Are Chow Chows good in hot weather?
Chow Chows were built for cold climates, so a hot spell asks for real care. They can be kept comfortable, but not by accident.
How Chow Chows handle the heat
The cooling problem
Chow Chows carry a dense double coat evolved to trap warmth. It insulates against heat as well as cold to a point, but in high temperatures it works against them, and humidity makes it worse. The coat is a heat store they cannot simply shed on a hot day.
Practical summer management
Shift walks to early morning and late evening, and skip them entirely on the hottest days. Carry water on every outing, provide deep shade in the garden, and give access to cool floors indoors. The pavement test is simple: press the back of your hand to the ground for seven seconds, and if it is too hot for your hand it is too hot for paws.
Never shave a double coat to "cool the dog down". It removes the insulating layer that also blocks heat and can leave the skin exposed to sunburn. Regular brushing to clear dead undercoat is the right approach.
Exercise in warm weather
Chow Chows have modest exercise needs, which makes summer easier to manage. It is straightforward to shift their activity into the cooler hours without leaving them under-exercised.
What temperature is too hot?
There is no single cutoff, because humidity, age, weight, and coat all matter. As a guide, take extra care above 20C and treat anything above 25C as high risk for a heavy-coated breed like this. When in doubt, keep them home and cool.
Personality and summer walks
A lion-like dog with a blue-black tongue and the personality of a cat. Loyal to one person, aloof with everyone else.
A loyal dog keeps pace with its owner on a hot walk rather than dropping back into the shade on its own, so the owner has to be the one who decides the outing is over. Independent dogs will often remove themselves to a cool spot without being told, which works in their favour on a hot day when supervision is not constant.
Heat, training and behaviour
Teaching a dog to settle in the shade
Chow Chows take more consistent work to teach a settle command, so on hot days it often falls to the owner to physically manage where the dog rests rather than relying on a cue alone.
Barking and restlessness in a heatwave
Chow Chows rarely bark much, so discomfort in hot weather is more likely to show as excessive panting or reluctance to move than as noise.
Family and other pets in a heatwave
Chow Chows need closer supervision around children at the best of times, and a hot day adds the extra risk of a dog overexerting itself during boisterous play rather than resting when it should. A cat in the same household should have its own cool retreat well away from this breed, heat or no heat.
Cost and ageing in hot weather
Chow Chows typically live 11 to 13 years, and older dogs of any breed regulate heat less efficiently than a fit adult, so senior chow chows need shorter, cooler outings and closer watching during a heatwave. Insurance for a Chow Chow in the UK typically costs about £35 to £80 a month, and heatstroke is exactly the kind of sudden, serious vet visit that cover exists for. A Chow Chow puppy, usually priced around £1000 to £2500, overheats more easily than an adult dog as well, since puppies have less developed temperature regulation and tire without always showing it.
Full guide to Chow Chows
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