02/24/2026
Check out this awesome guide for our furry friends.
He's still panting. It's been 20 minutes.
You went for a run on a warm afternoon. 72°F. Light breeze. Your dog ran beside you. He loved it. You're home now and he's still panting hard.
Most people wait it out. He'll cool down. He always does.
But normal panting after exercise settles within 5 to 10 minutes. The tongue hangs slightly, breathing slows, and the dog finds water. If the panting hasn't slowed after 10 minutes, something else is happening.
Dogs can't sweat. Panting is their only way to release heat. It works up to a point, but above that point, the system stops keeping up. The dog pants harder but moves less heat with each breath. His temperature keeps climbing instead of dropping.
And here's what most owners don't realize — 72°F feels mild to you, but your dog's resting body temperature is already around 101 to 102°F. He starts much closer to overheating than you do. Add a fur coat and hot pavement, and a comfortable afternoon for you is a very different experience for him.
Pavement on a 72°F day can reach 120°F or higher on asphalt. His paws feel that even if you don't.
⚠️ The 10-minute rule:
If panting hasn't slowed after 10 minutes of rest, act immediately.
- Move to shade. If pavement is hot, carry him to grass.
- Pour cool water — not ice water — over his neck, armpits, and groin. Ice water can cause the skin to tighten and trap heat inside. Cool water lets the body release it.
- Fan the wet areas to speed up evaporation.
- Check his gums. Pink is normal. Dark red means he's overheating. Pale, white, or blue means get to a vet immediately.
- If gums aren't pink, drive to the vet with windows open and AC running. Call ahead and tell them what you're seeing.
🐾 Dogs at higher risk:
- Flat-faced breeds like bulldogs, pugs, and boxers — their shorter airways make panting less efficient, so they overheat faster even on mild days
- Black-coated dogs absorb more heat from the sun
- Overweight dogs hold heat in
- Older dogs cool down less efficiently
72°F is not automatically safe for a run with your dog. Your body and his body experience the same temperature very differently.
If the panting doesn't stop, the clock is running. Ten minutes is a recovery. Twenty minutes is a warning.
