Walking Your Dog in Hot Weather Safely

Walking your dog in hot weather needs a different approach from an ordinary walk. Before heading out, first decide whether conditions are suitable for your dog at all. If they are, keep the walk shorter, slower and easier, choose cooler times and routes, carry water, avoid hot surfaces and watch your dog closely for signs that they are struggling.

If the weather is very hot or humid, or your dog is particularly vulnerable to heat, skipping the walk can be the safest choice. A missed walk is far less harmful than pushing a dog to exercise when they cannot cool themselves effectively.

This matters because exercise is an important cause of canine heat-related illness. A UK VetCompass study found that exertion or exercise was responsible for around three-quarters of the heatstroke cases it examined.

First decide whether your dog should walk at all

Hot-weather walking safety cannot be reduced to a single temperature.

Two dogs can go outside in the same weather and face very different levels of risk. Their breed, age, fitness, weight, health and ability to breathe efficiently all matter. So do humidity, direct sunshine, the temperature of the ground, how strenuous the walk will be and how long it lasts.

Before leaving home, consider:

• how warm and humid it currently feels;
• whether the temperature is still rising;
• how much direct sun your route receives;
• whether pavements or other surfaces have become hot;
• how physically demanding the route is;
• whether your dog has characteristics that increase their risk;
• whether you can find shade and carry water;
• whether you can easily shorten the walk or return home.

If you’re uncertain whether conditions are suitable in the first place, use our guide to whether it is too hot to walk your dog before deciding to go out.

On especially hot or humid days, PDSA advises that missing the walk altogether may be safer.

Why walking can become dangerous surprisingly quickly

Dogs do not regulate their body temperature in quite the same way people do. Panting is one of their main methods of losing heat, so anything that makes panting less effective can increase the risk of overheating.

Exercise creates additional heat inside the body at the same time as the dog is trying to lose heat to the environment. Hot or humid conditions make that increasingly difficult.

This helps explain why hot-weather exercise can be dangerous even when a dog appears enthusiastic about going out.

Dogs do not necessarily make sensible decisions about their own exertion. Excitement can encourage them to continue running, chasing, playing or walking despite becoming increasingly hot. PDSA therefore advises owners to control activity rather than relying on the dog to decide when enough is enough.

The safest mindset is not:

How much exercise can my dog manage today?

It is:

How can I minimise unnecessary heat and still meet my dog’s needs safely?

Some dogs need much more caution in warm weather

Every dog can overheat, but some have less margin for error.

Flat-faced dogs

Brachycephalic — or flat-faced — dogs such as French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs and Pugs can find it harder to lose heat effectively through panting.

Both veterinary research and current UK welfare guidance identify brachycephalic dogs as being at increased risk from heat-related illness.

If you have a French Bulldog, see our guide to when it is too hot to walk a French Bulldog for breed-specific help deciding whether conditions are suitable for a walk.

If you own a French Bulldog, our complete guide to French Bulldogs in hot weather goes into the breed-specific risks and precautions in much greater depth.

Older and very young dogs

Puppies and older dogs may be less effective at regulating their temperature and can require greater caution during warm weather.

Overweight or unfit dogs

Extra bodyweight and poor fitness can increase the physiological strain of exercise. The VetCompass research identified increased bodyweight relative to a dog’s breed and sex average as a heat-related illness risk factor.

Dogs with heart or breathing problems

Conditions affecting the respiratory or cardiovascular system can make coping with heat more difficult. Current British Veterinary Association advice highlighted by the Met Office recommends particular caution with dogs known to have heart or lung problems.

A dog that coped well with a warm walk several years ago may therefore need a more conservative approach as they age or their health changes.

Choose the coolest practical time and route

If conditions are suitable for a walk, timing can make a substantial difference.

UK welfare organisations generally recommend avoiding the hottest part of a warm day and walking in the cooler early morning or later evening instead.

