Walk Check – Is It Too Hot to Walk My Dog?

Why the air temperature alone is not the answer

A mild-sounding twenty degrees can still produce a pavement hot enough to blister paw pads. Dark tarmac absorbs sunlight all day and can sit around twenty-seven degrees above the air temperature in full sun; concrete runs about eighteen degrees above, and artificial grass – which feels harmless – around twenty. Real grass barely warms at all, staying roughly five degrees above air temperature. That is why this tool works out a surface temperature for every hour rather than just showing you the forecast.

Paw burns and heatstroke are two different risks

Walking on grass or in the shade protects your dog's feet. It does not protect them from heatstroke. Dogs cannot sweat meaningfully; they lose heat by panting, which becomes far less effective in humid air. A heavy-coated or flat-faced dog can get into serious trouble on a twenty-degree day while standing on cool grass the whole time. We show the two risks separately so you can see which one is driving the colour of each hour.

Which dogs need lower limits

Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds – Pugs, French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, Boxers, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and their crosses – have narrowed airways that make panting far less efficient, and they are dramatically over-represented in heatstroke cases. Heavy-coated northern breeds, overweight dogs, puppies, dogs over about eight, giant breeds and anything with a heart or airway condition all need lower thresholds too. When you pick a dog from My Pets, we use their breed, age and build to adjust the limits automatically.

The 7-second hand test

Before any summer walk, press the back of your hand flat on the pavement and hold it. If you cannot manage seven seconds, neither can your dog's pads. It costs nothing, needs no forecast, and it catches the days when a shaded street is fine but the sunny side is not.

Signs of burnt pads

Limping, refusing to walk on, licking the feet, pads that look darker or redder than usual, or missing patches of pad and blisters. Burns are painful and easily become infected, so cool the feet with cool running water and ring your vet.

Cooling a dog that has overheated

Move them into shade, pour or spray cool – not ice-cold – water over them continuously, concentrating on the neck, tummy and inside of the back legs, and keep air moving over the wet coat. Offer small sips of cool water if they are fully conscious. Ring your vet immediately and keep cooling on the way. Research now supports cooling first and travelling second: dogs cooled before transport do considerably better.

Winter walking

Below freezing, the hazards change. Ice causes slips and hidden frozen water is a real drowning risk, so keep dogs on the lead near ponds and rivers. Road grit and salt irritate paws and can be harmful if licked off, so rinse or wipe your dog's feet and tummy after every walk. Small, thin, short-coated, very young and very old dogs lose heat quickly and benefit from a well-fitting coat. Antifreeze is extremely toxic and pools on driveways in winter – keep dogs away from puddles near cars.

Sensible summer routines

Walk early morning and late evening, take water everywhere, choose shaded grass and woodland routes, swap a long walk for sniffing games and training indoors on the worst days, and never leave a dog in a car, conservatory or caravan. A missed walk has never hurt a dog; heatstroke kills roughly one in seven dogs it affects.