Heat Tolerance of Siberian Husky Dogs Living in Brazil: A Case Study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Their Owners

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The high radiant heat load of tropical regions imposes challenges on the welfare of imported temperate dog breeds, especially when owners’ awareness does not result in willingness to change their attitudes towards the care of their dogs, e.g., by choosing more thermally comfortable times to walk with them. Based on an online questionnaire answered by Siberian Husky dogs’ owners, we found that respondents mentioned several heat defense behaviors expressed by their dogs, perceived them as low-heat-tolerant animals and were more likely to walk with dogs during times of less solar input. However, the availability of time was reported by owners as the main reason for taking their dogs for a walk during times of high solar input. In conclusion, the owners’ perception that Siberian Huskies living in Brazil are heat-sensitive dogs was likely to reflect positive attitudes via avoidance of exposing them to extreme hot conditions during daily walks. ABSTRACT: The management of the thermal environment to which dogs are exposed should be included in strategies to improve their welfare. An online questionnaire was administered to 624 owners of Siberian Husky dogs residing in Brazil, with the objective of assessing their perceptions regarding their dogs’ capacity to adapt to heat, and its association with the owners’ routine care. Owners who believed that dogs are low-heat-tolerant animals were more likely to report heat response behaviors from their dogs. Overall, owners reported walk with their dogs during early morning, late afternoon and nighttime. They also reported solar radiation as the primary criteria for determining the time to walk with their dogs. However, owners who reported walking with their dogs at noon mentioned time availability as their primary criteria. In conclusion, owners perceive Siberian Husky dogs living in Brazil as being poorly adapted to heat, and this perception appeared to influence their positive attitudes towards protecting their dogs from heat stress by choosing to walk them during times with less solar exposure. However, the lack of time for owners to walk with their dogs during cooler periods can still be a risk factor in exposing the animals to extreme hot conditions.