But do not treat “evening” as automatically safe.

After a very warm or sunny day, the air may still be hot and hard surfaces can retain considerable heat. Check the actual conditions immediately before leaving rather than relying on the time shown on the clock.

Our guide to the best time of day to walk your dog in hot weather covers this question in more detail.

The route matters too. When possible, favour:

• shaded paths;
• grass or cooler natural surfaces;
• shorter routes close to home;
• routes you can abandon easily;
• areas where you can stop safely for water and rest.

Long exposed routes with little shade or an unavoidable walk back home leave you fewer options if your dog begins struggling.

Shade can be useful, but it does not cancel the effects of high air temperature, humidity or exercise. If you are relying heavily on a shaded route to make a warm walk possible, our guide to whether shade is enough to protect a dog from heat explains those limitations in more detail.

Hot pavements matter as well as hot air

The weather forecast tells you about air temperature. It does not tell you how hot the pavement underneath your dog’s paws has become.

Our dog pavement temperature chart shows example surface temperatures in both °C and °F and explains how they should be interpreted.

Tarmac, paving, artificial grass and sand can all become very hot in sunshine and may cause painful paw-pad injuries.

A simple physical check can help identify an obviously hot surface. Current UK guidance varies slightly in how long it suggests keeping your hand against the ground: the Met Office/BVA guidance refers to five seconds, while current PDSA guidance uses seven seconds.

That difference is a good reason not to treat the hand test as a scientifically precise measurement.

The useful principle is much simpler: if a surface feels uncomfortably hot against your own skin, do not expect your dog to walk over it safely.

Grass may provide a cooler alternative where appropriate, but always judge the actual surface rather than assuming it is safe.

For a deeper explanation of surface temperatures, see what pavement temperature is too hot for dogs.

Make the walk shorter, slower and less strenuous

A walk that is reasonable in mild weather may need to change substantially when temperatures rise.

PDSA recommends shortening the normal route, keeping dogs under control, reducing the pace and taking regular breaks on warm walks.

In practice, that may mean choosing a gentle sniffing walk instead of covering your usual distance.

Avoid activities that rapidly increase exertion, such as:

• repeated ball throwing;
• prolonged running;
• energetic chasing games;
• cycling or running with your dog;
• encouraging a reluctant dog to keep pace;
• trying to complete a normal distance simply because it is part of the usual routine.

Keeping your dog on a lead can sometimes help prevent bursts of running and overexcitement.

For some dogs, a well-fitting harness may also be preferable to attaching the lead to the collar. PDSA notes that a harness places less pressure around the throat and can make panting easier, which may be particularly important for flat-faced dogs and those with breathing difficulties.

The aim is not to tire your dog out.

In hot weather, a shorter, mentally interesting walk can be a much better choice than a long physical workout.

If walking needs to be reduced substantially, our guide to exercising your dog safely in hot weather covers alternative ways of meeting their physical and mental needs.

Take water, but don’t rely on water to make an unsafe walk safe

Take drinking water with you on warm-weather walks, particularly if you will be away from home for more than a very short time.

A portable dog water bottle or collapsible bowl can make this easier. Give your dog regular opportunities to drink, especially during breaks. PDSA specifically recommends taking water on warm walks.

However, access to water should never become a reason to take a dog out in conditions that are otherwise unsuitable.

The same applies to shade and cooling equipment.

A water bottle, cooling vest or other product does not give a dog immunity from heatstroke. If the basic combination of weather, dog, route and exercise is unsafe, adding equipment does not make the walk safe.

For this reason, specialist cooling products should be viewed as supporting tools rather than permission to extend a walk.

Watch your dog, not just the weather

Once you are outside, your dog’s behaviour becomes more important than the walk you originally planned.

Watch for changes such as:

• panting becoming unusually heavy;
• difficulty breathing;
• excessive drooling;
• suddenly slowing down;
• stopping or becoming reluctant to continue;
• repeatedly seeking shade;
• weakness or lethargy;
• unusual behaviour or confusion;
• poor coordination;
• vomiting;
• collapse.

