Hi there! Have you ever seen a dog spin in circles or run around super fast? Some people call this the “zoomies.” Dogs get the zoomies when they’re excited, after a bath, or even when they’re bored. It’s a fun way for them to use up extra energy. But have you ever wondered how dogs cool down when they get hot?
When we get hot, like after playing outside or running around, we start to sweat. Sweat is like tiny drops of water that come out of our skin. When the sweat dries, it cools us down. This is called evaporation. It’s like when you get out of a pool and feel chilly because the water is drying off your skin.
Dogs are a bit different. They can’t sweat all over their bodies like we do. They can only sweat a little bit from the pads on their paws. But that’s not enough to cool them down. So, how do dogs stay cool?
Have you ever seen a dog with its mouth open, breathing fast? That’s called panting. When dogs pant, the wetness in their mouths and throats turns into gas and goes into the air, taking some heat with it. This helps cool them down, just like sweat does for us.
On hot days, we can help our furry friends stay cool. Here are some tips:
So, now you know that dogs do sweat a little, but they mostly cool off by panting. Isn’t that interesting? Keep asking questions and exploring the world around you. There are so many fun things to learn!
Thanks for joining us today! Next time, you can help choose what we learn about. Would you like to know who invented zippers, how hail forms, or how astronauts get ready for space? Let us know what you’re curious about, and we’ll explore it together. See you next time!
Paw Print Experiment: Let’s explore how dogs sweat through their paws! You will need a piece of dark construction paper and a small bowl of water. Dip your fingers in the water and press them onto the paper to make “paw prints.” Watch how the water evaporates and the prints disappear over time. Discuss with a friend or family member how this is similar to how dogs sweat through their paws.
Panting Relay Race: Gather a few friends or family members for a fun panting relay race. Each person will take turns running a short distance while pretending to pant like a dog. After running, discuss how panting helps dogs cool down. Think about what happens to the air and moisture when you pant. How does this help remove heat from the body?
Observation Walk: Go on a walk with an adult and observe any dogs you see. Notice if they are panting or resting in the shade. Talk about why they might be doing these things. If you have a dog, try giving them some water and see how they react. Discuss how these actions help dogs stay cool and comfortable.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Esther. Have you ever seen a dog do this? Or how about this? (children laughing) When a dog spins in circles or races around the house like this, some people call it the zoomies. If you’ve ever been around a dog, you might know that they can get zoomies when they’re excited, after they’ve taken a bath, or even when they’re bored. Zoomies are a great way for dogs to release extra energy. Looks tiring, doesn’t it?
Someone named Benny is curious about dogs. Let’s give Benny a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi Esther. – Hi Benny. – I have a question for you. Do dogs sweat? – That’s a great question. When dogs go on long walks, play outside in the summer sun, or do zoomies, they can get pretty hot. Imagine if we did zoomies; we’d get hot too! But why is that?
Before I go on, I’m curious. Why do you think we sweat when it’s hot? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss.
Okay, you ready? If you’ve ever gone swimming, you might already have a clue as to why we sweat when we’re hot. Think about it for a second. Have you ever hopped out of a pool or lake and felt your wet skin get really cold even when it was hot outside? Maybe you even started to shiver. That chill you feel is because of the water drying. When water dries off your skin, it doesn’t just disappear; it actually turns into an invisible gas and moves into the air, taking some of the heat from your body with it. This process is called evaporation, and it’s what makes us feel cooler when we get wet.
Okay, but what if there’s no pool or lake around to get wet? How are we supposed to cool off then? This is where sweat comes in. Sweat is one of the main ways humans stay cool. We produce sweat all over our bodies when we get hot, and when that sweat evaporates into the air, it takes heat with it and cools us off, just like the water from a pool does.
So is sweat how dogs cool off too? Well, yes and no. Dogs can sweat like humans do, but they can’t produce sweat all over their bodies like we can. This is the bottom of a dog’s paw. See those pads? That’s one of the only places dogs can sweat. Sweaty paws can help keep a dog cool, but only a little. The sweat from a dog’s paw is definitely not enough to keep them cool. In fact, some animal experts think that sweaty paws help dogs grip the ground more than they help them cool off.
So if sweat doesn’t keep a dog’s body very cool, what does? I’ll give you a clue. Check out this dog. Can you tell that it’s hot? How do you know? Yep, it’s panting. Panting is one of the main ways dogs stay cool. Look at the inside of this dog’s mouth. It’s pretty wet. You might have noticed this with dogs you know. Dogs’ mouths and throats are wet with saliva, and when they open their mouths wide, they’re letting some of that wet saliva evaporate. When it does, it takes some of their body heat with it, just like our sweat does when it evaporates, cooling them down.
But panting isn’t the only way dogs stay cool. On really warm days, we may need to help them out a little. While we can’t make our dogs sweat more or pant more, there are things we can do to help them stay cool. For example, if you ever play fetch with a dog, you can carry their ball or stick home for them. Dogs can’t really pant with a ball or stick in their mouth, so carrying their toys home allows them to pant freely and helps them stay cool. It’s also important to ensure that dogs have shade and cool water on hot days. If it’s really hot outside, take them on walks in the morning or at night when it’s cooler.
In summary, dogs do sweat on their paws, but that doesn’t really cool them off much. They rely on other ways to cool down, like panting. When a dog pants, it’s letting the water in its mouth and throat evaporate into the air, taking some of the heat with it. That way, they can cool down and zoom around the house again.
That’s all for this week’s lesson. Thanks, Benny, for your question! Now for the next episode, we reached into the question jar and picked out three questions that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: Who invented zippers? How does hail form? Or how do astronauts get ready for space? So submit your vote when the video is over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week!
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