How Hot Is Too Hot To Walk Your Dogs?

[chichihuahua]

I normally walk my dog during the afternoon. If I leave it too late my dog gets overly hyper during the day and also time-wise it is harder for me to walk him during the night then during the day, and I always like to make sure he gets a daily romp.

At the moment it is summer so sometimes it gets VERY hot. Obviously when the temperature is high 30s and there is sun everywhere I do NOT walk him and would do it in the evening when it's slightly cooler. I'm just wondering about hot, humid days when it's overcast. If anyone is in Melbourne, I'm specifically talking about a day like today. I'm guessing the temp is in the 30s but it's overcast, there is no sun and there's a slight breeze going. I took my dog for a walk about half an hour ago for around 30 odd minutes. I make sure that we walk on the grass and try to avoid the pavement where possible and halfway through our walk I stopped at the park tap to completely drench him in water and also let him have a drink. He's about 4kg so don't worry, I'm not wasting too much water doing this!

Upon immediately coming home I further wet him with water and let him have a long drink. Normally straight afterwards he's pretty zonked and will fall asleep immediately. But he is still pretty alert - if I start heading to the kitchen he will perk up and immediately get up to follow me in the hope that I might give him a dog biscuit. When we're out walking he's obviously panting and sluggish - I'm just wondering if I'm doing him more harm then good? I'd like to think I'm taking full precautions but I don't want him to get heatstroke. Do you think I ought to wait until the evening to walk him, or is it okay to walk him in these kind of conditions (overcast hot day with slight breeze). How hot does it have to get for a dog to get heatstroke?

Oh I should add he's about 3 years old and very healthy. If he was old (7 years+) I wouldn't be walking him in this kind of heat.

Edited February 9, 2010 by chichihuahua

[megan_]

I walk them in the early morning and after 7.30pm on days like today. It is still 30+ at that time, but you don't get direct sunlight. I keep the afternoon walk to a slow pace, and let them go crazy in the morning.

[persephone]

I don't enjoy walking when it's 30 deg- so I would try and walk really early in the morning, or late at night.

When living in Melbourne, I always walked my dog around 5.30 or 6 am every morning, before work

When we're out walking he's obviously panting and sluggish

there's your clue. He is suffering.

Edited February 9, 2010 by persephone

[W Sibs]

I walk Charlie really early in the morning or very late evenings. He perfers his late evening walks though... he isn't much of a morning dog

[chichihuahua]

When we're out walking he's obviously panting and sluggish

there's your clue. He is suffering.

Suffering, really? He still runs around at the park and stops to sniff and smell stuff... I thought on hot days all dogs pant heavily. I admit I don't really see anyone else walking their dogs in this kind of weather but I was wondering if it's because it's too hot for the people or too hot for the dog. As I said, I would never walk my dog if it was sunny and hot, but if it was overcast and there was a breeze I just figure it would be safe.

[poodlefan]

If you drench your dog with water and don't slick off the excess, you're making him retain heat, not lose it. The water retains body heat.

The smaller the dog, the harder it is for it to maintain its body temperature in extremes of heat or cold. I don't walk my dogs on really hot days unless the temp has dropped or its first thing after dawn.

[Pointees]

My doggies get walked late evening, 8pm sort of time. We walk around the streets and they get about a 10 minute off lead time.

Cooler days they get about an hour off lead time, with games of fetch and some training.

On hot days like these, my doggies go outside at about 5am, come back inside about 7am, 2 go into their crates, the other 2 walk around the house.

They have water at all times, with ice blocks.. At lunch time they go outside for an hour or so, thats when I give them fresh cool water and more ice blocks, they tend to sleep through until their evening walk then.

Half the time, all 4 will have free run of the house with me... They just curl up on my double bed and sleep. Thank you aircon! Two only get crated when the 10 month old GSP (still learning the house rules as I have only had him just over a month) wants to run around, so the oldest goes into the crate to keep him company. :D

Edited for badddd spelling.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Pointees

[persephone]

If your dog is panting and sluggish..... he is not really enjoying himself.

I got confused... so now he runs around the park?

Dogs will overdo things, too. They don't 'know' about heatstroke..they only take the opportunity to 'be a DOG' when it is offered, rather than sitting at home

They may pant heavily- but, especially in humid weather, this is not enough, and they can overheat.

