Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
larkstar · 21/07/2021 11:45

Hmm - worth thinking about. I am not playing the usual games (Frisbee, tennis ball) with my Springer but you can't stop her running around - she has a stream deep enoug htoswim in and she goes in twice on the way round and I carry a big bottle of water - I offer her water from an plastic takeaway container I carry in my rucksack - and rub anything she doesn't drink on her head - our walks are 2hrs +/- 15mins - I have another bottle of water in the car and rub that in to her while she stands on a towel - the wet towel then goes in the foot well where she sits - it's a 5 min drive (otherwise it's a 30min walk on horrible roads/estate!). She is super lean and fit from all the exercise we both do - she's just turned 5. I might cut things down a bit - I do get her to come and walk with me and calm down when I think she's over doing it - but she is an active example of what is normally quite an active breed.

BalladOfBarryAndFreda · 21/07/2021 11:46

It’s still 30 degrees here mid afternoon @Anordinarymum Sad. It’s only cooling down to low/mid twenties at 9:30/10pm ish.

Original poster
weleasewoderick23 · 21/07/2021 11:47

Thanks for all your replies, I don't feel so guilty now! I did thing I was doing the right thing but I'm a sucker for my dog and he normally gets walked every day.
As a pp said, no dog will die from not going for a walk every day till it cools off. I'm looking forward to the weekend when it cools a bit to take him to the local river.

OP posts:
Fourandtwentymilliondoors · 21/07/2021 11:49

Our dog is being walked before 7am and after 8pm as it’s just too hot to do otherwise. It makes me sad the number of dogs being walked round the estate in the heat of the day - even taking dogs to shaded places usually isn’t enough when it’s 27° outside.

Dogs do tend to adapt to new routines quite easily. Mine usually gets her afternoon walk around 4.30pm and it only took two days of changing it to 8pm (or thereabouts) for her to stop complaining at the usual walk time Grin

vivainsomnia · 21/07/2021 11:50

Not all dogs are the same, some cope much better than others, depending on breed, age, whether they are used to hotter weather.

Ours doesn't cope well, so I've been walking her at 6:30 and she loves it. Before the heat, she would absolutely refuse to go out before 10am! We took her on a walk in the forest last night at 6pm and she was absolutely fine.

We went on a walk (without her) on Sunday around lunch time, passed a couple with a dog who I have fuss too and the dog was absolutely fine, not appearing one bit bothered. I wouldn't judge individuals without knowing their dog well, I assume that in most cases, owners do know their dog best, and certainly better than me. My friend is a vet, and she said that although heat stroke has to be taken seriously, she doesn't often see animals suffering from it despite the fact that there are dogs being walked during the day.

DoubleTweenQueen · 21/07/2021 11:53

I took mine out into the garden at 5 this morning - it was perfect - but we were both too tired for a walk just then, so put my alarm on for 6, which I dismissed and promptly went back to a better sleep than the rest of the night! Too late when I woke/got up!
I need to go to bed much earlier to go out as early as I would like. Young ESS, but she gets playtime early and late in the large garden and reasonably content to potter. Have to bring her in when the stone patio gets far too hot for her paws.

As someone else said, they won't come to harm for missing a few walks

BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush · 21/07/2021 11:56

Ours goes in the morning to a shady glen and spends the whole time in the river.

In laws look after her in the day so I've tried to emphasise not to walk her on the pavement and not to over do it. I think they are listening.

We drove to the beach last night and she had a swim.

Rest of the time she's lying inside or in the shade.

Whammyyammy · 21/07/2021 11:56

Took my 2 out about 9pm the last few days and via the river for a swim

hoochyhooha · 21/07/2021 11:59

Good thread, reassuring.
I have a westie, we have a nice long romp in the park around 6am, but it's so warm the rest of the day I am forgoing afternoon/evening walks. She has access to the garden and water all day but is just lying down inside where it's cool Wink

Largethighsbadeyes · 21/07/2021 12:05

No. I'd rather he was bored than dead.

I made an exception yesterday and took him somewhere we could get straight out of the car to the grass and there was a stream for him to cool off in. Didn't walk far just splashed in the water. He was still too hot.

xoJellyBean · 21/07/2021 12:07

We have two labradors and they get walked before 7am and after 10pm... dogs die from being walked in this heat😓 I've ordered a paddling pool for them to swim about in.

sergeilavrov · 21/07/2021 12:07

We live in the Middle East, and the ground is regularly hot enough to burn feet. We got our little dog fitted for special shoes that allow us to walk her in the evenings (takes a while for the tiles to cool). She loves her 5am morning walk, which is her ‘long’ 30 minute explore. Maybe they also sell these in the U.K.? We also take along a bowl and give her water every few minutes.

