How hot is too hot?

[Excitedannie]

Cocker spaniel just turned 1 and this is our first summer. I'm a bit paranoid about taking her out when it's too hot but for various reasons, there are some days when I can't take her out until about 1pm. So what temp would you then defer it to an evening walk?

It depends on so many factors, but this is a good general guide.

To add I would always do an early morning walk over an evening one if possible, as pavements etc. can still be hot in the evening and can still burn paws.

Very useful, thanks. It's supposed to be2 her today by late afternoon so we're good!

I'm a dog walker and I'd say 22ish is probably my cut off unless we can go to woodland and be in the shade.

I'd rather be too cautious than take a risk.

It depends on the dog. My last one was part lizard. She was long and lean and cooled well. She adored the sun and honestly was fine up to the 30s.

I know some who would struggle in the 20s, mostly flat faced or overweight.

It’s about being sensible, knowing your dog and making sure they are hydrated. Ball throwing is an absolute no in warm weather. Nice woodland cool walks are great. Dog sports generally continue up to 30 degrees (and over in some cases). Dogs continue to work in the summer but you do have to be very sensible with cooling and hydrating.

I had a long conversation with the vet and he says that a young, fit dog would have no problems up to really quite high temperatures as long as the humidity was low. When that rose than all dogs would be at more risk. Dogs frequently walk across the desert but they don’t walk through rainforests.

I’m overly cautious and don’t tend to take my dog out for a walk if it’s over 20. We walk for a hour first thing (7am) everyday anyway and then on warmer days we avoid a middle of the day walk and take him out in the evening when it’s cooled off for about 30 minutes. When it got into mid 30’s last summer I took him out at 6am and then not until after 10pm

I know this is probably OTT but I always think better safe than sorry. He’s always trying to go 100 miles an hour so I worry he’ll potentially overheat quickly even though he is only 2.

I'm definitely overcautious
I wont take mine out over 19 and I'm iffy about her being out in the middle of the day at that temperature as we have to walk alot over pavements even just to get to our car so morning and evening walks only at the moment.
She is a young smaller breed and isn't fond of the heat which does influence me.
Previous large breed would've been fine at 20/21 but I would have melted

I don't take my dog out when it's over 18c. He's a big dog. I change walk times early morning, late nights.

If I didn't take mine out over 19C she would never get out. It was 19 by 7 am here.

25C is my cut off for anything other than a forest walk. We walk in the forest up to 30C.

Evening walks need to be away from pavements if it has been really hot.

It depends on so many things:
How long it's been hot for (dogs acclimatise, and dogs that are used to heat can work cattle in temperatures >30C)
The dog's size
The dog's slimness
The dog's fitness
Whether it has a proper nose or not
How much fur it's got
Its age
Whether it can go in and out of shade or water

IME provided you now and then pause to see what your dogs do, you won't go far wrong. If the dog crashes in the shade panting madly, give it a drink and a rest, and then walk slowly back with as many shady stops as possible. If it carries on trotting about sniffing while you sit down to admire the view, it's probably coping.

If you get a cool coat your dog will be able to do warmer walks.

Only if you take gallons of water to re wet them. They dry in under 10 minutes and there is only sketchy at best evidence they cool a dog down as they don’t lose body heat from the parts a coat covers.

I have a friend who works for a very well known sports clinic and they trialled one on her very fit athletic dog. His body temperature went up compared to wearing nothing under the same conditions.

Hmm, I'd argue that if it's warm enough for a "cool coat", it's too warm to be out on walks.

Plus as @Newpeep says, they only work if you continually soak them in water, but even then they cover the dogs' fur which is their natural cooling system.

Oh no, I don't agree. You have to get a good one though. The cheaper ones tend to be made from thin material which won't hold water very well. A good one just needs a little topping up a few times on a walk, which doesn't take long and can be done when you offer your dog water to drink.

And again regarding the coverage, you have to get a good one. Getting the ones that only sit over the dog's back will have limited benefit. Get one with front chest coverage.

I play by ear depending on humidity and how my dog seems do his main walk early have been known to go out at 5am for a long walk

But don't go more than quick half block when around 26/27 as my boy is getting older but while he is a large dog he is still slim and fit and heat does not seem to be an issue

Though jos paddling pool up at home s

I have a cocker too but he's a lunatic on off lead walks and never stops running so we have to do early morning walks in the summer or later in the day only in the shaded forest with water available for swimming or cooling down

I do think it's very dog dependent