If he is running around the park..and is not sluggish, then he may well be ok...

I still would not do it.

[chichihuahua]

If your dog is panting and sluggish..... he is not really enjoying himself.

I got confused... so now he runs around the park?

Dogs will overdo things, too. They don't 'know' about heatstroke..they only take the opportunity to 'be a DOG' when it is offered, rather than sitting at home

They may pant heavily- but, especially in humid weather, this is not enough, and they can overheat.

If he is running around the park..and is not sluggish, then he may well be ok...

I still would not do it.

Well, he is panting and sluggish but I take him to the park and let him off lead - he will stop and smell something and I normally will continue walking so when he finishes sniffing he will sprint up to me to catch up. And if he is some distance away and I call him he will run to catch up too. But he is sluggish in the sense that once I put him on lead he lags a bit more - I mean it's definitely different to if I walked him in winter when he'd be more alert and keep up to my pace better.

So he is sluggish and panting heavily - but if off lead at the park he will run around and smell things etc.

Edited February 9, 2010 by chichihuahua

[Erny]

Early morning or early evening. And if the evening isn't cool enough then we go out after dark even though that means no off-lead romp. Missing out on a romp every now and again doesn't matter - it's mental stimulation that will tire them out. But if we have stayed on-lead, then we normally have a game of ball in the back yard afterwards (flood lights ).

[chichihuahua]

Okay, so what's the general consensus, should I schedule walks later on in the evening on hot days then? I just checked my dog's gums (because I'm overly paranoid) and they're nice and pink and he seems completely back to his usual self now. So I probably should stop chancing it and just walk him later, right? I guess the main issue is that we don't have a garden, only a porch so I feel really guilty if he doesn't get to go out for a run around at the park once in a while. During summer it gets really hot and sunny most days, so once there is an overcast day I feel like I should take the opportunity to take him there. For example, my dog hasn't been able to go to the park in the last 4 days since it's been VERY sunny in the afternoons and I've been walking him at around 7pm at night on lead so today since it was cloudy I figured I'd let him off lead for two laps of the oval.

Now I kind of feel like I've been cruel to him by making him walk in this kind of heat.

[Erny]

For example, my dog hasn't been able to go to the park in the last 4 days since it's been VERY sunny in the afternoons and I've been walking him at around 7pm at night on lead so today since it was cloudy I figured I'd let him off lead for two laps of the oval.

It's day-light savings. Can you not do the same as you would normally do (ie let him have a romp at wherever it is that you go), but at 7pm? I was at a park at 7pm - 8.30pm last night, still with enough day-light.

Now I kind of feel like I've been cruel to him by making him walk in this kind of heat.

Don't worry about it - you had the nowse (sp?) to ask.

Perhaps your dog would be ok, if overcast, even though it is hot. But it can be a risk and no-one is going to suggest you take it. It is much more enjoyable and potentially healthier for everyone if done in the cooler hours though. I have taken my boy out when it has still been warm/hot, but overcast. However only because I knew that where we were going had a dam that he could and would wade into. He had a lot of water exercise that session .

[Pointees]

Same here Erny!

i took 2 of mine out Sunday, it was 28 and sunny.

But we went to the beach for a good 2 or 3 hours. Aircon to and from the beach, stinky car on the way home.

Damn wet dogs and seaweed. :D

Don't worry too much about it, from the sounds of it, your dog is fine. Its just a risk no one tends to want to take for their dogs or themselves.

Luckily this summer hasn't been has bad as others, we've had more rain and storms.

But it makes me wonder how Winter will be?!?!

[persephone]

Any reason you can't walk him in the mornings? That is the ideal time! Everything is fresh, and cooler- and dog is then relaxed and happy for the day- not waiting and waiting for the afternoon walk

two short walks would be much preferable for your dog , if you could- that way he's getting out of the house a bit more..and using his nose as he should- to investigate!

if it really is too hot, then put him on lead, and do 10 min. of obedience with him indoors! That will certainly give his brain a workout.

Ok- one more thing.

We have working sheepdogs.

Today they are out working, with large mobs of feral goats.

They are fine- they run and run, dunk in a water trough, and off they go again.

