Dogs don’t catch the usual human “common cold” virus, but they can get their own cold‑like infections with very similar symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose. It is considered very unlikely that a person with a regular cold will directly pass that cold virus to a dog, and people also generally cannot catch their dog’s respiratory viruses.

Can dogs catch our colds?

Most human colds are caused by rhinoviruses and a few other virus families that are highly species ‑specific, meaning they are adapted to infect humans, not dogs. Likewise, the bugs that give dogs “kennel cough” or dog flu are adapted to dogs and do not typically infect people.

What actually makes dogs “snotty”?

When a dog looks like it has a cold, it is usually due to canine‑specific respiratory germs such as Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, or canine respiratory coronavirus. These infections can cause coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and lethargy that look a lot like a human cold, even though the underlying pathogens are different.

Is there any risk from humans?

Veterinarians describe dog infection with a standard human cold as “very unlikely” or “improbable,” because the usual human cold viruses do not efficiently bind to canine cells. There are some exceptions with other diseases (for example, SARS‑CoV‑2 can infect dogs in rare cases), but confirmed dog‑to‑human transmission of respiratory infections remains rare and not a routine concern in everyday life.

How to care for a “sniffly” dog

  • Give plenty of rest and keep your dog in a warm, stress‑free environment.
  • Ensure constant access to fresh water to help with hydration, especially if breathing through the mouth more.
  • Never use human cold or flu medicines on dogs unless a vet has specifically prescribed a product and dose.
  • Call a vet promptly if you see trouble breathing, refusal to eat or drink, high or prolonged fever, or symptoms lasting more than a few days.

Quick FAQ style recap

  • Can dogs catch colds from humans?
    • Very unlikely; common human cold viruses do not typically infect dogs.
  • Can dogs catch colds from other dogs?
    • Yes, many canine respiratory infections spread between dogs through coughs, sneezes, and shared air or bowls.
  • Can humans catch a “cold” from dogs?
    • Routine canine cold‑like infections are generally not contagious to people.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.