Dog investigating a toy on a wooden floor
“Skip The Walk”: Woodgreen Urges Dog Owners To Stay At Home During UK Heatwave
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Pet charity reassures owners that dogs do not need to be walked every day as temperatures soar
With temperatures forecast to reach 38°C in parts of the UK this week, Woodgreen Pets Charity is urging dog owners to skip the walk and keep their pets at home.
Sue Ketland, Dog Behaviour and Training Specialist at Woodgreen said:
“Your dog does not need a walk every day. When temperatures soar, the safest walk is no walk at all.
“We know owners feel guilty about breaking their dog’s routine or worry they’ll become restless without their usual exercise. But skipping a walk is far safer than risking heatstroke. A missed walk won’t harm your dog. Exercising them in extreme heat could.
“Bring the activities indoors instead with enrichment games that exercise your dog’s brain not their legs.”
Even a short walk could be dangerous
With no single ‘safe’ temperature for every dog, Woodgreen warns that heatstroke can affect any pet, but puppies, flat-faced breeds, and dogs who are older, overweight pets or have underlying health conditions are at greater risk.
Dogs regulate their body temperature primarily through panting, which is a greater challenge in hot or humid weather. Heavy panting can also have an adverse effect of increasing body temperature.
During prolonged periods of extreme heat, avoiding walking during the hottest part of the day will not keep a dog safe. Temperatures rise rapidly in the morning and remain high into the evening. Hot pavements also pose a risk to dog’s paws. If the pavement is too hot to the touch, it is too hot for paws.
Choose at-home enrichment over a walk
Woodgreen recommends bringing enrichment indoors and swapping the walk for activities that exercise a dog’s brain instead. A frozen food-filled enrichment toy or lick mat offers a longer lasting, cooling challenge. Mealtimes also provide an opportunity for enrichment; owners can hide pieces of their dog’s usual food around a cool room to sniff out, or use scatter or puzzle feeders.
Short training sessions provide mental stimulation without strenuous exercise. Practising familiar commands or teaching new tricks give dogs something to focus on while keeping physical activity to a minimum. For dogs who enjoy water, a paddling pool in a shaded part of the garden can also provide a cooling activity, provided they’re supervised.
Most importantly, owners shouldn’t underestimate the importance of rest. Dogs will naturally want to sleep more or be less active during extreme heat. Cooling mats can keep dogs comfortable in hot weather, but their use must be supervised. An alternative is to use bottles of frozen water, wrapped in a damp towel and placed in cool, shaded and well-ventilated spaces. Damp towels should never be placed over a dog as they can trap the heat in. Offer the dog the opportunity to lie on the towel instead.
Know the signs of heatstroke
Signs that a dog may be overheating include excessive panting, excessive drooling, bright red gums, vomiting, unsteadiness or confusion. In more serious cases, dogs may collapse or experience seizures.
Heatstroke is an emergency. If an owner suspects their dog is overheating, move them into a cool or shaded area immediately and begin cooling them gently with tepid water, rather than ice or ice-cold water. Then contact a vet urgently for advice.
Never leave a dog in a parked car during warm weather, even for a short period, even in a shaded spot, or even with the window open. Temperatures inside vehicles rise rapidly posing a dangerous risk to dogs.
Sue concludes:
“If you’re questioning whether it’s too hot to walk, don’t take the risk. Stay home, find something fun to do together inside, and save the walk for another day.”
Woodgreen offers a wealth of free advice to pet owners on its website – www.woodgreen.org.uk - or through its pet helpline on 0300 303 9333. If you suspect your dog is suffering from heatstroke, ring your vet urgently.
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