They are lean and fit- their bodies can take it.

Your little boy has no yard to run boundary duty in... days when he doesn't get a decent run/walk..so he is possibly not the fittest/best able to cope with the extra load keeping cool puts on the heart/lungs.

[chichihuahua]

It's day-light savings. Can you not do the same as you would normally do (ie let him have a romp at wherever it is that you go), but at 7pm? I was at a park at 7pm - 8.30pm last night, still with enough day-light.

Yes, it's bright enough but there my local dog park gets very overcrowded in the evenings, lots of people playing football, jogging, lots of screaming kids, lots of big breed dogs (my dog is very timid of bigger breeds due to being rushed up by one when he was a pup) etc. It's not specifically a dog park but a large oval where dogs can do off lead, so it also gets used for things like footy and cricket training on the weekends.

It's always quieter during the day so I prefer to take him there during noon - 3pm. Anyway, point taken, I won't walk him in this kind of heat during the afternoon anymore. He is okay but I really don't want to take that chance like you said.

^persephone:

Well my dog doesn't have a garden, we live pretty inner suburbia so no acres for us! But because of this I do make sure I walk him every day for around 40 - an hour most of the time so he is pretty fit for a little guy. He's only around 4kg, not a jack russel or anything so he does tire quickly (thank god). I think most people are surprised how much I exercise him as they view him being "small" meaning "oh, you can take it easy and don't walk him at all!". And he's young so that helps too

Edited February 9, 2010 by chichihuahua

[Erny]

I wondered if that was the case, Chi.

Can you do early mornings? Would the park be that busy early mornings on weekdays?

[persephone]

That must be so frustrating- with a favourite oval/park so crowded at popular times

[chichihuahua]

^@persephone:

Yes! Very! I guess it would be okay if my dog was more... uh, friendly and less anxious but he gets very bewildered by heaps of people and dogs. There are more parks a bit more of a drive away but this is the only one that I can walk to. And he's so small that if I walked him to one of the other bigger parks, he'd probably be completely tuckered out to run around.

I wondered if that was the case, Chi.

Can you do early mornings? Would the park be that busy early mornings on weekdays?

I probably could! But it's very hard to get out of bed... plus it's strange but my dog loves sleeping in until 2pm each day so I literally have to poke him out of bed to take him out in the mornings. I have done this sometimes, if I'm going out for a full day I'll try and walk him before 8am etc. But he's all sleepy-eyed and droopy-eared and very pathetic looking

Edited February 9, 2010 by chichihuahua

[W Sibs]

^@persephone:

Yes! Very! I guess it would be okay if my dog was more... uh, friendly and less anxious but he gets very bewildered by heaps of people and dogs. There are more parks a bit more of a drive away but this is the only one that I can walk to. And he's so small that if I walked him to one of the other bigger parks, he'd probably be completely tuckered out run around.

I wondered if that was the case, Chi.

Can you do early mornings? Would the park be that busy early mornings on weekdays?

I probably could! But it's very hard to get out of bed... plus it's strange but my dog loves sleeping in until 2pm each day so I literally have to poke him out of bed to take him out in the mornings. I have done this sometimes, if I'm going out for a full day I'll try and walk him before 8am etc. But he's all sleepy-eyed and droopy-eared and very pathetic looking

sounds like Charlie when I try to wake him up in the morning. But, as soon as I get his walking collar, he perks up a bit a little bit. We still go for THE most slowest walk ever though. We come back, and he curled up in his bed in the living room and continue snoozing.

[spottychick]

Just be aware that overcast doesn't mean safe from the sun. People get burnt on overcast days so my assumption is that dogs can feel the suns rays through it too. So if the sun was intense and then it got a bit overcast I don't trust it to be safe enough to walk the dogs in. I used to be less aware and have had one of my dogs drop from heat stroke in a park. I had to carry/drag him to a toilet block and hurl water on his feet, tongue and ears to cool him down. They will play and carry on until they drop basically, so don't use them as a guage!!!

Personally I try to leave walks till late in the afternoon/early evening - except occassionally for a very short walk to the shop (a couple of blocks away) - and that is clearly enough for them when it's warm. On very hot days I throw them in the air con car and drive 2 minutes to the river. They are more than happy with that LOL