Are Dogue de Bordeauxs good in hot weather?

How Dogue de Bordeauxs handle the heat

The cooling problem

Dogue de Bordeauxs are brachycephalic, meaning their short muzzle leaves little internal surface for panting to cool the blood. In warm weather this is a serious limitation, not a quirk, and it is why flat-faced breeds are massively over-represented in vet heatstroke cases every summer.

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 leave any dog in a parked car, conservatory, or caravan, even briefly and even with a window open. Interior temperatures climb to lethal levels within minutes.

Exercise in warm weather

Dogue de Bordeauxs 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.

Personality and summer walks

The wrinkled French mastiff made famous by Turner and Hooch. Massively built, deeply devoted, and sadly short-lived.

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. Affectionate dogs want to stay close to their owner even in the heat, following them from room to room rather than settling alone on the coolest floor available. Courageous dogs do not back away from exertion just because conditions have turned hot, which puts the responsibility for pacing squarely on the owner rather than the dog.

Heat, training and behaviour

Teaching a dog to settle in the shade

Dogue de Bordeauxs respond reasonably well to basic settle training, which helps on hot days when the aim is simply to keep the dog calm and off its feet during the warmest hours.

Barking and restlessness in a heatwave

Dogue de Bordeauxs bark a moderate amount day to day, and that can increase during a heatwave if the dog is uncomfortable and unable to settle properly.

Family and other pets in a heatwave

Dogue de Bordeauxs generally do well around children, though hot weather adds a job for parents: making sure excitable play with kids in the garden does not run on longer than the dog can safely handle. 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

Dogue de Bordeauxs typically live 5 to 8 years, and older dogs of any breed regulate heat less efficiently than a fit adult, so senior dogue de bordeauxs need shorter, cooler outings and closer watching during a heatwave. Insurance for a Dogue de Bordeaux in the UK typically costs about £65 to £140 a month, and heatstroke is exactly the kind of sudden, serious vet visit that cover exists for. A Dogue de Bordeaux puppy, usually priced around £1200 to £2800, overheats more easily than an adult dog as well, since puppies have less developed temperature regulation and tire without always showing it.