Another dog in the heat one…

[ChipsAndKetchups]

So any time there is a heatwave I see a lot of posts (here and on SM generally) that people should not walk dogs in this weather, don’t leave them in cars, reports of people leaving dogs outside supermarkets etc - I’m assuming here that the general consensus is you should not subject your dogs to prolonged periods outdoors in the heat.

I work in a central location that has a square and it’s known for street performances. One of these performances (regular - daily) is a man with this big fluffy dog, maybe a German shepherd. I’ve worked in this area for years and they’re there rain or shine.

I’ve been walking past them in this heat and the dog is there from morning until late afternoon, just like he is all year round.

Not sure what my AIBU is here but don’t you think it’s cruel to keep this dog in peak sunshine like this? Is it that it’s more accustomed to being outdoors all day because it’s normal for him/her?

I see a lot of SM posts screaming rage at people who walk their dogs in anything over 24 degree heat.

I live in a hot country. It's frequently almost 40 degrees, if I stopped walking my dogs at 24 degrees they might never leave the house. We go out early or late hours, look for shade and take water, and they are fine because they are used to this climate.

Maybe this dog is used to all temperatures- or maybe not. Depends on whether you see visible signs of suffering or not I suppose.

To be fair the dog seems fine in the sense that it’s standing up, not panting or anything

Last year I went on holiday to a country that has quite a lot of stray dogs. They're tagged and monitored by the local authorities there and are mostly surprisingly healthy, but they are roaming and doing their own thing. A lot of people put water out for them.

The whole two weeks we were there, temperatures exceeded 30C and the local dogs were running around, pottering and playing outdoors the entire time, and quite frequently stretching out for a snooze in full sun in the town square and on the steps of the church, despite having plenty of access to much shadier spots and the freedom to go wherever they want.

It really depends on the dog. If it has acess to shade and water and not being made to preform/ exercise it should be fine. As most dogs will just chill in a shady place.

Plus a fluffy coat doesn't equal too hot, it's more like insulation that can keep heat in & cold out or vice versa.

It’s definitely a dog that’s a part of the act. It’s not shaded, it’s an open square

To be fair the dog seems fine in the sense that it’s standing up, not panting or anything
Then what's the problem and why post about it?

The "advice chart" going the rounds on FB suggests anything over 18 degrees is dangerous - completely potty! However I do think people need to understand their particular dog's risk (eg brachycephalic breeds) and act accordingly. We don't seem to see the same hysteria when it's cold...

The social media panic about dogs and hot weather is bordering on ridiculous - and I say that as a dog walker who has had to cancel or rearrange multiple walks this summer already.

If the dog isn’t struggling then I really wouldn’t worry.

You would think it would be enough for people to use their common sense for things like this, but unfortunately not.
I don’t follow the chart that does the rounds, I have a personal cut off of 24 ish degrees for my 4 year old, medium sized, non brachycephalic, otherwise healthy dog.
days like today we would get up at 6, and then maybe go for another walk at 9ish.
equally, we have a camper van we spend time in and if we were out in that he would be free to be outside in the sunshine if he wanted.
i always check ground temp too.

saying that, i did just have to drop him and the groomers and spent the 30 seconds walk from the car to the salon thinking I’m about to get papped and stuck on a facebook community page 🤣

Well I’m not a dog owner, and so I was surprised that nobody had picked up on this particular dog since the chart referenced here would suggest that’s not the best environment.

If it was just sitting watching in the shade I’d think that was all right tbh. Same as my dog snoozing in the shade in my back garden. What sort of performing is the dog doing? If it’s energetic I wouldn’t think that’s very good tbh.

And the people posting from hot countries where their dogs go out in hot weather all the time, the point is UK dogs aren’t accustomed to these temperatures so they’re at more risk of not being able to cope.

The guy does some sort of juggling, and the dog assists him. I’ve never stopped to watch the full ‘show’ tbh, it’s one of those tourist traps where they build up your suspense for ages for the most underwhelming finish.

I got slated on Facebook recently. I’d taken my dog on a Pride March and put a rainbow flag on her harness. Someone took her pic and posted it in with some other pictures. I wasn’t upset about the photo per se…it was a cute picture and the person didn’t mean any harm.

but the slating! How dare I , the dog looked knackered, it was too hot etc.

I responded by saying that the weather had been cooler when I left, as soon as it started warming up my husband came and took her home, she was out for less than an hour and it was about 24 degrees so not the excessive heat we’ve had.

as for her being exhausted….she’s a fecking border collie. They are bred for herding sheep. She can walk for miles and still has excess energy. She’d walked at a very slow pace for about a mile tops before being taken in.

my point being, I know my dog and what she can tolerate. She’s very well looked after and was removed inside when it looked like it was getting too hot. These people were looking at a snapshot without knowing the whole story and making a judgement call.

Poor dog. Dogs cannot sweat like humans do to cool themselves down.
Some breeds in particular are affected by heat.
They certainly can suffer from the heat.

I was out hill walking yesterday - temperature up to about 30 degrees. I left my dogs at home as it was too hot for them to have a strenuous walk - both my dogs are fit, healthy, high energy breeds. I saw one man walking a collie-type dog and she looked exhausted, heavily panting and far too hot and uncomfortable. She was the only dog I saw, which is unusual for the area, so most people must have felt as I did.

I do take my dogs to my local national trust property whatever the weather - the route is well shaded the entire time and around a lake which my dogs are never out of so I don’t worry about them overheating there.

Are they at least in the shade OP?

Different dogs have different tolerances-my step dads Chihuahua is happy as anything, my old terrier mix, nor so much.

I wouldn’t say so. When the dog is performing it’s in the square that’s open, there are some steps to a churchyard which have these eaves coming out to the front but it’s not shaded in the sense that it’s cooler. The temp is the same as just walking through the square

editing to add that when they’re waiting for their turn they set up camp under the eaves

Poor dog.

I stay out of other peoples lifes, no point in getting upset and angry when it nothing to do with me, what others are doing.
There are dog owners in hotter countries than the uk.

Currently on holiday with my dog somewhere hot. He potters around switching between the air conditioned room, lying out in full sunshine and his UV beach tent with cool mat in the shade. He is living his best life, occasionally escaping our terrace for the one next door in the hope the neighbours will feed him.

That’s different though no? It’s not like you’re in the city, where 32 feels like 42 outside with no alternatives all day?

Poor dog, I bet its paws are burning on the concrete though.

Just to clarify I am neither upset nor angry. I’m asking a question to satisfy my own curiosity.

People need to stop saying "I live in a hot country and my dogs fine" or "Dogs in hot countries are fine."

It's completely different. Dogs in those countries are used to it. They've evolved over generations to be used to it. Just like how other breeds, such as Alaskan Malamutes have evolved to be perfect in freezing climates where other dogs haven't. It's the same principle.

DH works internationally (as do I, sort of) and the amount of colleagues who take their dogs overseas, and then regret it because the dog cannot cope on walks and is miserable because of the weather, is insane. I know several colleagues who have sent their dog back to the UK because they didn't want it to keep suffering. And these are healthy, active, young dogs.

I think a lot of people just don't care until it's too late. I saw someone this morning walking an un-clipped Goldendoodle (so completely overrun with dense, matted, fur). Poor thing was staggering around the field like a drunk in Soho on a Friday night. Owner didn't even seem to care or notice.