People are really mad about dogs and heat stroke?

She doesn't actually mention the condition of the dog, and seems actually completely unaware of what difference that could make to people's perceptions.

Whenever I have ever seen anyone kick off about a dog out in the heat, which is extremely rare to be honest, the dog always looks like it is struggling.

We don't know if the dog in question was struggling or perfectly fine, I do think it would be unusual for someone to start shouting out car windows at perfectly happy looking dog but who knows? People shouting out car windows are pretty unhinged anyway IMO.

On really hot days I get up extra early ( im not a morning person) and a take them out so they can run round like mad and burn themselves out so they can chill for the rest of the day. They go out again in the evening if they want to whenits cooled down.
The rest of the day they'll walk into the garden, get fed up, go back in and repeat!!)

Posh areas might well have more expensive, purebred dogs too.

You really have no idea.
I don't live in an awful crime ridden druggy dog-abuser-gangland place but I still had an attempted dognapping of my puppy.
You're in cloud cuckoo land if you think it doesn't happen in posh areas, because actually, it does.

If I saw a dog being walked in the heat that looked perfectly happy I wouldn't say anything to them, why would I?
Ok, but that's not who OP refers to. She mentions people who say something just because they see a dog out when it's hot.

30 minutes out, and doggy was very happy to get some air and enjoy some good sniffs, I guess it's even better when hot! She's happy, she is not overheating, she was not forced and she chose to walk on the asphalt even when there was grass next to it and I encouraged her to go on the grass!

I googled to see what the figures were and found out that the figures are not accurate because not all cases are reported.

As I said, are all dog deaths recorded with the cause of death? Seems very unlikely. Also what about owners who don't take their dog to the vet. If the dog dies at home they may well just bury it. They won't want the expense or the shame of admitting they caused the death.

It's not just my nurse friend who sees so many heatstroke cases or deaths. A vet nurse has posted on here saying she sees a lot. Also two of my friends' daughters are vet nurses and they also say they see quite a few.

I think this actually illustrates the point people are trying to make, you know your dogs, you know how they like and when left to their own devices they will each choose different ways of dealing with the heat during hotter times, which you let them get on with.

A lot of the dogs I see being dragged around in hot weather in the middle of the day, don't look happy to be doing so, they are head low, tail low, panting, not sniffing, plodding behind the owner, and basically just enduring it, anyone who knows anything about dogs knows when a dog is happy/sad/frightened/excited etc, these are the ones that stand out to me, anyone walking a happy dog, walking ahead, sniffing, head and tail up wouldn't even register on my radar, no matter what the weather was doing.

Imagine your lab, and while he is trying to hide away from the heat saying, no come on it's time for your daily walk no matter what, we always do it at this time of day and today is no different, clipping him on the lead and walking him round hot pavements with no shade etc while he clearly does not like it, but you do it anyway.. this is the sort of mindset people get angry and frustrated seeing.

It shouldn't be rocket science for people to know their dogs and know what is best for them, but for a lot of people their dogs welfare is not their primary or even secondary concern.

So if no dog will walk on pavements that are too hot how do some get burned pads? You may have seen some dogs refusing to walk on hot surfaces but unless you have seen ALL dogs being walked on hot pavements/sand etc then you cannot possibly state that it is a fact that dogs won't walk on hot sufaces.

Again my friend says that they deal with burned and blistered pads of dogs walked on hot surfaces. I think she knows better than you do.

I really doubt you know for sure that more dogs die in Australia from spider and snake bites than heatstroke.

There are no true statistic for dog deaths in the UK due to heatstroke so it is just your opinion and not fact. Also, if you are so knowledgeable what are the statistics for dogs getting heatstroke and not dying? Heatstroke is awful and I would not wish it on any dog especially when in the majority of cases it is completely unavoidable.

I agree with this.

We may not be able to stop all stupid owners, but there is one area where the law could easily reduce dog suffering. Leaving a dog in a car should be illegal for more than a defined period of time, regardless of temperature, with only a few very carefully considered exceptions. Simple to say upon conviction you lose your driving licence for several years and the dog is re-homed.

Dogs are all so individual too - even within the same breed. Eg, I had four St Bernards, in outback australia. One absolutely LOVED the heat, would be in 40+ burning sun all day, and when it got in the minuses would have to sleep in bed with me (a 120kg beast called Nelson!). One hated the heat, and spent all their time in the shade and in the river at the end of my garden or in a big kids paddling pool we had for them. I had a lab that would just lie on the floor and refuse to budge if it nudged over 30. I had a cockapoo who would run around from morning til night in all weathers and never ever stopped. All different. All fine. As their owner I knew them, and what they needed and when. Its not rocket science really.

I think breed has something to do with it, too, not just each individual dog learning to cope with heat.

Why don't you do a bit of AI/Googling about "why don't dogs die in hot countrues", then report back here to us on what you've found out?

