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Original poster

Are you walking your dog in this heat?

237 replies

weleasewoderick23 · 21/07/2021 11:08

Just that really. My dog is desperate for a walk, but I'm really concerned about the heat. I took him to a river yesterday so he could stay cool, but by the time we got back he had dried off and was panting.
Shall I just keep him in and stick to the hosepipe to keep him cool? He's a Labrador so not a thick shaggy coat.

OP posts:
SirenSays · 21/07/2021 11:23

I have a reactive dog so always walk him at dawn and again very at late at night. Now it's hot everyone is doing the same thing, often without leads letting their dogs run all over. That would be bad enough but now my local park has two strays roaming that no one can catch.

CaptainThe95thRifles · 21/07/2021 11:25

I take mine out late - 11ish - when it's cooler and quieter. It's grim out there in the day time - it's so sticky and thundery.

AmyDudley · 21/07/2021 11:28

I take him very early morning. I have a little collapsible water bowl we take with us and a bottle of water. I definitely wouldn't take him any later. When he gets home he lies on the back door step in the shade.

Although he's actually not been out for the last couple of days as he has hurt his foot. This is a bit off topic but a warning to others - he got an abscess in his foot from a grass seed becoming embedded in it. One of those long sharp ones that are around at the moment. So if you do take your dogs out check their feet when they get home.

MotionActivatedDog · 21/07/2021 11:29

I keep seeing people walking their dogs on the pavement at 1pm ish. It makes me really mad.

Same!! Absolute idiots! The warnings are everywhere so there is no excuse.

ShesComeUndone · 21/07/2021 11:31

@SchrodingersMat

Only v early or late when it’s cooler. Ive had to exercise him with the laser pointer inside!
Laser pointers can be harmful to some dogs. There is an obsessive disorder called laser pointer syndrome. I’m sure that your dog is fine but I just wanted to put this on here in case anyone else is tempted to use a laser pointer with a dog. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dogtrainingnation.com/dog-behavior-2/laser-pointer-games-are-bad-for-dogs/amp/
2000lightyearsaway123 · 21/07/2021 11:33

My girl is a greyhound so not much of a coat but it's still far too warm for her. We take her out late in the evening although some nights it's still not been cool enough. We try and play with her at home and she loves going out in the car so we take her a drive if we can. Bonus is nice cool car aircon for us lol.

BarberQueue · 21/07/2021 11:33

Ours is going out at 6am and 10pm. The rest of the time she just has free access to the garden however she isn't even bothering to go out there.

bengalcat · 21/07/2021 11:33

I take mine out @6am before I go to work then DP at home with her and she goes in garden as she pleases - otherwise spends most of day on the bed with a fan on .

TooTiredToBeCreative · 21/07/2021 11:34

I walk after the school run in shady woods with somewhere to swim and the dog wears a cool coat- would highly recommended. The cool mats for home are great too

emilylily · 21/07/2021 11:37

It's very important only to walk your dog very early in the morning (before 8) or 9ish in the evening in this heat. They can easily die just from being walked on very hot days.

Also remember the pavement rule- if you can't keep your own bare hand or foot on the pavement for more than a few seconds then it's too hot to walk your dog on it.

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 21/07/2021 11:38

I have a lab too. They may not have a thick coat but they are double coated so do suffer in the heat, plus larger breeds seems to feel it more too. Mine is young, slim and fit (working) but we don’t take him out after 8am in this heat, we’re always home by 8am. It’s too much for him. He’s restricted to the house with the blinds closed and fans on. He won’t die from a temporarily reduced walking schedule but he could very easily become seriously ill walking in a heatwave. He has limited access to the garden (which has areas of shade) for toileting during the day but I don’t let him linger out there.

AnUnoriginalUsername · 21/07/2021 11:39

No, she can't self regulate, she'd run herself into the ground. Even on a short lead she's a nutter, missing a few walks won't kill her, she's got the garden and the neighbours dog to keep her occupied.

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 21/07/2021 11:40

He also has access to swimming on our early morning walks, so can cool off there.

