regulate their body temperature. This is actually a good thing, because if a dog were to sweat as much as humans do, its fur would trap the moisture and prevent it from evaporating - this would actually increase their body temperature and cause a big problem.

If dogs are very warm, they increase their breathing frequency from about 30 to 400 breaths per minute. In an article published by West Texas A&M University, it is revealed that it makes more sense for dogs to sweat where they have less fur - like their noses. Sadly, such a small amount of evaporative cooling certainly helps, but does not do all that much.

Dogs also have sweat glands on their footpads. Aside from their noses, this is the only part of the body where dogs can sweat. The excretion released, however, is more meant to help mark territory and spread scent than providing cooling.

There is only one place on your dog's body which plays a heavy role in cooling them down through evaporation - their tongue. The problem, though, is that such cooling occurs via saliva rather than sweat.

The primary method via which your dog cools itself down in summer is through panting. In contrast to sweating through the paws, panting allows your dog to release far more heat and lowers its body temperature significantly whenever necessary.

Your dog cools itself down in a number of ways, including:

• Panting: This works via circling air throughout the circulatory system.
• Sweat: Through the paws and nose.
• Evaporation: Primarily off the tongue.
• Thick coat: Your dog's thick coat helps insulate it.

Dogs are far more prone to suffer from heat stroke than humans are. As a result, we human owners need to be particularly careful when walking our canine companions during those long summer months. As a result, we have written a precise and detailed guide on how to look after dogs in summer. In the meantime, though, we have a few tips to help you keep your dog cool.

So, to help cool your dog down, there are a few steps that you must take during those hot summer months:

• A dog should never be left in the car on a hot day. A dog can die after just 15 minutes if its body has reached over 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When it's very hot, be sure to offer your dog a cool place to lie down in the shade and plenty of water all day long.
• Get your dog an excellent dog water fountain. They aren't too expensive and can help to cool your dog down.
• Give your dog ice cubes whenever possible.
• Avoid physical activity wherever possible and take it easy when on walks.
• Use a dog harness around the chest instead of a collar.
• Keep to the shade.
• Keep your dog well-groomed.

It's extremely important that you are seriously careful on days when it is really hot. Your dog can die quickly from heat stroke and, as a result, you need to make sure that it is kept cool.