Are Irish Water Spaniels good in hot weather?

How Irish Water Spaniels handle the heat

The cooling problem

Irish Water Spaniels cool themselves through normal panting without the added handicap of a flat face or a heavy northern coat. A healthy dog of this type manages typical UK summers without much drama.

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

Irish Water Spaniels have high energy, which is the trap in summer. They will keep going past the point that is safe, so it is on you to cut sessions short, choose shaded routes, and swap a run for sniffing and brain games on hot days.

Personality and summer walks

The clown of the spaniel family. Curly-coated, hypoallergenic, and deeply attached to its owners.

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.

Heat, training and behaviour

Teaching a dog to settle in the shade

Irish Water Spaniels 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

Irish Water Spaniels 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

Irish Water Spaniels 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

Irish Water Spaniels typically live 10 to 12 years, and older dogs of any breed regulate heat less efficiently than a fit adult, so senior irish water spaniels need shorter, cooler outings and closer watching during a heatwave. Insurance for a Irish Water Spaniel in the UK typically costs about £30 to £65 a month, and heatstroke is exactly the kind of sudden, serious vet visit that cover exists for. A Irish Water Spaniel puppy, usually priced around £800 to £2000, overheats more easily than an adult dog as well, since puppies have less developed temperature regulation and tire without always showing it.