Dog walker can’t walk dog if it’s above 23 Degrees

[StarCourt]

I’ve just found out my dog walkers insurance only covers her if it’s below 23 degrees heat. Is this a thing?

Off to check my pet insurance…
and can’t find specific temperature guidance, but have found this.

Ask to see a copy, but it sounds like bullshit doesn’t it.

I mean, it’s over 23 degrees here every day this month. It’s not an out-the-ordinary temperature.

sorry, picture.

(not a dog walkers insurance, but pet insurance)

She is a lovely person who i get on with really well. She has an awful
lot going on in her life and only her to deal with it. I feel for her as my life is similar and i know how difficult it can be to cope with everything. She often texts and asks me if she can change the time of my dogs walk because something has happened. I’m generally ok with this as I work from home so
not really an issue. But over the last few months she has cancelled a walk most weeks saying she’ll make it up at the weekend. She always does, but I can walk my dog at the weekend which is why I wanted a dog walker on the days i work. I know she needs the work and I know she appreciates my flexibility, but it’s starting to annoy me.

My DH is a dog walker and he’s been doing the walks earlier.

I mean it sounds like she's not reliable generally which is a separate issue but I think it's a good thing to have a temp cut off for most dogs who aren't necessarily used to hot weather. Does she offer drop ins as an alternative?

It doesn’t matter if she needs the work. If she really needed it she’d be doing it. Exercising your dog is a daily necessity, you can’t decide just to put it off for a few days. It sound like you’ve given an inch and she’s taken a mile. I’d start looking for someone more reliable

Not all dogs “need” daily exercise, many enjoy a simple home and yard.
Is it the dog walker herself who does not tolerate the heat/humidity above 23?
23C at 0800 can easily be 32C by high noon.
I’d want to know more.

I mean, most animal charities and orgs do suggest that’s too hot to walk dogs in the UK, son not sure she’s doing anything wrong in not walking them.

Our dog walker messages all her clients whenever the weather is forecast to be above 25° and then reviews things on a day by day basis. If too hot for usual long field walks, she does shorter, local walks or garden exercise.
She has similar protocols for the winter. I can only think of a couple of occasions when she cancelled due to weather and this was when roads were impassable due to snow.
I think you need to address the need for reliability with your dog walkers or look for someone else.

I think this is reasonable. I wouldn’t want my dog taken out if it’s too hot. (Ours has been having his walks very early and/or at about 8pm).

The other reliability problems are a separate issue.

I think at that temp ours would normally drive them straight to the woods / river providing they aren’t a flat faced dog breed. Anything over 25degs is 6am walk or drop ins only.
i also had a dog walker who took the mick if I was wfh, she lived round the corner so would message and say oh I’m really busy today and I’ve seen your cars home so I’ll need you to walk him!! Had to bin her off

Just finish the contract if you have one and let her know it's because her limitations and constant adjustments do not suit your needs.

It probably should be a policy even if it’s dictated by her insurance. I don’t walk my dogs above 20. If that means 4:30/5am walks, that’s what I’m doing - I don’t see why anyone would want to risk their dogs in excess heat. Dogs don’t know their limits and overheat quickly.

Tbh I wouldn’t be happy with a dog walker who took a dog out above 20, let alone 23.

Her being unreliable is a different issue, but as far as the heat thing goes? Yeah, I can see it. And I’d probably be more extreme than her insurance

the dog walker i met said she still visited and let them out in the garden at a certain temperature - over 24 is the standard surely, not 23

A lot of orgs advise that anything above 20 is not ideal, so I can see why she might be cautious. My dogs can’t cope above 20, so I have to get up super early to take her out.

I think there's two issues here.

The first is that no responsible dog walker in the UK would take your dog out in temperatures above 24°. You know your dog, its tolerances, and what risks you're willing to take with it; no professional is going to take those risks on your behalf, regardless of insurance. See here for the science - https://heatstroke.dog

The second is that a good dog walker would either arrange to come earlier before temperatures get that hot; or would arrange to visit instead, to let the dog out for a toilet break, play with it or offer some enrichment. As you say, coming at the weekend instead is completely pointless if that's when you can walk it.

So cancelling a walk because of temperatures is fine; but not offering an alternative on the same day really isn't.

I don’t walk mine if it’s over 22 😬

Ditto!
Especially midday. Pavements and hard ground surfaces get too hot for little paws!
Vets say if it feels hot to the back of your hand, it's too hot!
Earlier or later walks needed.

Also always good to remember they have fur coats on!! 🐾

I’m a dog walker and won’t walk dogs over 23 degrees either - it’s not my risk to take as they’re not my animals.

However I will come and start walks early or offer drop ins, I don’t just cancel altogether.

In terms of insurance, I’ve never known a policy give a specific cut off temperature, but many will refuse to pay out in cases where the walker was found to be negligent.

Thanks all for your responses

What breed of dog do you have? That will make a difference as to risks.

I have two huskies so never walk them in anything over 21 degrees.
There is an RSPCA poster online that shows a very useful safe and unsafe temperature chart by dog size.

Very wise to restrict the walks, my brachycephalic rescue struggles in temperatures over 18°, the bigger dog if over 20°.
I follow the guidance here ⬇️
My friend’s young dog has had heatstroke this week, she struggles to keep the house cool enough and the dog had only been walked very early (before 6am). He’s recovered but it’s not just the outside temperature that affects dogs.