You're the one making assumptions, I said if I SEE a dog suffering, not if I "assume they are suffering" because they are out in 20 degree heat.. I don't give a shit what the media "says", I have eyes. in other words if I see dog clearly distressed, panting, swaying, looking frightened or ill I would ask the person if the dog was okay and ask them if they knew about heat stroke and how dangerous it can be.

EVERYTHING else you have just made up because you seem to think that anyone enquiring about a dogs health is not out of concern but of a holier than though type place to prove some sort of point.. that says more about you than it does about me I'm afraid, I've got three dogs, I'd never walk past a person with a dog in distress without engaging with them.

If I saw a dog being walked in the heat that looked perfectly happy I wouldn't say anything to them, why would I? If I walked past a person with a dog who looked unhappy in the heat I still wouldn't say anything, but I would think they were a selfish twat!

You dog abuser!! Lol.
Best of luck - theres some right loons at there at the minute!

I'm on my way to walk my dog now, I'll report back!

I don't know what the figures are for incidents of heatstroke in dogs and neither do you
They were shared, are you not bothering to read? 102 seen by the emergency vets die a year. Again, you vet nurse friend is very unlucky to see MANY of them.

Dogs wont walk on pavements if they are too hot for them. FACT. Seen it with my own eyes.
Dogs of all breeds do adapt - FACT. Ive seen it multiple times with my own eyes, in two different countries, and several states.
I do know the incidents of heatstroke because of statistics.
I also know that more dogs die from spider, snake bites in australia because of statistics. And also lived experience.

You are determined to be 'right' and make out Im just claiming something nonsensical with no experience, no knowledge, no informed logic.

You are wrong. Its not a matter of opinion.

I will keep treating my dogs, like dogs. And will know when they are struggling.
Because I have the gift of eyesight!

Also many more dogs die because of poor diets and being overweight. Do you go and berate every owner of fat dogs you come across in the street?

Were they being dragged along on a lead by another person?.. if not it is really not relevant
It is relevant in that the attention should be on why people die of the heat and what can be done about it.

Losing 100 or so dogs a year to the heat is sad, but it's not half as dramatic as 3000 humans.

19° is definitely too warm for my brachycephalic rescue, she ends up really struggling hence we’re out before 5am and that’s it for the day. She’s got free access to the garden and doesn’t seem to mind too much.

In any case, if that was your passive aggressive reply, I wouldn't pursue it any further "just to make a point", because it would be obvious that you were a pompous selfish twat and you don't actually care about your dogs wellbeing.. nothing good can come from continuing the conversation with such a person
Oh the irony! What do you call people who jump to conclusion based on what they read in the media with absolutely no basis behind it. Yous be making so many assumptions. That my dog is suffering, despite having no idea of its history, that our walk is long, in the heat and maybe that I've even let it run for a long time (since most deaths are due to exercising in hot conditions, not just the hot conditions), and that I didn't love or care for dog. All assumptions without a hint of understanding of the specific circumstances.

A typical example of where people really need to focus on their own business. If you are soooo concerned, then do something about it and ring the RSPCA. That might actually be useful!

You may well stand by your opinions but they are just bullshit.

Dogs paws DO get burned by hot pavements/roads FACT
Dogs of all breeds DO NOT all adapt just fine FACT

Lots of dogs do not tell their owners when they are struggling. This could be because they just want to please their owner or because their owner is a cruel dickhead. Never heard of abused dogs showing loyalty to their owner?

I don't know what the figures are for incidents of heatstroke in dogs and neither do you. I do know though that my friend who is a veterinary nurse says they have quite a few dogs every year with heatstroke and some of them die. That is in ONE vet practice.

Possibly in Australia more dogs do die from spider or snake bites but, again, I don't know for sure and neither do you.

We’ve been walking ours in shady woods before 7am.

Then we let them into the garden and they hare around chasing each other like two demented loons.

We’re flagging, but the dogs don’t seem remotely bothered by the heat. And they have black coats. 🥴

That same year, almost 3000 people died due to overheating. Do you also berate anyone you see outside in temperatures over 30?

Were they being dragged along on a lead by another person?.. if not it is really not relevant.

Yeah, the craziness is weird. Our dog couldn't cope with the heat (but was always up for a walk in the winter - even if it's -5 and snowing. I was always convinced she was going to get hypothermia but she LOVED IT!!!) but I'm always bemused by all the people who seem to think the dog walking along happily at its owner's side is being abused. One of the many signs that our dog was nearing the end was how clearly she was able to let us know that she didn't want longer walks anymore. My last walk with her she had a great time, tail up, lots of happy sniffing - but at a point much earlier than normal, she let me know she wanted to go home.

Our local facebook page is imploring people to only walk dogs before 7:30am and after 8pm. Bloody hell. DDog, even in this hot weather, LOVED a little trip to the park after the school run!!! Becuase it wasn't crazy hot at that time!