Leonbergers and Other Big Fluffy Dogs in the Summer Heat

Today it was 104 degrees here in Dallas, Texas, which is 40 Celsius and tomorrow it will be hotter still according to Accuweather. While sitting in my backyard I drank 100 degrees to cool me off. In addition to being less than 104 degrees, 100 degrees is a Farmhouse Ale / Saison from Jester King, Texas, ABV 4.7%. It has the flavor of wheat crackers, lemon, lemon peel and ginger and it is very thirst quenching.

100 degrees is a Saison (type of beer) from Texas. It is good for hot weather.

What about Leonbergers and the hot Texas summer? Unfortunately, the Texas summer is not ideal for large fluffy dogs like Leonbergers, and yet people have them and breed them here in Texas. There is even a Leonberger club for the southwest (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado), called Frontier Leonberger Club of the Southwest.

Embedded photo from – Frontier Leonberger Club of the Southwest

Hot Advice

In the hot summer, it is important to keep your Leonberger cool and at the same time keep up with the exercise. You can take your walks early in the morning or late at night if it has cooled down enough. You should bring a backpack with cold water and a water bowl, and perhaps ice cubes and ice packs. Unless you are almost back home don’t pour water on his fur to cool him off. This can be counterproductive since wet thick fur will clump and form a layer that will keep the much-needed airflow in. You can put water on his paws, face and belly where the fur is thin and make sure he drinks.

Leonberger with a red and black leash resting in the green grass
Our Leonberger Bronco resting while out walking.

An alternative to walking is to go for a swim. Leonbergers love swimming and they are good at it. We frequently took our Leonberger Bronco to White Rock Lake outside Dallas where he chased ducks and egrets. He never caught any. Well, what can I say, he had no egrets. Just remember to bring a towel and to stand at a distance when he shakes himself dry.

Our Leonberger Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake
Bronco swimming in White Rock Lake

While walking your Leonberger, or any dog, feel the surface temperature with the back of your hand. Asphalt, wood, sidewalks, beaches, and other surfaces can get very hot in the sun and burn the paws of dogs. Remember you have shoes on. Could you walk barefoot on the surface?

A heat stroke can happen very quickly. Dogs are much more susceptible to heatstroke than humans, and Leonbergers are more susceptible to heatstroke than most dogs because of their stocky bodies and thick coats.

Heatstroke can happen in as little as fifteen minutes. Don’t leave your Leonberger in a car. Avoid strenuous activity on hot days and exercise your Leonberger early in the morning or late in the evening. Keep your Leonberger in an air-conditioned dwelling as much as possible and provide plenty of water, shade, and maybe a kiddie pool when he’s outside.

A photo of a young Leonberger in a kiddie pool
Young Bronco in a Kiddie Pool

If there are signs that your Leonberger is getting overheated, you need to cool him off as soon as possible. Ideally, immerse him in cool water and hold his head above the surface to prevent drowning. Alternatively, move him into an air-conditioned building and put cool wet towels or ice packs on his stomach, neck, inner legs, and armpits.

Have seen or heard some people say, “If you want to be green turn off your air-conditioning”. DON’T. This will harm your dogs and is not the way you should reduce greenhouse gases. This type of advice often comes in the form of an admonition, and it does not come from climate scientists or even climate activists but from people with no interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They want to make it seem more difficult than it is to reduce emissions and even shame you or harm you for caring. The responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions lies primarily with industry, government, and those in charge of modernizing our power grid and transportation system. We consumers can certainly help, but the way to do it should be tailored to our circumstances and extreme action is often counterproductive.

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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

24 thoughts on “Leonbergers and Other Big Fluffy Dogs in the Summer Heat”

    1. Thank you Brenda. Yes this post pretty much applies to most dogs but with a Leonberger in Texas you have pay extra attention to it. In Canada the problem with summer heat is probably less I would assume.

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      1. Actually where we live, near Toronto, we get some pretty hot and muggy days with temperatures in the mid eighties. We experience a fair bit of humidity in the summer which means that an 80 degree temperature can feel like the 90’s. This will be the first summer with our 10 month old Leo, Hachi. We will be spending a week north of where we live in a cabin near a lake. Because there will be no air conditioning we will have to keep an eye on Hachi to ensure he keeps cool. This will be Hachi’s first experience swimming and we hope and expect that he will love it 🤞🤞. Swimming in the lake will be the best way for him to cool off.

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    2. Wow that sounds wonderful. I wish I was there. If it is his first-time swimming, he may be reluctant to go in at first, at least our Bronco was. But if you go in with him the first time and take it step by step, maybe by throwing a stick a short distance, then he’ll get used to it. After our Bronco had gotten used to it, he loved swimming and he just jumped right in after that. Another way to cool him off, if there is a problem, could be bouillon ice cubes. They may not want to eat ice cubes but bouillon ice cubes they will eat. Taking them out of the freezer five minutes before giving them to him reduces the risk of damage to the teeth.

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  5. Whew, 40 degrees huh? And it’s not even July yet… This is such a great piece. Very sound advice and the touch on “going green” at the end, and oh my, the hilarious image of a dog shaking water off his fur! Your dogs are lucky to have someone like yourself as their human, you are an incredibly loving and responsible dog parent. Stay safe, all of you. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much Inner Musings for your kind words. The first time Bronco shook himself dry after swimming in the lake I was standing too close. I learned by lesson as I had to drive home soaking wet. Stay safe you too.

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  7. Hi Thomas, this is an interesting post, especially in light of the conversation you and I had with Meeks on my blog. When I said it was cruel to have Leonbergers in South Africa, I was thinking of the specific circumstances of this country. We have very hot and dry heat for approximately 9 months of the year. Our winters are very dry and it can be hot in the day, temperatures of 23 degrees are not uncommon. The most important factor here is that very few people have air conditioning so there is no escape from the heat. If you have air conditioning and can manage the heat for your animal, that is an entirely different circumstance. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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    1. 9 months, that is long. We have not summers but also cool winters and sometimes snow and ice. I cannot believe you don’t have air conditioners under those circumstances. We didn’t not have air conditioners in Sweden where In grew up but then we didn’t need that.

      Thank you Robbie and I hope you have a wonderful weekend as well.

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  9. I don’t know how you guys manage to survive summers down there-my daughter is in the Houston area and she tells me she’s evaporating most days! Guess that’s why the good Lord made beer-to cool off in those ungodly temps. Stay safe and as cool as possible and hope the grid holds. Cheers 🍺

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