Leon asks, “Do dogs know, before they jumped into the ocean, how cold it is?”

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Great question, Leon! It’s hard for humans to know exactly what a dog is thinking, which includes whether dogs know how hot or cold a location is. You may have seen a dog go to lay in a warm sun spot or run into cool water when they are tired; however, all dogs are different! Some breeds, like Labrador Retrievers, were bred to be water dogs, and one study found that Labrador Retrievers may enjoy spending time in the water more than spending time with people or other dogs. However, other breeds may not like water at all and need to learn how to swim just as humans do! So a dog’s decision to jump into water may not have to do with the temperature as much as it has to do with the type of dog and whether it already knows how to swim. Although it may be difficult for us to know how dogs think about and understand temperature, we do know a little bit about how it can affect their bodies. For example, in one experiment some scientists figured out that colder water temperatures can cause smaller dogs’ heart rates to go up, while hotter water temperatures can cause smaller dogs’ breathing rates to go up. This experiment only included dogs from a few small breeds, so larger dogs or other breeds may react differently to colder or warmer water. To prevent our furry friends from hurting themselves due to hyperthermia (overheating) or hypothermia (freezing), we need to keep in mind what the water temperature is, how much time they are spending in the water, and the breed of dog. We always want to keep our furry friends safe, healthy, and happy when swimming!

– Nicole

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Want to learn more about how dogs learn how to swim? Check out this article from a veterinarian about how dogs can learn how to swim.

If you have any questions about animals for our scientists, you can submit them here.

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Nicole W. Keough (formerly, Korzeniecki) is a PhD candidate in the Animal Behavior Graduate Group at UC Davis. She is studying how termites work together with the bacteria in their gut to keep their colony healthy.

Main image [Source]: “A dog swimming in the sea. One pup went viral when he went to swim with the mantas in the ocean, and they were very interested in him.”

[Edited by Siobhan Calhoun]