To want to say something to anyone I see walking their bloody dog

[TooTTootY]

In 30° fucking heat!

I live on quite a rural road which lots of people walk their dogs down. The amount of people I've seen nearly dragging panting dogs down the pavement today is appalling!

AIBU to think you're a lousy dog owner if you drag them out for a walk in this heat? I've felt like saying something to a few of them where there dogs have looked absolutely sweltering. How many times do people need reminding?!

I ran to my car to grab something before, I didn't have shoes on, just socks and I could feel the tarmac burning even through my socks so I don't know what a poor dog feels like being forced to walk on it for God knows how long.

[SerenityNowwwww]

Lunchtime walk? Those poor dogs must have been melting! Out park is busy in the early morning - it’s lovely as I adore dogs. Except I hate the owners the encourage/let their dogs jump in the lake (with huge signs not to) and chase the ducks, swans and geese (and all the little babies).

[PhilSwagielka]

This makes me glad I have a cat. As long as I keep his water topped up and he has shade, he's fine. I cope worse with heat than he does!

[SunshineCake]

Last year someone posted what they thought was a helpful note. They said how their dog had been fine running around and playing in the garden all day then after in the afternoon just collapsed. The dog died.

How did they not miss the point?!?!

DH will have to walk my dog at 9-9.30 tomorrow morning and I'm worried about it. I'm hoping it will be cooler but I'm thinking I will get up at seven and walk her after breakfast before I go to my appointment.

[legalseagull]

I live in a really built up area. I'm lucky enough to have a garden but lots of people don't and will have to take them round the block. They stick to the shade. What do you advise for people without gardens? There's always the odd selfish idiot but more often than not it's people literally just getting them to toilet and back inside. I'm sure they don't all need the judgement

[Casschops]

I must admit that I carried my dog at lunchtime out to a patch of shaded grass at the end of my street. We have a back yard that is too hot for his feet and he needed a wee. We had a sit in the grass in the shade he had a wee and we came home. We were out for no more than five minutes.

[rosesinmygarden]

YANBU!
Our poor long haired black dog is suffering.
I've been working all day and her lovely walker came at 7am for her this morning so she could have a run before it got too hot. By 8 am the pavements were heating up and she was back napping under the tree in the shade.

Our vet told me they've had dogs in with burned paws

[Marpan]

because people in warmer climates don’t have dogs

[thecapitalsunited]

Someone upthread said about dogs (huskies) being destructive if they don’t get exercised but there is more than one way to provide stimulation. I gave my pup a holeee roller ball with a tea towel stuffed inside and treats stuffed in the folds of the tea towel. Kept him busy for ages and because he was working his nose it made him tired too. There are loads of indoor things you can do to provide enrichment that don’t involve physical exertion in 30+ degree weather. You don’t even need special toys. A towel rolled up with kibble inside will work the nose and the mind just as well.

[Greywind1523]

I saw a man that lives around the corner walking past at about 3:30pm with his cocker spaniel. I don’t know what people are thinking. I wouldn’t even fancy going out walking in the heat and I’ve not got a fur coat on!

Our pup has been in and out of his paddling pool all day. He does like to lay in the sun so I keep having to bring him in but I think even he would draw the line at going out for a walk. I was out at 7:30 with him this morning and DP will take him again later this evening.

It’s even worse when you see people out with pugs and frenchies. The poor things must really struggle.

[Kisskiss]

Em whilst it’s pretty uncommon to have days in the UK whete temps are above 30 degrees, there are many countries with consistently higher temps and where the dogs are totally fine walking on pavements/ roads/grass etc ( with adequate water)

[brighthouse]

Totally agree with you I just don’t understand some people.

[BiteyShark]

Our dog walker takes them to a stream (car to forest so no pavements) and lets them splash about in that in the morning.

I have to be careful of our artificial grass as it gets very hot where it has the full sun (have walked on it in bare feet) although he does seem to recognise this and sticks to the shaded part.

[ThatBitch]

Kisskiss we used to live in a country with consistently hot summers, regularly 40°. The dog barely left the garden and I would get up and walk him at 3am as soon as it was light (had to be careful of coyotes and other big beasts in the dark). There are frequent warning about letting dogs out in the heat and it is very much frowned upon to walk them in the high temperatures.

[MadamShazam]

YANBU OP. Ddog was out at 10, then has been in the house, which is nice and cool as its an old cottage, then pootling around the garden on and off all day. I wouldn't dream of dragging him out in this heat, and we are in Scotland!

[roarfeckingroarr]

I was a woman take her dog out for lunch today, with the dog carried in a little lightweight mesh sling. She put him in a shady spot with a big bowl of water. We had a chat and she said she didn't want to leave him home alone all day but she couldn't have him walking in the heat. I thought it was all rather sweet.

[vanillandhoney]

@Kisskiss

Em whilst it’s pretty uncommon to have days in the UK whete temps are above 30 degrees, there are many countries with consistently higher temps and where the dogs are totally fine walking on pavements/ roads/grass etc ( with adequate water)

Another one totally missing the point.

My family are in Australia and in the height of summer the dog got walked at 5am and 11pm, if he went out at all. They didn't walk the dog in the middle of the day because it was far too hot and dangerous.

Why do people insist on arguing in support of something that's scientifically proven to be dangerous?

[Hugecupcake123]

So many selfish people out there. You have a dog then you get your backside out of bed early in this heat to walk them. That is our responsibility as dog owners!

[Lovelymonkeyninetynine]

I really didn't know this. Knew about dogs in hot cars but not that it was bad to take a dog for a walk in the heat. Makes sense though. Maybe people genuinely don't know it's a silly thing to do that could cause harm to their dog?

[YesINameChangeEveryDay]

Yanbu. Im in Scotland so it's not as hot as that here (think it reached 25). Our dog is black so I worry about him in the heat anyway. He went out for a short walk at 6.30 this morning and has spent the rest of the day lying on the cold floor or pottering in the garden briefly. He'll get another short walk at 9.30 tonight.

[TooTTootY]

There's no need to continue bringing up the 'but there are hotter countries than the UK and dogs live there fine' argument.

It's already been gone over as to why that is irrelevant and there's been people on this thread who live in said countries who have also said they don't walk dogs in the middle of the day either.

[firstidrinkthecoffee]

I see too many here where I live too. Even a dog walker takes out her paid walks, then posts on her FB page all the vet warnings etc.
Boils my blood!!
Mine has been walked at around 5am recently and that's only if it's cool, today it wasn't.
I don't understand the mentality of some dog owners, a dog won't die from missing a walk!!!

[bengalcat]

I always know when it’s perfect as the cats emerge from the house and if there’s no thunder the hound comes outside into our small garden too - forecast is for cooler weather thank god so hopefully take hound to Hyde Park early tomorrow am before work to chase squirrels 🐿- might even jog round

[Dugheed]

How do the poor guide dogs cope in this weather?

[Tunnocks34]

I’m just about to take my dog for a walk now. I was actually going to skip it but she does a dirty protest if she doesn’t go out for her evening walk, even with the back doors open.

Our cats are have slept in the conservatory today! The doors have been open and their bed is in the coolest part of the house but no, they have slept on the conservatory windowsill

[howlathebees]

I walk mine in the late evening when it’s cooler for them. We also bring their bowls out and stop every 10 mins or so so they can have water. We drive them to a wooded area and then they’re on grass and in shade to walk then