When she was in the US, she experienced rain for the first time and was absolutely terrified.

Branleuse · 21/07/2021 12:12

i try and do it early or late, but if we have to go at a different time then i keep it short and dont let them run about and we go mostly in the forest.

I do think people get a bit OTT about this issue personally. The constant memos about it start coming when its barely 20 degrees

RincewindsHat · 21/07/2021 12:14

Yes, off lead walk early morning (never finishing later than 8am, but usually walking between 6am - 7am) so they can run around like nutters while it's still cool and then between 8pm - 9pm in a local wooded shaded area for a slower walkie with less running around. I actually bought a portable air con unit as I hate the heat and I also was worried about one of mine getting too hot as he has such a thick double coat - it only really cools one room so we can hang out in the cooled room in the afternoons and sleep in there in the evenings and I know the dogs have a respite from the heat and aren't panting all day. Realistically, you'd be crazy to walk your dog in this heat during the day time.

Bryonyshcmyony · 21/07/2021 12:14

Yes at 6am when I bring my horses into their stables. It's shady, no tarmac and a stream to play in. Taking them to the beach tonight.

OytheBumbler · 21/07/2021 12:22

My ridgeback is a sun worshipper. She's loving this heat and making up for the other 50 weeks of the year when she's too cold.

MotionActivatedDog · 21/07/2021 12:24

Just an extra warning after seeing the report of a baby’s feet getting burned on kitchen tiles- check your own flooring if the sun hits it. Maybe restrict access for your dog if it’s too hot there.

Mydogisagentleman · 21/07/2021 12:27

Take mine around 5.30 to 6. Unfortunately he loathes water or he could go into the village pond.
He lays around all day, either in the garden in the sun, or in the kitchen on the stone floor.
I generally take him out around 9.30 in the evening, but did not last night as it was too hot still

TabithaTiger · 21/07/2021 12:28

I'm walking mine in the evenings, 9-10pm, just in the lead and only for about 20 minutes. Even then he's panting. He's quite stupid and would lay in the sun in the garden if I let him, but there's a real danger of heat stroke if they do that, so I'm keeping him inside, curtains closed and fan on.

VickyEadieofThigh · 21/07/2021 12:31

Only very early and late when it's cool enough. He's only allowed up to 15 mins at a time because he's still recovering from spine surgery (and only on grass). The rest of the time he tells us if he wants a wee and we nip him out on to the lawn.

PoorPawsPickPawpaws · 21/07/2021 12:32

Ours is going at 8am into the woods. Yesterday he also went to a local stream with a friend and paddled - the stream is also under plenty of tree cover.

No pavements and no daytime full sun for him (or me!).

Cherrysoup · 21/07/2021 12:32

Yes, strictly in the shade and no hot pavements. River walks are good, his coat is quite long so he’s still wet when we get home.

Thecathouse · 21/07/2021 12:33

My two big boys are not having walks at all, even early it's too hot for them and walking them on the hot concrete roads would burn their paws, only other options are the fields by our house.

They have access to the field all day - back door is being kept open, but to be honest except for a quick toilet trip they are happy lying in front of the fan on the cool mats

If they start going a bit stir crazy I will do some training with them in the field in the morning or just before dark but they are relatively content at the moment

CrazyBaubles · 21/07/2021 12:36

Ours has had 2 walks in 5 days. Each walk was at 6:30am - anything after 8 is too hot here.
He's 13 and not well (bone cancer) so it's just not worth the risk to me, even if he is able to go in the river to cool down.

He's spent most of the week led on a bed in my home office / spare room with a fan blowing on him, with small breaks for lying in the sun.

As PP said, no dog has died from missing a walk but sun stroke kills, and it can come on so suddenly it's better to be safe than sorry.

Do you have a Kong to keep your dog busy? Or can they do tricks etc instead?

MikeWozniaksGloriousTache · 21/07/2021 12:39

7am and 9pm here. Ours copes really well in the heat to be honest, barely even panting through the day even though it’s 29 degrees in the house. He pants after his walk but not excessive and stops pretty quickly. He was a former street dog so I think he was probably built to survive in the heat outside. Will only venture into the paddling pool if he is bribed with cheese and that’s only in and out. He is a stickler for routine and is often whining about 5/6pm for a walk but tough titties. He has a frozen kong with tuna and water in through the day too as a treat / stimulation and to help cool down. Absolutely refuses to go near cooling mats, damp towels etc. Even panicked when he stood on a bit of ice from his kong before Grin he’s a bit dim.