What Dog Breeds Can Tolerate Hot Climates?

A reader asked which dog breeds do good in hot temperatures. This person lives in the hot and humid eastern United States.

I did a little research and found that the following dogs breeds can stand hotter temperatures better than other breeds:

• German Pinscher
• Manchester Terrier
• Toy Manchester Terrier
• Chihuahua
• Chinese Crested Dog
• Italian Greyhound

These are the dog breeds that have a ranking of four out of five for heat tolerance.

Dogs I would definitely stay away from if you live in a hot climate are the sled dogs, big dogs, and any dog with a pushed-in snout, such as the Boxer, Griffon, Pug, and so on. The dogs with the short snouts can easily die from higher temperatures unless they are kept indoors with air conditioning to keep them cool.

There are some dogs that have a rank of three out of five, but if you want a dog that does well in the heat I recommend you get one that is listed above.

It’s a short list, but each of these dogs would make an affectionate and playful companion for you. All of them had a ranking of 4 out of 5 for affection and energy level except the Italian Greyhound who had an affection level of 5 out of 5 and the Chihuahua that has an affection level of 2 out of 5.

I’m surprised that Chihuahuas rank so low on affection level since we’ve had several Chihuahuas and they each were quite affectionate and wanted to constantly be with someone in the family. Perhaps it depends on the temperament of the Chihuahua you get and how much time you spend with him or her.