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Dogwood grows on the edge of the woods. It doesn't really like full sun. I would not move it now for sure. This is the worst time of year. You might move it sometime when it is dormant. I don't know if spring or fall is better. If you bought it in a nursery, its roots may still be in a little circle the shape of the pot and you might dig it up carefully in the fall. If it is big, it will be hard on it to move it. There is another kind of dogwood that blooms later and may be tougher Kousa.

In my area, there are a number of the native Dogwoods growing in full sun exposure and provide a magnificent floral display in the springtime. It takes awhile for the roots to become established and furnish enough moisture to the foliage to prevent it from becoming dry during the heat of summer. I have seen them completely defoliate due to lack of water and after a few rain showers, produce new foliage.
The feeder roots are a thick, spreading mass, near the surface, so a heavy layer of mulch may help preserve the moisture it needs.
They need some direct sunlight to bloom well, so if you decide to relocate it, try to find a location that provides morning or late afternoon exposure or "soft" sunlight, as some say!
I also grow a number of Cornus kousa Dogwoods and the cultural requirements for those are virtually identical to those of the native one's. I have had 2 of them completely defoliate this summer and after applying water several times, new foliage has emerged on the entire tree.
Dogwoods are tough survivors, so don't give up yet!
MHO
Rb

Thanks Razerback33,
Thats what it has done the last 2 years, so I'll just add some grass clipping around it to retain more moisture. It's in a spot perfect for showing it off, so I don't want to move it unless I have to.
Thanks for explaining the roots system to me. That helps.
Diann

Razorback which do you like better, kousa or cornus florida? I saw a beautiful kousa in Newtonia, MO when we were touring the May 10 killer tornado damage. They have nice deep wonderful top soil there. I have what you might describe as droughty soil. After this post I put the water on my pink dogwood. There are so many that need water, it is easy to forget some. I don't have enough water; somethings have to suffer. I am thinking of siphoning the pond.

Helen....
Many of my Cornus florida's are very old and have reached the end of their natural lifecycle, 35-50 years. Of the original 12, (11-white, 1-pink), 6 have been replaced, one more has died and 3 are in their final years. I am not replacing the native trees with the kousa's, but am adding those as understory trees, since they bloom later, now have blooms(bracts) well into May, sometimes June.
All of the kousa's we have are grafted cultivars of the variety chinensis and have variegated foliage or large white or pink/dark pink bracts or weeping habit.
Here's a list of the one's we are currently growing:
'Autumn Rose'
'Gold Star' Variegated foliage(Yellow center/green edges)
'Lustgarten Weeping' Weeping habit
'Weaver's Weeping' Weeping habit
'Milky Way' White dappled foliage
'Radiant Rose' Dark pink bracts
'Snowboy' Variegated foliage (large white center, green edge) Very slow growing, because of large amount of white in leaves
'Stellar Pink'
'Trinity Star' Red fall foliage

I can't say that I prefer one species versus the other.
I haven't experienced the disease, anthracnose, on any of my Cornus florida trees, so I still plant those. The kousa's are not affected by it.
Rb

Here is a link that might be useful: Kousa Dogwood

nashonii, i agree with all above, I have quite a few wild dogwoods (some very old) and all of them are drooping pretty badly right now as they do every year when it gets hot and dry. Last year i lost a couple and have no idea why.
vickie