Keeping Your Bearded Collie Cool During the Summer Heat
- Madeleine Fear
- Jul 16
- 3 min read
With temperatures reaching 30°C and above, it can be a stressful time for owners. While Bearded Collies are an active breed that love being outdoors, days like these require us to change our routine to keep them safe and comfortable.
Stay indoors during the hottest part of the day
When the temperature climbs, the safest place for your dog is indoors. Even if they enjoy lying outside, gardens, patios and paving slabs absorb the heat throughout the day and can become surprisingly hot.
In fact, we've found that the paving around our house doesn't really start to cool until much later in the evening. During the afternoon and early evening, it can still be radiating heat.
One thing we've been doing is pouring any spare water we have onto the patio and paths. It helps cool the slabs down much more quickly so that when the dogs do venture outside later on, they're walking on a much cooler surface.
Keep the heat out of your home
Rather than trying to cool an already hot house, it's much easier to stop the heat getting in.
We've covered our windows with insulation foil during the hottest part of the day, and it's made a remarkable difference to the indoor temperature. If insulation isn't an option, closing blinds or curtains can also help reduce the amount of heat entering your home.
Once the outside temperature starts to fall in the evening, we open the windows to create as much airflow as possible and let the cooler air circulate through the house.
If you have air conditioning, even better—but simple measures can make a surprisingly big difference.
A well-groomed coat is essential
Many people think a thick coat automatically makes a dog hotter. In reality, a healthy, well-maintained coat actually helps regulate body temperature.
The problem comes when the coat is packed with dead hair or becomes matted.
Think of it like wrapping your dog in a duvet.
If you can't easily part the coat and see the skin underneath, air can't circulate properly. That means even a gentle breeze can't reach the skin to help cool your dog down.
Regular grooming removes loose undercoat, prevents matting and allows air to flow through the coat naturally, helping your dog stay much more comfortable during warm weather.
Keep exercise to the cooler parts of the day
Walk early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures have dropped.
During the middle of the day, it's far safer to let your dog rest indoors than to risk overheating. Heatstroke can develop very quickly, particularly in active breeds that will happily keep running long after they should have stopped.
Keep busy without getting hot
One of the biggest challenges with Bearded Collies is that they're intelligent, energetic dogs.
If you can't give them their usual walk, they still need mental stimulation.
This is where clicker training comes into its own.
Teaching retrieves, tricks,, targeting, or improving everyday obedience can all be done indoors in short sessions without getting your dog hot and bothered.
Mental exercise is incredibly tiring for dogs—often more tiring than a walk—and it's a brilliant way of helping them settle during the hottest hours of the day.
If you're not sure where to start, I offer 30-minute and one-hour clicker training sessions where I'll show you plenty of fun games and exercises you can do at home.
Give them something to chew
Chewing isn't just enjoyable—it's naturally calming.
A long-lasting natural chew helps occupy your dog, encourages them to relax, and supports good dental health by helping keep teeth clean.
It's an easy way to help your dog settle while everyone waits for the cooler part of the day to arrive.
Don't forget the basics
Alongside everything else:
Always have fresh, cool drinking water available.
Provide cool resting areas away from direct sunlight.
Never leave your dog in a parked car, even for a few minutes.
Watch for signs of overheating such as excessive panting, drooling, lethargy, wobbliness or collapse. If you suspect heatstroke, move your dog somewhere cool, begin cooling them with cool (not ice-cold) water, and contact your vet immediately.
Keeping dogs safe is about adapting
Summer doesn't have to mean your dog misses out—it simply means changing how you spend your day together.
A cool house, sensible exercise times, regular grooming, plenty of mental stimulation and a good chew can all make a huge difference to your dog's comfort and wellbeing.
If you'd like help keeping your Bearded Collie's coat in top condition, or you're looking for ideas to keep them mentally occupied during hot weather, I'd be delighted to help.
Whether it's a grooming appointment or a clicker training session, together we can help your dog stay happy, healthy and comfortable all summer long.
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