Every summer I have the same conversation with owners. The sun is out, the dog is raring to go, and it feels wrong to say no to a walk. But some days, saying no is the kindest thing you can do.
Dogs do not sweat the way we do. They cool themselves mostly through panting, and once the air around them is hot and humid, panting stops working. A dog can overheat in the time it takes you to walk to the end of your road. It happens quickly, it can be fatal, and it is entirely preventable.
Here is how I approach hot weather with the dogs I work with, and with my own.
Check the pavement before the dog does
Tarmac and paving slabs hold heat for a long time. On a 25-degree day, the ground under your feet can be well over 50 degrees — hot enough to burn a dog's paw pads within seconds.
The test is simple. Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement and hold it there for seven seconds. If you cannot keep it there comfortably, your dog cannot walk on it. This is not a suggestion. Burned pads take weeks to heal and are extraordinarily painful.
Grass, shaded woodland tracks, and forest floor are all much cooler. If the only route out of your door is tarmac, that is a day for a garden game instead of a walk.
Walk early or walk late
On hot days I move walks to before 8am or after 8pm. The ground has had time to cool, the air is more forgiving, and shaded routes stay shaded for longer.
Middle of the day is not the time for a walk. It is not the time for the garden either, if there is no shade. Dogs will happily lie in full sun and cook themselves — they do not always know when to move.
Watch for the early signs
Heatstroke does not announce itself. By the time a dog is in trouble, it can be very hard to bring them back. The signs I want you watching for are:
- Heavy, frantic panting that does not slow down when they stop moving
- Bright red gums or tongue
- Thick, ropey drool
- Slowing down, lagging behind, or wanting to lie down mid-walk
- A dazed or unfocused look
If you see any of these, stop. Get the dog into shade, offer small amounts of cool (not ice-cold) water, wet their paws, belly, and armpits with cool water, and get to a vet if they do not settle within a few minutes. Do not soak them in freezing water — that constricts blood vessels and traps heat in the core, which makes things worse.
The RSPCA has a clear summary of the warning signs and immediate first aid — worth reading before hot weather really sets in, so it is fresh in your mind on the day.
The dogs I worry about most
Some dogs cope with heat better than others. The ones I keep the closest eye on are flat-faced breeds — bulldogs, pugs, French bulldogs, boxers — because their airways are already working harder than a longer-nosed dog's, and panting becomes inefficient much sooner. Older dogs, overweight dogs, thick-coated breeds, and puppies are also higher risk.
If your dog is in any of those groups, the threshold for skipping a walk drops significantly. A 22-degree afternoon that a healthy young collie will handle fine is a day indoors for a senior French bulldog.
Watch too for dogs who are simply flatter than usual in the heat. If your dog is more lethargic, seeking out cool tiles or shade, or turning down food, let them rest. That is their body telling you they need to sit the day out — do not push them into activity because it happens to be walk time.
What to do instead
There are plenty of ways to give a dog a good day without leaving the house. Scatter feeds in the garden, lick mats with something tasty smeared on them, snuffle mats, and short training sessions in the cool of the kitchen all give the brain proper work.
On the hottest days, I set up scent games — hide small pieces of food around the house or garden and let the dog find them. Most dogs will happily work through the space nose-down and come back to their bed pleased with themselves.
Another one worth trying is ACE Free Work — a low-arousal setup of familiar objects and food at different heights and textures that lets a dog explore, sniff, and choose where to spend their time. It is calm, it is entirely dog-led, and it works particularly well on days when a walk is off the cards. There is a short video showing how to set one up here.
The short version
If in doubt, do not walk. A missed walk has never hurt a dog. Heatstroke has killed plenty.
If you are ever unsure whether it is safe to head out with your dog, the seven-second pavement test is the simplest answer we have. Trust it, and set the dog up with something to think about instead.
Need a hand with a dog who struggles to settle indoors, or one who is bouncing off the walls on days you cannot walk them? Get in touch — enrichment and calm-at-home work is a big part of what we do at SWDS.
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