Stop taking your dog on "hot walks"

I see this all too frequently with people that believe they are doing their dogs a favor. People need to recognize that your dog is wearing a fur coat and no shoes everywhere that they go. I know the dog will get excited when you offer to take them on a walk no matter what the outside temperature is like but this is a very dangerous situation for your animal that more people need to be aware of, especially if we are talking about paved, blacktop areas.

When I was a kid we would revel in how we could fry eggs on the pavement outside of our house in the street and we would foolishly "walk the coals" from one side of the street to the other in a test of pre-pubescent toughness. I ended up with blisters on my feet a number of times because of this. It simply isn't a good idea.

It gets brutally hot here in southern Thailand so the situation is actually a lot worse here but all the time I still see people walking their dogs that will follow them on said walk, even if it hurts them. Such is the nature of an animal's loyalty.

Someone forwarded me this picture from a nature reserve somewhere in a Western country. I think it was the US but I don't remember. I am happy to see things like this because I don't think that most people really consider how dangerously hot walking around can be for a dog in the summer.

Please keep this in mind because even though your dog is not going to complain -they'll do quite the opposite actually - you are actually hurting them by putting them through this process, no matter how much they seem to enjoy it. Sure dogs' feet are tougher than ours are, but especially as they get older, these things stop regenerating and you could be causing permanent damage by putting them through this.

Do your walks in the morning or evenings instead.

I don't think that anyone intentionally puts their dog into a dangerous situation but just remember: If you are hot and sweaty, imagine how tough it is for someone that is wearing a coat that they cannot take off?