How Hot Is 'Too Hot'? š¾
Hello, and welcome.
With temperatures raising here in the UK, you might be excited to spend some more time outside enjoying the sun and a boost of vitamin D! If you admit to be a bit of a fair-weather walker, you may be even more excited about the adventures you can now take with your dog/s over the coming weeks.
But just how hot is ātoo hotā for our dogs?
Did you know that dogs canāt sweat in the same way as us? With fur covering most of their body, they can only expel heat via panting or sweating through their paws. So when temperatures raise, it can quickly overwhelm our dogs - potentially leading to life-threatening heatstroke if weāre not careful.
One definitive way to decide if itās too warm to walk any dog is to do the āpavement testā. Place your bare foot on concrete thatās been in direct sunlight. If you canāt comfortably keep your foot in place for ten seconds, then itās definitely too hot to walk your dog.
Like everything, deciding on whether itās safe to walk YOUR dog will be based on your individual dogās needs. If you have a young puppy, an older dog, a dog with a shortened snout (brachycephalic), a low-set dog (such as a Basset Hound or Daxie), or a dog struggling with illness - it may well be that they find it harder in lower temperatures than others.
When the temperatures soar above 20+ degrees C, itās worth walking pre-8am or post-8pmā¦ or if itās been warm for a few days, maybe even having a day off from walks.
What can we do to entertain our dogs if we donāt walk them on warm days? It may be that your dog doesnāt want to do anything but sleep. They may not even be that interested in food. If your dog seems tired, let them rest. Just as we can get grumpy or low-energy when itās hot, so can our dogs. If they have a little energy to burn, then play with them or do some training early in the day. Later on, you can scatter some food for them to sniff out from your lawn in the shade - or from a snuffle mat indoors. Load half of their dinner into a food toy or cored apple, letting them having a chewing workout later in the day.
Just as we remember suncream for ourselves, remember shade, rest, and safety for your dogs.
Until next time, stay cool!
Caroline