Heavy panting, respiratory changes and lethargy can appear early in heat-related illness, while weakness, poor coordination, vomiting and collapse are more concerning signs.

Do not encourage a dog onwards because you still have part of the route to complete.

If your dog stops and appears uncomfortable, treat that as useful information.

Turn around early when necessary. If there are signs of overheating, stop exercising completely.

Panting by itself has many possible explanations, but flat-faced dogs deserve particular caution because their cooling ability can already be compromised. If you have a French Bulldog and are unsure whether their panting is normal, our guide to why French Bulldogs pant in hot weather provides a more specific decision path.

What to do if your dog starts overheating on a walk

If you suspect your dog is developing heatstroke, do not simply finish the walk and wait to see whether they recover at home.

Stop the exercise immediately and move them away from direct heat. Start cooling them and contact a vet.

Current RSPCA guidance uses the principle cool first, transport second. This means beginning active cooling promptly instead of delaying cooling until you reach the veterinary practice.

Move the dog into shade or another cooler location and use water that is cooler than the dog’s body temperature to start cooling them. Air movement, such as a breeze or fan where available, can aid cooling. Avoid pouring water over the face or interfering with breathing.

PDSA likewise advises cooling immediately and contacting a vet as soon as possible.

Heatstroke can become life-threatening, so this article is not intended to replace full first-aid guidance. Read our complete guide to dog heatstroke symptoms, treatment and prevention for the full emergency information.

When skipping the walk is the safest option

Dogs benefit enormously from exercise and enrichment, but that does not mean every scheduled walk has to happen regardless of the weather.

There are days when staying home is the better welfare decision.

Consider cancelling or replacing the walk when:

• conditions are very hot or humid;
• your dog is particularly vulnerable to heat;
• pavements and alternative surfaces remain too hot;
• there is no genuinely cooler time available;
• the route offers little shade or no easy way to turn back;
• your dog is already panting excessively or seems unwell;
• keeping the activity gentle and controlled is unrealistic.

PDSA’s advice is particularly clear: when weather is very hot or humid, it can be safer to miss the walk altogether.

That does not mean your dog has to spend the day with nothing to do.

Food puzzles, scent games, short training sessions and suitable indoor enrichment can provide useful mental stimulation without creating the same heat load as a normal outdoor walk. For a fuller range of alternatives, see how to exercise your dog safely in hot weather.

Hot-weather dog walking checklist

Before leaving:

• Check the current conditions rather than relying only on the day’s forecast.
• Decide whether the walk is genuinely necessary and appropriate.
• Consider your dog’s breed, age, fitness, weight and health.
• Check the ground where your dog will walk.
• Choose a cooler, shaded and easily shortened route where possible.
• Take drinking water.
• Plan a gentler and shorter walk than usual.

During the walk:

• Keep the pace relaxed.
• Avoid strenuous running and repeated chasing.
• Use shade and cooler surfaces when available.
• Offer water and take breaks.
• Watch your dog’s breathing and behaviour.
• Be willing to turn back before completing the route.

Afterwards:

• Let your dog recover somewhere cool and well ventilated.
• Keep fresh water available.
• Continue watching for abnormal panting, weakness, confusion or other signs of heat-related illness.
• Seek veterinary advice promptly if you are concerned.

The key point about walking dogs in hot weather

Safe dog walking in hot weather is not about finding one temperature that guarantees everything will be fine.

It is about judging your dog, the weather, the route, the ground and the level of exertion together.

When a walk is reasonable, make it cooler, shorter, slower and easier than usual. Carry water, control strenuous activity and watch your dog closely.

And when conditions are not suitable, don’t try to make the usual walk work.

Choosing not to walk your dog in unsafe heat can be the safest decision of all.