I want to start walking my dog regular, and i was wondering can it ever be to hot to walk your dog?

Question

and how far should we go

Answer 1

Yes, it can be too hot, and it varies a great deal by breed. If I were you, I would go to AKC.org and look up your breed. They will have links to official sites for your breed and you should be able to find the information you are looking for there. If your dog is a mutt, look up all the breeds that you know of that make up your dog, and that will at least give you an idea. Heat can be harmful to dogs, even though you might not notice anything is wrong, it can begin to affect their internal organs, such as liver and kidneys, not to mention they may be susceptible to heat stroke.

Answer 2

Well, I usually judge the walk distance by 1. The temperature, anything over 25 degrees C I dont go out for more than 5 minute walks. 2. The colour of the dogs coat if the dog is black, then even if it is only 20 C the sun will make them heat up faster, so if it is sunny with a black dog I keep the walk to 10-15 minutes Maximum. 3. in the summer on a hot day it only takes a dog 30 minutes or so to get heat stroke and permananet brain damage, so I make sure never to take walks of 30 minutes or over in the summer and I carry water for the dog on walks that are between 15-25 minutes long. Other than that just make sure that the dog has water to drink when you take him for a walk in the summer and make sure to keep it under 30 minutes.

Answer 3

Yes, it can be too hot to walk your dog. Since dogs do not sweat, they have to pant to keep cool. This isn't as efficient as sweating, so in very hot temperatures they dont cool down well. If it's above about 80 degrees, take him for a couple short walks rather than one long one.

If you live in the city, also be careful about the temperature of the sidewalk or road. Dogs dont have sneakers, and the bottoms of their paws can easily burn if the sidewalk is too hot. Try to walk the dog in the mornings before the sidewalks have a chance to get hot, or make sure that he can walk on grass.

How far is going to depend on how big your dog is, how much energy he has, and how old he is. A younger dog is going to walk much further than an older one. Our dogs go walking with the humans in the evening- the humans go about a mile, and the dogs probably go twice that far because they don't have to be leashed and can run around some. A blue heeler or labrador is going to want to go for looooong walks. A schnauzer or dauchsand isn't going to want to walk very far. You'll be able to tell when he's getting tired. Keep it short at first, and work up to what he's comfortable with.

Answer 4

A. You should be walking your dog regularly by now. :)
B. It is never too hot, but you should try to stay in the shade, and not go too far. If you do want to walk a distance, take a water bowl and some water for him to drink out of.
C. Make sure when you get back inside to give him plenty of water
Have fun walking your dog...my dog loves to chase squirrels and other dogs lol. =)

Answer 5

I have to agree with the person who suggested researching at akc.org - it really will depend on the breed of your dog.

I have a small pug and heat is unbearable for him... he has tremendous trouble breathing because of his smushed face (related to the panting, which another responder brought up). He will be OK just existing, but physical activity is hard.

I believe that also it depends on the area in which you live, or where you plan on walking your dog. If you are walking in a dog park, then there may be special accomodations for the dogs, such as completely grassy areas (to keep their feet cooler vs. pavement) or water stations so they can drink when they need to. If you are just walking on sidewalks, or down a street, then you need to be more wary of the surroundings. As was mentioned before, dogs' feet are sensitive and they won't enjoy the walk. Also to keep in mind, dogs and humans both drink water when they feel dehydrated, however, dogs do not have the presence of mind to drink *before* to anticipate the dehydration. If you are out walking, you'd need to anticipate for them and make sure they are taking in water.

Dogs that get overheated could possibly have symptoms similar to a human that has heat exhaustion, but they can't tell you they feel sick. Just don't overwork your pup and keep the distances shorter on those hot hot days. Plan ahead with water and don't push too hard... when they're tired, they're tired!

Good luck, and enjoy your walks!

Answer 6

Yes, it can be too hot to walk your dog, especially if they're not used to regular exercise. The best times to walk a dog during the summer are early in the morning and later in the evening, after the sun has gone down completely. Dusk and dawn are bad times because of mosquitos and the risk of contracting heartworms and west nile virus for you. Make sure you take water both for yourself and your dog, and don't walk too fast (you can tell if you're walking too fast if you're unable to talk in even short sentences - you should be able to carry on a conversation and answer questions, but not talk for a prolonged period of time). Also, make sure your dog is up to date on vaccines and on heartworm preventive. Start with shorter distances, like 1 to 2 miles, and then work up to longer distances.

Answer 7

Depends on the dog breed. Short hair dogs should be okay in hat weather, but don't walk them for a long time under the sun, cuz they can get very hot just like long hair breeds.

Answer 8

You just have to remember if your hot, the dog is hotter. Its like wearing a winter coat for him. You can still walk him, but take water with you and go for several short walks instead of one long one.

Answer 9

Yes, I can be too hot to walk your dog, you don't want to burn the pads of his feet, depending on the surface you're walking him on. You don't want him to be subject to heat stroke either. If you want to walk him regularly, I would only suggest a block or two.

Answer 10

Yes, if it's sweltering out you should shorten your walks up. Keep an eye on the dog, watch for it to pant. You should bring a tupperware container of water for sure.