# When is it too hot to walk your pup?



## Sherm (Apr 30, 2009)

We have (I think) a 7 month old bassett/springer mix. She is a house beast. It has been pretty hot the past few days, 85 - 90 with high humidity. My wife wants to walk her, but I have been asking her to back off and wait a couple of days until we get some drier, cooler weather. I'm concerned that she will push the pup to walk TOO much, possibly putting the dog into a dangerous overheat situation. Am I being overly concerned?

Thanks!


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

Just walk in the early morning and the evening when the sun is low or down. Keep the walks somewhat short (around 20 minutes). Make sure she has water available when you get home. If you are really concerned you can get a cooling vest for her to walk in when its very hot.


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## Smokey_And_Me1971 (Aug 11, 2009)

I agree.... once in the morn', and once in the evening. it's been a scorcher too down here too in the Eastern Tennessee. And my dog is a lot older than yours, so, I don't walk him like in the mid of the day. It'd wear us all out if we walked it in that type of weather! LOL I walk him near the evenings when the sun is down, and it's kinda cool like.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Wally hates the heat as much as I do.

But he's in a dilemma because he loves his walks. I guess the good thing is he's learned, fast, what the water container looks like when walking. He'll paw at it if we are sitting and he's thirsty (didn't teach him this).

He'll even hold his "business" if it's too hot. He's like "okay, this is good enough, can we go in now?" 

Either that or he'll go to a shady spot, sit/lie down, and look at me like "come out of the heat and sit in this shady spot I found!"

So basically, either short walks, or if there's shade - take breaks in the shade and bring water for the both of you.

Of course, tonight it's 88 degrees heat index so it's not really any relief. *sigh* Summer.


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## Adustgerm (Jul 29, 2009)

My husband works 3rd shift, so i stay up all night. My dogs go for a walk at 2 am.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

I live on the West Coast of FL. It's been hotter than usual, with high humidity. We usually walk late at night, early in the AM. Some days it's been too hot and muggy to walk even late at night. I get out the kiddie pool for them, turn on the sprinkler, and sit back and watch the fun.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

There are always lots of things you can do indoors too to try and tire out your pooch. We have a long hallway we can play fetch in, or I can take them into the basement to run around. Puppy pushups, training sessions, mini flirt pole.


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

I walk mine in the evenings, around 8pm or so  It's cool enough by then. Belle gets sick if I take her on a walk when it's really hot out...she gets diarrhea , yuck!


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## loganbean (Dec 3, 2008)

I live in Florida and it's wicked hot all the time! I won't take my boys out unless it is under 90. I was watching a show about a local lady who ownes a hard core exercise service for dogs and she will not take her dogs out if over 85 degress (this is extreme running, jumping, etc.).
As everyone said, early or late in the day seems best (sometimes I have to wait until 7:30 pm to take them- and no running!).


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

When it's that hot, I walk my dog after 9 pm and before 7 am. Also I try to find cooler places like the beach at night or a hiking trail where there are a lot of trees and it doesn't get as hot.


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## princesstiffany (Mar 26, 2009)

here in iowa, its been so humid and icky i have to take my 3 before 8a, otherwise its just not any fun or after 9p.

my dogs wont even stay outside if its to hot. they run out, do their business and run back in.
excpet for koozie ( who is a husky). he will just lay in the sun in the middle of the sidewalk, hes a strange boy!


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## tunisianswife (Aug 11, 2009)

both my dogs don't do well in heat(and neither do I). we either walk early am or in the evening. I got a couple of those collapsable water dishes. they are great. I take one with me and a bottle of cold water so we can stop and they can ahve a drink. even in the early or later times we walk, they will pant. always good to remember that surfaces can be so hard on their pads when the sun is out. blacktop especially.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

When you walk your dog in hot weather, be aware of the surface. Pavement builds up heat over a few 90+ days and it is still hot even when the air temp goes down. Protect your dog's pads in hot weather.

Much better than exercising on pavement in hot weather is exercising on grass and, surprisingly, sand. 

However, the best place for exercise in hot weather is _off-leash_ in good cover with shade - if you can find such a place. Your dog's breed history certainly suggests he can handle the cover and he will really appreciate the romp out of the sun. Being off-leash allows him to maintain his own pace as well.


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## zturtilli (Aug 5, 2009)

Me and my two dogs to avoid to much heat from the sun. I take them out every morning at around 6 a.m when the heat of the sun is not that bad. After an hour I take them back to the house and gave them enough water to avoid them to dehydrate. It much better to take your dog out in the morning than in the afternoon.


