Is it fair to take dogs on the beach in this weather?

[Duranduraner]

We are on holiday in the SW England.

I used to be quite scared of dogs, but have worked on this so am now much better. However it does mean I notice dogs and what they are doing maybe more than others.

We spent all day yesterday on the beach. Dog friendly beach and dogs didn’t need to be on leads. Until about 3pm it was pleasant. It got hotter after that and the temp rose to 28 degrees.

Today, we went early - about 9.30 and left about 11.45. We arrived and it was 26 degrees and as we left it was 31 degrees.

Despite these temps there were loads of dogs. I realise when they go in the sea it must be lovely, but most of them aren’t in the sea all of the time. And even if they spend the whole of the time in the water, they still have to walk across the (burning) hot sand to get to and from their car!

In fact today as we left a family were setting up camp with their dog with blankets, wind break, but no brolley or shade.

I’m going to assume some of the people we saw were on holiday and I understand it must be tricky to balance the wants and needs of family members with a dog but surely, despite those wants and needs surely it’s cruel to be taking dogs out in this weather.

But am I being unfair? Do dogs benefit more from being on the beach in this rather than being inside their holiday accommodation?

Genuine questions - never a dog owner so have little knowledge (other than the FB posts I see about not walking them in hot weather).

Depends on the dog. Mine would hate it, I know others who would be absolutely fine.

There's a lot of hysteria on social media about how any dog who’s walked in anything above 23 degrees is guaranteed to die or burn their paws but in reality most dogs are fine as long as their owners are sensible and take precautions.

I see it lots where I live in a holiday destination, dogs out in blistering heat at the beach, pubs or just in town being walked about

Quite often people have booked their holiday and can't leave the dog in the caravan/tent and just have to take them along to whatever they do that day

Mine don't go out over 19 as one hates the heat he's not a fan of walking even in 17/18 degree weather
But many locals have Spanish rescues that thrive in the hot weather

I suppose we just have to hope they take precautions for their dogs

I see lots of dogs out walking.

Including today a huge hairy dog in the middle of the day. That launched itself into the massive pond.

I think owners own dogs because they like them. And are more than capable of looking after them/keeping them alive and know what is good/bad for them.

After all you are not going to be around for the other 364 days of the year. The owner is.

Quite breed specific too, my collie couldn’t cope with much over 20, but was fine in thick snow, other breeds are native baking hot countries. The dogs in India coped fine at 35 degrees though knew where shade was (and friendly hotel staff who fed them, the dogs in turn kept the rathe mischievous monkeys away)

Sometimes it can be cooler/ breezier near the sea, it’s getting them there that is an issue. I am on holiday in a static caravan, it’s boiling inside, we have kept our dog in the decking in the shade and only walked her on the grass.

My dogs don't go anywhere once it gets above about 19 degrees - but as somebody has pointed out, sometimes it's difficult to avoid it. We had once booked a weeks camping with our first dog and had arranged to meet up with friends at a dog friendly beach nearby. Unexectedly for Yorkshire in midsummer (!), the temp was going up to 23 even mid-morning. We couldn't leave him behind in the camper, and DH insisted he'd "be fine" as it wasn't THAT hot and because we'd be on a beach where he could stay cool in the water. But we still had to walk a mile to the beach!

I carried plenty of water and we walked in the shade, but my dog - an 18-month old border terrier - definitely struggled. I felt like the worst dog owner in the world and was sure people were giving me the exact look I would give!

Anyway - we made it to the beach, spent an hour or so down there in the water with a cool sea breeze, and walked very steadily back to camp, and the dog was just fine and didn't die. But I'd never do it again. I got up at 6am this morning to take them up a shady track when the temp was still 16 ish.

I live in Cornwall. I took the dog down to the beach yesterday at 9am with a coffee and stayed for a couple of hours before we retreated home. It was packed with people and their dogs. I guess though people who have dogs come on UK hols so they can holiday with pets, but then end up having to drag them everywhere. Today, I've kept doggo at home. He's been lying in the shade amongst the trees. I agree, though..its cruel to take them to the beach in temps like this...far better going to the woods or somewhere shady but people love to tan unfortunately.

My dog is from Cyprus. I wouldn’t walk her along a beach or for any distance in this weather, but I would be happy for her to go from cool car to sea etc. I also don’t insist she comes in from the garden like some seem to. She’s been sunbathing most of the day, moves herself when too hot. I figure she survived the streets at 45 degrees with no owner so just take sensible precautions (we walked at 7am in woods and will be back in woods at 8:30 tonight).

I agree, the average UK pet dog isn't built for very hot weather and it would be kindest to keep them in the shade out of direct sun.

I take my holidays at the coast with my 13 year old dog and have since she was a puppy. She wears a cooling vest on the short walk (mostly grass) to the beach and the rest of the time she runs in and out of the sea up to the height of her chest when she needs to.cool down. She can cope with temperatures up to 22 degrees if she's wet through but I wouldn't take her to the beach in temperatures higher than that. Dogs can quickly collapse and die from heatstroke. At the time of writing it's 31 degrees here. I'm sat outside whilst I've left her inside in a cool room. I don't want to shut her indoors - and she's not very happy about it either! - but it's just far too hot for her to be outside at the moment.