How hot is too hot

musashi

Today, in the D.C. metropolitan area, weather forecasters are predicting the temps to hit 100 degrees or possbily a tad more. With the humidity, the heat index will supposedly hit 105-108 degrees; blistering temps in my opinion.

Having stated this, at what temps are unsafe for dogs? Do smaller dogs cope with the heat better than larger dogs?

I keep my dog indoors but I am considering not going on our usual walk today. I usually walk about 1mile with my 5mos old JA.

Anyone know if its unsafe to walk a dog in this kind of weather?

sunyata

Take short walks during the day, if needed for potty breaks. Go for your longer walks in the early morning and late evening.

We are dealing with this weather south of you in VA, too. The Inus are NOT happy about it. Bella and I went for our morning walk (about 2 miles) at 6:00 this morning and it was not too bad (probably about 70 degrees). However, by the time I left for work (7:45), it was already 80 degrees and ridiculously humid. I go home for lunch to let them out, but they only stay out long enough to do their business when it is this hot. Tonight, I will walk Bella after 9:00, once it gets below 85.

I also make sure they have plenty of cool water and a nice spot to lay on the AC vent.

(Just an FYI, (in case anyone was thinking that I am neglecting little N) Nola does not get daily long walks anymore due to her neurological deterioration.)

ayk

The heat + humidity will make it not safe for the dog. Their panting is going to be ineffective since the humidity reduces evaporation on the tongue. The sidewalks are also probably be scalding hot for their pads.

I wouldn't walk the dog when the sun is out. Might want to add a wet cooling bandana to increase the area of evaporation when the dog is out.

Hinata23

This is good to know! Thanks! We're in the process of moving from Utah to Miami,fl and I've been wondering what to do... since ChoCho and Goro are our first double coated dogs.

musashi

@ayk Thanks for the response. I forgot how hot the sidewalk can get. Last year, the weatherman in our area did an experiment and tried to fry an egg on the sidewalk......he failed, but I remember him saying that the sidewalk reached over 140 degrees or something close to that!

jellyfish

here in texas it has been a pretty constant 90F weather and it is about to hit 100 in a few days. Toki is not happy and constantly seeks out shade like a vampire.
Our routine has pretty much dwindled to us going out in the yard for Toki to pee and coming back in a minute later, then a short 5 minute walk around the neighborhood for him to poop, and then we go back in. He gets long evening walks/runs to make up for it, and in addition, we play tug of war in the house. He is pretty laid back guy anyway, so throwing a ball/tug of war in the house for 10 minutes is pretty sufficient enough for him to calm down, (though, not a substitute for excersize, but its helpful)

Losech

Yeah, when it's pretty hot out, I keep the dogs inside. When it's hot with humidity, I really keep the dogs inside. Always provide fresh cool water. Walks in the morning and evening, or night, avoid any type of hard exercise during the day when it's hot, and limit how much time the dogs spend outside. If they are allowed to, play in the house instead.
If you don't have AC, get a kiddie pool and put it in the shade. Just keep it stirred up to avoid creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

When it's warmer out when I'm off doing things with Conker, I will get a wet bandana and wrap it around his neck. I keep it quite moist and will sometimes rub some water onto his legs and neck a bit.

MirkaM

Great topic! I usually leave dogs home when the weather is over 77. And 77 is also the limit to be in outddoor cage the whole day. In Finland the hottest days are usually around the 91 degrees. Do you think that 91 is too much for a 1 hour walk?

WrylyBrindle

My art studio is in the walkout basement- it is the dogs' home base in these hot times. We even slept on the pullout couch down here with them We took short shady forest walks this morning, and Rei and Juno swam a little. Everybody's keeping cool.

Losech

I wouldn't walk a doublecoated dog in 90+ degree heat unless they were used to it, or I had plenty of water or access to water to keep them cool, or if there was plenty of shade. I do take Conker on hikes when it's above 90 out, but I always make sure there is a creek or something near the trail for him to cool off in frequently. I live in an area that's got a lot of natural water, though, you can't really go anyplace without finding some, so it's pretty easy for me to do summer activities with my dogs. I live right by a good-sized river that the dogs love to visit when it's hot out.

Speaking of rivers... Watch out during the salmon run a bit later in the year, if you take your dogs to a river that salmon live in. They can contract a deadly parasite from eating raw salmon. Here's a page on it: Salmon Poisoning Disease. I say this because several dogs in my area die every year during or after the salmon runs from eating infected fish.

Sangmort

It's so bizarre right now for it to be 20 degrees hotter up north than it is down here! It's 80 degrees here in Central Florida. Even cooler in some parts.

Generally, if it's too hot for me it's too hot for the dogs. I don't walk them in 90 degree whether when the sun is out, I might collapse before they do!

