Dogs at the lake in hot weather?

[RedDeer]

Hi. Today has been 30c. So as a family we decided to go to the lake to cool off swim ect. I decided to keep our dog at home as I was concerned it would be to hot for her. Car ride and walking 10 minutes to lake.

However I was surprised to see lots of dogs there possibly 30 ish. They all looked like they were coping ok.

Was I being unreasonable to leave the dog at home, and not let her enjoy her day out with us, as we were by the lake? Do different rules apply is water is involved?

The lake is perfect for dogs in this weather. They will be fine in an air conditioned vehicle and walking on grass. My 2 absolutely love going for a cool swim when it's hot.

Our dog is fine when she can repeatedly cool off in the cold water. My partner usually has to take her into work with him so takes her to cool off at the beach regularly at this time of year and she’s happy. Of course if dogs aren’t allowed into the water then no, it would be too hot.

So you went to the lake 'in order to cool off' but you think going to the lake would have made your dog too hot? Why would it make you cooler but your dog hotter (unless you have a dog that won't go in the water)?

We've been down at the beach today. Plenty of shade for the dog if he needed it and a cool breeze. Perfectly fine!

Id have thought your dog would be hotter innyour house than in and out of a cool lake. My car is cooler than my house as it has AC.

It really depends on the dog. Our old dog would have got overexcited immediately (nature of the breed not lack of exposure to the outside world!) So I'd have left him on very hot days and taken him out later in the evening or early in the morning because I knew he'd over exert himself and overheat. If you have a dog with more self control he might be fine lol.

I drove my dog today to where there’s water and she could have a good splash. Grass isn’t so hot for their paws.

I think most dogs have good sense about these things - they know that water will cool them down and that shaded areas will be cooler. The problem is when owners don’t allow them access.

Edit - or encourage them to exercise too much in warm conditions.

Ok so it seems I may have been over cautious today. I will bare that in mind in the future. For context we were not able to park at the lake we had to walk along the road to get there. And no grass to sit on, more Rocky.

Have you tried a cooling coat OP? My dog isn’t a fan of the heat but she copes much better in her coat and I can use that to get her to places with water and shade.

In hot weather and before a car trip, I wet my dogs fur to keep her cool. Our car is old and the air con no longer works! Dog loves the beach and swimming, but this time of year, we only walk her there very early in the mornings.

Did you leave your dog inside your house or in the garden?

Our dogs would have loved it, but some dogs really struggle. You know your dog best.

I left he in the house, my house is old and stone built, so a lot cooler inside then outside. Great in a heatwave, not so much in winter.

I would take a dog to a lake if I knew it would go in for a swim . I wouldn’t take dog for a walk or car ride .

My dog has a cooling mat and a cooling vest but I wouldn't put her in the car if it was 30 degrees. No way - not even for a 10 minute drive. A dog's experience of the heat in a car is multiple times what ours is (I believe it's 6 x?) and what happens if there's an RTA and you end up stuck in traffic? Yesterday morning, I checked out of our holiday accommodation at 5:45 am so that I could drive the 2 hour journey home before the temperature hit 20 degrees. Heat stroke kills dogs. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Does your beach allow dogs? Ours aren't allowed between April- September :(

You did absolutely the right thing - I wouldn't walk my dog along a tarmac road in this kind of weather. Our patio was too hot to stand comfortably on this afternoon.