Summer has arrived in the United Kingdom with a vengeance, and while rising temperatures may be welcome news for beach-goers and barbecue lovers, veterinary experts are issuing urgent warnings for the nation’s dog owners. As thermometers climb across the country, so does the danger for millions of four-legged companions — and certain breeds are far more at risk than others.
The reality is sobering: not every dog handles the heat equally. While all canines can develop heatstroke when temperatures spike, veterinary science has pinpointed specific breeds that face dramatically higher odds of falling seriously ill — or worse — when the mercury rises.
The Science Behind Which Breeds Are Most Vulnerable
A landmark study published in the journal Scientific Reports, conducted by researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Nottingham Trent University, analyzed the clinical records of over 905,000 dogs under veterinary care across the UK. The findings were striking: nine breeds showed significantly elevated odds of heat-related illness compared to Labrador Retrievers, which were used as the baseline due to their popularity and balanced body proportions.
Topping the list was the Chow Chow, which faced a staggering 17 times greater risk of heatstroke. The English Bulldog came in close behind at 14 times the risk, followed by the French Bulldog at six times, the Dogue de Bordeaux at five times, and the Greyhound at four times. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Pug, English Springer Spaniel, and Golden Retriever each carried roughly three times the risk of their Labrador counterparts.
A more recent RVC study examining emergency veterinary cases during the extreme heat of 2022 identified an updated list of seven breeds at significantly heightened risk: the Newfoundland, Chow Chow, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Pug, Pomeranian, and Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Why These Breeds Struggle More Than Others
The reasons certain dogs suffer disproportionately come down to basic anatomy and biology. Many of the highest-risk breeds fall into the brachycephalic category — dogs with flat faces, shortened skulls, and compressed airways. Breeds like English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs rely on panting to regulate body temperature, but their narrowed airways make that cooling mechanism far less efficient.
Emily Hall, lead researcher and veterinary surgeon at Nottingham Trent University, has explained that flat-faced dogs face a cruel biological paradox: their desperate efforts to gasp for air during overheating can actually generate more internal body heat than they manage to release through panting.
But it is not only brachycephalic breeds that are vulnerable. Dogs like the Chow Chow and Golden Retriever possess thick double coats originally designed for cold climates. In hot weather, these dense layers trap warm air against the body and severely limit the skin’s ability to cool down naturally. Meanwhile, large-bodied breeds weighing 50 kilograms or more carry nearly three-and-a-half times the odds of heatstroke compared to smaller dogs under 10 kilograms.
Dogs that are overweight or above average size for their breed also face roughly one-and-a-half times the risk, regardless of breed. Age matters too — dogs over two years old showed higher vulnerability in the research data.
A Preventable Killer — With Alarming Fatality Rates
What makes heatstroke especially tragic is that it is almost entirely preventable. Yet the consequences of overlooking the danger are devastating. According to Kennel Club data, approximately one in seven dogs treated by veterinarians for heatstroke do not survive. The condition occurs when a dog’s core body temperature climbs past the point where natural cooling mechanisms — panting, seeking shade, resting — can bring it back down. If left unchecked, the resulting hyperthermia triggers widespread inflammation, organ failure, and eventually death.
Perhaps the most alarming finding from the RVC’s 2022 study was that nearly 60 percent of all annual heatstroke cases in dogs were concentrated into just 40 days — the five official heatwave periods that year. On those days, veterinary emergency rooms saw five times as many heatstroke cases per day compared to regular summer days without heat-health alerts.
And the most common trigger was not leaving a dog in a parked car, as many owners might assume. Exercise accounted for over half of all cases. In fact, close to 70 percent of dogs with exercise-induced heatstroke became ill simply from going on a routine walk during hot weather — not from strenuous activity.
What Every Dog Owner Needs to Do Right Now
Dogs Trust, one of the UK’s leading canine welfare organizations, has been vocal in urging pet owners to rethink their daily routines during hot spells. Their message is blunt: skipping a walk entirely is always safer than risking burned paws, dehydration, or heatstroke.
Emily Mills, Veterinary Projects Manager at Dogs Trust, has emphasized that while owners naturally enjoy sunny outdoor time with their pets, dogs are far more sensitive to heat than humans realize. She has noted that warm weather can cause dogs to become uncomfortable or develop serious heat-related illness remarkably quickly, particularly when exercised during the hottest hours.
The organization recommends several practical precautions. Walking should be limited to the coolest parts of the day — early morning or late evening — and on extremely hot days, it may be wiser to skip the outing altogether and engage dogs with enrichment activities indoors instead. Before stepping onto any pavement, owners should press the back of their hand against the surface for several seconds; if it feels too hot for human skin, it will burn a dog’s paw pads. Grassy, shaded routes should be prioritized over tarmac and concrete.
Fresh water should always be available, both during outings and at home. Cars are an absolute no-go zone, even for short errands — temperatures inside a stationary vehicle can surge past 50 degrees Celsius in direct summer sunlight, and cracked windows make virtually no difference.
Recognizing the Warning Signs Could Save Your Dog’s Life
Knowing how to spot heatstroke early is critical. The warning signs include heavy or rapid panting, excessive drooling, unusual lethargy or weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of coordination, abnormally red gums, and in severe cases, collapse or seizures.
Veterinary experts stress a “cool first, transport second” approach if heatstroke is suspected. Owners should immediately stop any activity, move the dog to a cool and well-ventilated area, and offer small sips of water. Pouring water cooler than the dog’s body temperature over the animal — while avoiding the head — can help bring their core temperature down. For young, otherwise healthy dogs, immersion in cool water is ideal. Older dogs or those with existing health conditions should be sprayed with cold water and cooled using a fan or natural breeze instead.
One common mistake is placing wet towels over the dog, which veterinarians warn can actually trap heat rather than release it. And even if the dog appears to recover quickly, a trip to the vet remains essential — the more serious internal effects of heatstroke are not always immediately visible.
Climate Change Is Making This Worse Every Year
The growing frequency and severity of UK heatwaves is directly tied to climate change, and veterinary researchers warn that heat-related illness in dogs will only become a more pressing concern as average temperatures continue to rise.
Dr. Dan O’Neill, co-author of the original VetCompass study and senior lecturer at the RVC, has urged the public to wake up to the shifting health risks that warmer summers pose for their pets. He has stressed that understanding which breeds, ages, and body types face the greatest danger can help owners make smarter choices — both when selecting a breed and when planning how to protect a predisposed dog from the heat.
The RVC has even suggested that the UK’s existing human heat-health alert system, managed by the UK Health Security Agency, should serve as a practical trigger for dog owners as well. When a heat-health alert is issued, it is a clear signal to avoid exercising dogs and to take extra cooling precautions at home.
The Bottom Line for Dog Owners This Summer
The message from veterinary professionals across the UK could not be clearer: heatstroke is a largely preventable condition, but prevention requires owners to take the threat seriously. Flat-faced breeds, thick-coated dogs, larger breeds, overweight animals, and older pets all need extra vigilance during warm weather.
A skipped walk will never harm your dog. But a walk in dangerous heat very well could. As temperatures continue to climb across Britain, awareness and caution are the most powerful tools dog owners have to keep their beloved companions safe.
