Why Your Dog’s Feet Get Sweaty

Have you ever seen a dog sweat? Probably not, because they primarily sweat through their paws.

Dogs don’t sweat all over their bodies like we do. Instead, their sweat glands are mostly found in their paw pads. That means those squishy little feet are working overtime during a hot day!

Why the paws? It’s one of the few places where a dog’s skin isn’t covered in fur. Fur acts like insulation, so paws give heat an easy way out. It’s kind of like a secret escape hatch for body heat.

But here’s where it gets interesting — paw pad sweating doesn’t do much on its own. That’s why dogs rely on panting to stay cool. When they pant, moisture evaporates from their tongues, which helps lower their body temperature fast. It's basically a built-in AC system, powered by drool.

Still, their paws do play a small but mighty role. On a hot day, you might even spot little wet paw prints on a tile floor. That’s not a spill — that’s sweat!

Even cooler (literally): Dogs’ paw pads are specially adapted to extreme conditions. In cold weather, they use a heat exchange system — warm blood from their body heats up cooler blood coming from the paws. Penguins and seals have the same trick!

So next time your dog leaves a mysterious trail on the floor, remember — those feet are doing more than fetching sticks.

Try this at home: After a walk on a warm day, have your child feel the bottom of your dog’s paws. Are they damp or warm? Talk about why paws are a cool (and weird) way to sweat!