The NK we have do great in the heat though, far better than our dutch shepherd. I'm not sure if it's a coat thing, or a size thing however. ~

jellyfish

91 is def. too hot for an hour long walk.
Five minutes is about all Toki is willing to do in that hot of weather. I couldn't imagine even a 20 minute walk.

sjp051993

@suyata, we all know you would never neglect Nola:)

sukoshi_mom

You may want to take along a spray bottle w/ water and spray them down on the walks.

Definitely watch out for hot concrete/asphalt. Some folks have their dogs wear booties in weather like this to avoid blistered paws.

tjbart17

It hit 103 here Saturday and the dogs stayed in past 80. In the evening we went on a walk. As a puppy I never introduced Koda to water like I should have. I got Mika a kiddie pool and her and Mei love jumping in when they get hot chasing each other. Mika just really likes jumping in.

MirkaM

Cooling isn't problem in our walks because our route is along the lakeside. And I think that our 90 isn't as hot as yours .

sunyata

Yeah... Yesterday was quite brutal... And this morning, for our walk, it was already 80 degrees at 6:30 this morning!

It is supposed to cool off a bit this weekend, thank goodness!

I am thinking mass exodus to Alaska. Anyone want to join?

Losech

I'll go! Even though it's raining and kinda chilly right now.

sjp051993

Alaska works for me.

Araks

Or you guys could come to SoCal which is much closer It's been in the 80's-70's these past couple weeks

curlytails

The skies were gray and temps were in the 50's when I woke up this morning in the San Francisco/East Bay area.

Just another typical day...

Sorry, I know that's not helpful. I'm so used to perpetual balminess, I forget just what to do in hot weather. Went inland last Saturday and thought my car was broken when I got off the freeway and the thermometer was reading 104 degrees outside. And yeah, even the African basenji was yelping when we skittered across a sidewalk. Took that as my cue to turn around and go home...

sachismom

Here in Denver, we have had over 100 for 6 days. My AA and I walk before 6 am and if she's out at all during the day, I soak her with the hose. She wasn't sure of that at first, but is okay with it now. It's been so hot that we even drove up to 9,000 ft and it was too hot until we found a creek to splash in. She prefers being inside in the air conditioning and will make that known.

shibamistress

My dogs are all too hot, and just lay around on the cool(er) floors. We're at about 7,500 feet but it's still in the high 90s during the day (just looked up at is 98 now). They don't want to do much of anything and I don't blame them--neither do I! (we have no a/c or swamp cooler). It cools down at night, though, and they're more active then, but still not terribly active in the summer at all. If we go for walks, we go at night.

Saya

Good suggestion Sukoshi.

If you don't have booties then be sure to feel the concrete or asphalt or whatever see how it feels and imagine walking bare foot with it if it's too much to walk bare foot then it's probably too much for a dog.

When I lived in city short walks in morning and evening on the grass during hot times and play in the back yard between.

Here I do same, but on the trails it's all grass. dry grass mind you, but it's much cooler then cement. we go on walks in pm when sun is going down and in am or lunch time the dogs get time in the big yard to run or explore. Bella does her running and then follows me around as I do things in the yard. Weeding garden, watering it and so on.

Saya keeps busy exploring and mostly lays when she is done.

If it's really hot be sure to bring water or if in yard have a water bowl in case they get thirsty.

Do indoor activities and training if way to hot or during hot times of the day.

Sangmort

Still amazing me it's been cooler here in FL than practically the rest of the US! 79 - 83 here max in the past couple of weeks. ~

sunyata

We are getting ready for another heat wave here...

I am ready for that exodus to Alaska... Do they have good mountain biking there?

musashi

It's 100 today...heat index is stating, 108-110. My JA pup igonred his food, he's never done that before. I'm assuming it has to be the heat; tried feeding him indoors but that didn't work.

sunyata

Probably the heat... I know that my appetite diminishes when it is super hot, and so do B&N's.

And THIS is too hot... It got up to about 103F today...

Nola has been hanging out by the A/C vents. Right now she is passed out on the floor with her mouth wide open, tongue hanging on the floor. Poor pup.

Luckily, Bella handles the heat MUCH better.

Saya

Heat has been bad.. Saya hasn't lost appetite yet, but yeah heat has been nuts finally rained some, but still not enough to soak the ground enough.. cracks in ground still there..

Crispy

London has lost all of his undercoat now and he's doing pretty well in the heat. I never take him out for walks if it's over 90 though and only very leisurely walks if it's in the 80s. We're fortunate and there are only a few days a year that it ever breaks 100. He hangs out in the basement on the concrete for a lot of the hotter days, but also enjoys the grass in the shade.

As long as he doesn't get exhausted during a hot day, he keeps his appetite. He loves our fans, even if we have the AC going. He'll still stand in front of the fan and take all the cool air he can get.

lindsayt

Screw Alaska, come to Washington!

The Puget Sound area is quite cool right now, 60's and low 70's, some sun and not very humid. The dogs are quite comfortable.