Letsnotargue · 21/07/2021 11:41

Our 11 year old greyhound is a stickler for his routine and hours of whining and pacing around the hot house is worse for him than a quick pop to the park. We go around 8am and again about 7pm. The park is the other side of our small road and has trees to provide various bits of shade throughout the day.

I’d rather not take him as he is old and I think it’s generally too hot at the moment but he keeps cool enough in the shade and is happy. We’ve only had him a few months and he’s adopted his new routine with a vengeance.

AlternativePerspective · 21/07/2021 11:41

I have guide dogs, one current, one retired.

I was talking to the dog welfare team recently wrt something completely different, and we talked about not walking the dogs. And she said that realistically, a dog can go without a walk for about a week if they’re stimulated at home.

I take my younger dog out at night for a bit, I’ve not actually been going out into town etc because the pavements are too hot so we go for a quick walk to the park, but my older dog is 13 and prefers to just lie at home in front of the fan, which has been adjusted to his height 😂

Hagqueen · 21/07/2021 11:42

No, not at all. She’s small and happy to stay in. Our house is an oven too, so only doing active play etc indoors in the evening.

Keep saying that we’re going to get up at 5am and walk as its the coolest part of the day here (last night it was 24c at 9pm!) but we are sleeping so poorly (dogs and humans) that we’re sleeping on to make up for it.

We’ve got desk fans at floor level for her and doing cool water rinse offs a couple of times a day.

Anordinarymum · 21/07/2021 11:42

[quote weleasewoderick23]@Anordinarymum
That's awful and so scary! I'm glad your ddog was ok.
I keep seeing people walking their dogs on the pavement at 1pm ish. It makes me really mad. [/quote]
I know. I took them out late afternoon, not at midday and it still happened.
Older dogs in particular cannot regulate heat.

The old dog who had the fit was very stiff in her joints and I walked them just to keep her going really. But... it was frightening at the time.

krustykittens · 21/07/2021 11:43

Only very late at night when it is cool. We are in Scotland, so temperatures not as high as down South but we have two terriers and a little Frenchie and she struggles with temperatures over 14 degrees so we have to be very careful with her.

Peanut91 · 21/07/2021 11:43

Nope. Haven't walked my JRT since last Friday. She is 10 and just spends the day lying flat out as the heat takes it out of her. I also have a ten day old newborn so not a chance I can get out at like 5am to walk her early but she is not bothered in the slightest

Wolfiefan · 21/07/2021 11:44

By 6am it’s too hot here. By the time it’s cooled down it’s pitch black!!
I haven’t walked mine for three days already. I ALWAYS take them out. Every day. But they are giants and extra prone to suffering with the heat.
Looking forward to letting them have a good run when it cools down!

WiddlinDiddlin · 21/07/2021 11:44

If you have a front garden that isn't in full sun/baking hot...

You could scatter some treats there and pop out for a few minutes with him on the lead, let him sniff out the treats and then back in.

That MIGHT fulfill his 'been for a walk' criteria (lead, out the front door, sniffs) although its not a trick you'll get away with frequently of course!

Mine went out late this morning, pushing it at 8.30 rather than 6 as we woke up late, so they went through the shaded path to a wide verge also in the shade, sniffed out scattered treats for 5 minutes and back home (we do them one at a time so there wasn't time for more than that to still get them all done).

I might take them swimming this evening but that won't be til 8ish.

Bebeschitt · 21/07/2021 11:44

@SirenSays yes! We walk early and late with our reactive dog and now everyone is out (rightly so). I got up even earlier today - she was not impressed. We both went back to bed for an hour when we got home!

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 21/07/2021 11:45

I’ve been walking her at 7 every morning (so haven’t had a lie in yet this holiday) Yesterday through the woods which was lovely and cool, but cue lots of stopping as it’s the way to the V.E.T. Then at about 9.30 pm.
Except that madam then goes and sleeps in the window in full sun. Refuses to move. Lies there panting.

RedHelenB · 21/07/2021 11:45

Mine is, walks are highlight of the day shady routes though.

olidora63 · 21/07/2021 11:45

I literally give my dog a lift to our local woods and park in the shade …it is really cool. She can have 15 mins of change of scenery and sniffing.Shall do the same again this evening.