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## hbowen87 (Aug 4, 2009)

With Star if she isn't walked in the afternoon she'll start driving me crazy, so if it's over 85-90 I take her for a short one (like only around the block) and bring a bottle of water (drinking directly out of the bottle is actually her favorite method so it's easy) and make her drink in a shady spot. We walk in the grass and even without overdoing it the heat makes her realize how much she appreciates the AC so she's content to wait until her evening walk.

Then sometimes when my boyfriend gets home lately it's been really hot all the way up until sunset, so we just sit at opposite ends of the living room and toss her favorite tug toy back and forth and Star chases it (sometimes she's fast enough to get to us before we can toss it so a quick game of tug) and that works just as well as a walk.


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## scropper (May 26, 2009)

Poly said:


> When you walk your dog in hot weather, be aware of the surface. Pavement builds up heat over a few 90+ days and it is still hot even when the air temp goes down. Protect your dog's pads in hot weather.
> 
> Much better than exercising on pavement in hot weather is exercising on grass and, surprisingly, sand.
> 
> However, the best place for exercise in hot weather is _off-leash_ in good cover with shade - if you can find such a place. Your dog's breed history certainly suggests he can handle the cover and he will really appreciate the romp out of the sun. Being off-leash allows him to maintain his own pace as well.


i agree here about the pavement getting hot. sometimes i check the sidewalk with my barefoot (i wear flip flops a lot so it's easy lol) if it's been a hot day to see if it's too hot for her. if it is and my puppy is really eager to walk i will make her walk in the grass while i walk on the sidewalk. 

i also agree about walking in the evenings. we carry along this water bottle that turns into a water dish. we got it at petsmart.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

We walk early in the morning or late in the evening. Saints typically dont tolerate heat well, so anything above mid 70s and my boy is only out long enough to potty. At 80 degrees, a simple potty walk leaves him panting and obviously uncomfortable. Low-mid 70s...60s are even better...and he's acting like the 6 month old puppy he is!


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## Trin (Aug 13, 2009)

Interesting thread! Having just become puppy parents ourselves last month, and seeing as it is summer in Arkansas - we have been very careful about exercising our little Beagle-x-whatever, Kaylee, in the hot weather. Problem is, of course, that it's ALWAYS comparatively hot in these parts - and will be until late September at the very earliest. We never go a "big" walk (which means anything more than a stroll in the field behind our house) without her bright fluorescent green water bottle filled up with ice water. I think she now recognizes this water bottle (you can't miss it!), and she has even put her nose to it a few times as if asking for some water (which we promptly give her). We have also many a time resorted to wetting her coat and neck down thoroughly from the bottle when out for a walk to get some evaporative cooling effect happening for the poor girl when she looks particularly hot......

Even with the best will in the world - all we can manage to do for our little pup is a 15-min stroll in the field behind the house in the early AM before we all head to work, and then a 30min-1hr "pack walk" with all three of us in the evening sometime. I'd love to give her more than that......I guess I need to seriously try and start getting up earlier.

Will be curious to see how walking in the winter works......is it recommendable to buy a coat for your dog in the winter to keep them warm when outdoors??

Trin..


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## scropper (May 26, 2009)

i'm curious to see how we will walk our dog in the winter too. lol. i'm sure it's ok to put them in a coat, but i'd be more worried about their pads on their feet. those can get chunks of snow stuck in between them and they can get frost bite i think.


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## Trin (Aug 13, 2009)

scropper said:


> i'm curious to see how we will walk our dog in the winter too. lol. i'm sure it's ok to put them in a coat, but i'd be more worried about their pads on their feet. those can get chunks of snow stuck in between them and they can get frost bite i think.


LOL I don't think that snow pack between the pads wil be much of a problem down here in AR! I think the worst we had last winter was a couple of days with about half an inch of compacted sleet!  Now where you live - maybe a different story!!!

Trin..


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## scropper (May 26, 2009)

haha! my bad. i didn't see where you lived. in ohio the snow can get pretty bad. depends on the year.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

If you and your dog are not accustomed to the temperature, it is dangerous to walk him in the heat. 

On the other hand, I live in Dallas, TX where the termperature has been in the 100s ! And it was still in the 90s at night. 

However, I see lots of conditioned teenagers preparing for track, running in the afternoon heat, and some of them are running with their dogs, who seem to love it.

I walk my 9 year old retriever every single day. So, his pads are toughened for the hot pavement, and he and I are conditioned for the 100 degree weather. I watch him carefully for how he is panting and whether his tail is wagging high or drooping. And, I give him plenty of water before and after, as well as giving him some place where he can cool off.

When it gets unseasonably hot - like the rare 100 degree weather in February - then I am very careful about walking in the heat, b/c neither of us are conditioned for it at that time.

- Hank Simon


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