To think people walking dogs in this heat are twats?

[Wombat100]

Just that really. It totally blows my mind. If you’re one of those people who has been walking your dog during the height of the heat in the last few days - I’m
genuinely interested to know why?

Why? If they're willing to abuse their animals it's exactly what they deserve.

@LaTangerina I think eg 6am or late at night is sensible to let him/her have a quick wee etc. And obviously a trip to the vet is different as can’t really avoid that.

But so many people are taking them out when it’s boiling hot. I’ve had words with a few people about it before. Honestly think their one brain cell must be lonely…

We walk ours in the early morning and in the evening.

During the day they like to be under the trees or in their paddling pools.

Im currently in Spain and it’s 41 degrees and I’ve seen so so many people walking dogs - it’s crazy!!

This is, of course, fine. When it's super hot I will take my dog to the river, I can park next to it and it's a 5 min (air conditioned) car journey.
You should like a responsible dog owner :)

I have the air con on in the car when I take mine out to the shop and leave my girls with them in the car with windows and doors open while I nip in for 10 mins. Instead of a walk I took them for a coffee in the shade - all before noon.

Usually I walk them at 630am when it's really hot. Round here the heat didn't kick in until 1 today

I brought my DH to a wooded park yesterday for about 45 mins. . Walked slowly on grass paths. Stopped for a water break three times. Ended with a frozen dog friendly ice cream. My dog seemed very happy. Was this wrong? Genuinely interested?

My dog not my DH 😂

I just nipped to Tesco and saw someone walking their Frenchie in the blazing sun on hot pavements 😡

The poor thing looked so hot and bothered and miserable.

I totally agree. I’ve been at a friends with my dog today and then drove home. I have to park in the side street from my house, only a minute walk away which was okay but I was worried about people judging me thinking we’d been for a walk.

Well it depends what the temperature was like - both in the air and on the surface - and what breed and age your dog is.

I love the idea of you limiting your DH to 45 minutes in shaded woodland though

Sounds like you were perfectly sensible.

Your DH is well looked after 🤣🤣

Just been at a community summer fair in the park here and so many people walking around with their dogs including a lot of spitz types and a very fed up looking golden retriever. The worst was a muzzled vilza which was trying to get into the grass to walk and was being pulled back on to the path by its owner. The dog was clearly too hot and can't even pant. Really cruel for those dogs to be walking around.

Because my dogs are young, very fit (we run) and a healthy weight, all of which are known to reduce the impact of heat. They're also a long-nosed, short-coated breed bred to run long distances over rough ground.

They are totally fine in today's conditions, and thoroughly enjoyed their mid-morning walk. They were off lead so were able to set their own pace (full on) and seek out shade if they wanted (they didn't). We were also by water if they chose (again, they didn't.)

I totally appreciate that these conditions aren't suitable for all dogs, but today is well within their comfortable tolerance. I don't see why I shouldn't walk them simply because it's not appropriate for all dogs. If they were older, fatter, less fit, brachycephalic or had ever shown any signs of distress with heat then clearly I'd make a different decision.

Monday and Tuesday probably will be too hot even for them, so we'll substitute a walk with brain games and playing in their paddling pool. But I'm not negligent to have walked them today; I simply know my dogs.

DH had to go into the local town about 1pm and said he saw quite a few dogs being walked (or rather dragged along).

It makes me so angry. Every year people are warned about the dangers to dogs of the heat, the fact that their paws can be burned by the heat of the pavement, not to leave them in cars etc and still every year lots of idiots just ignore it.

My dopey neighbour likes to leave her dog in the garden from early morning to late evening (except when she is out then he is left indoors so always on his own) and today is no exception. He has been out there since 8am and will probably be taken in around 11pm if he hasn't died before then. She is a nurse but god knows how she passed the exams. Stupid cow

We walked ours from 9-10:30am today. It hadn't hit 20⁰C yet and the pavement wasn't hot... nothing wrong with that. Dog has been going out way less over the past couple of weeks, so it's better that than nothing, especially since he likely won't be able to walk tomorrow, Monday, or Tuesday as it's going up to 41⁰C here.

Walked mine at 0930 this morning with friends. I have a flat faced pooch so she chilled in the shaded cafe half way round with the some of the other dogs and owners, while I took my other dog on a slightly longer route. Lots of water break, dip in the river and all in the woods and shaded. We are hibernating for at least the next 3 days!

YEP. Just seen the daft bint 3 doors down coming back with her poor dog after a half hour walk, dragging him across the hot tarmac pavement.

Anyone who thinks this is OK needs to go BAREFOOT when they walk their dog. If not, WHY not?!!

Some people are idiots!

I drove through town around 1pm - it was packed (we are a tourist destination in the Derbyshire Dales) and there were loads of dogs out. One idiot was sat eating chips, in full sun, with his big (and very hairy) German Shepherd sat sweltering waiting for him to finish.

We have a 14 year old lurcher. The door has been firmly closed all day to stop her from going outside (she is daft enough to go out and lie in the full sun!!) and are lucky enough to have a house with very thick walls so it is lovely and cool in here. She went out for her walk at 6am when our lane was still shaded and will go out again after dark. When I am at work on Monday and Tuesday we have arranged for her to stay with my mum so she can keep an eye on her and make sure she stays cool.

We also have a horses - they will be very disgruntled on Monday morning when they come in from the fields to spend the day in their (fortunately stone built so nice and cool) stables. It will be far too hot to keep them out on Monday and Tuesday if the forecasts can be believed.

Same, we went to shaded woods, they were fine. Weren’t even bothered about having a drink when we got back to the car. I doubt they’ll go out on Monday/Tuesday.

We walked our dog this morning at 9am when it was only around 18. We’re lucky to have lots of nice wooded areas nearby so we stuck to those and took his water bottle with us.

Planning to get up at 6am to take him tomorrow as I very much doubt he will get a walk at all on Monday or Tuesday, when it’s supposed to be 22 even at 6am 😓

I popped to the shop this afternoon and saw three dogs being walked 😞 it’s so hot especially in the sun and it didn’t even seem like people were bothered about keeping them in the shade. I said something to one couple who could’ve easily at least crossed the road and walked in the shade. I just got a dirty look in return. Twats.

We walked our
Boy in woods this morning. We drive there so he didn't have to go on pavement. He loved it. On Monday at and Tuesday I will only take him for toilet breaks early
Morning and after sunset. Perhaps a wee in Garden at lunch.

We're doing early morning walks and indoor play in the evenings (our house in cool).
In between she's snoozing on cold tiles.

Went out to a local park (more for families, with sand pit, animals etc) and around the sand pit they have the springy black rubber you find in playgrounds. I put my bare feet on it at 11am this morning and it was boiling.

If a person wouldn't walk next to their dog on the pavements in their bare feet, don't make your bloody dog do it!

Absolute morons. The same as some clowns who leave their dogs outside, barking, in this heat. Thick bastards.