Dog Days of Summer: Safety Tips For Walking Your Canine

The dog days of summer are here, not just for humans, but our 4 legged friends as well.

Downbeach dog owners: please consider not only the sun, heat and humidity, but also the rising sidewalk and sand temperatures.

Best rule of thumb; if sidewalk or sand is too hot for your bare feet, they’re also too hot for your dog’s paws!

Our beloved companions can’t verbally complain, but if you see them looking up at you and trying to take one of their four paws up continuously, they’re clearly uncomfortable on the sidewalk or sand.

Some things to consider as a workaround:

If you must walk your dog in order for them to “do their business”, take them out in the early morning or later in the evening, if they can hold it in until these times.

Drive to a local dog park during hot months if you can. Grass never hurts their paws… even in high temps.

If your dog is small/light enough, consider carrying them to a dog-safe, grassy place instead of making them walk during high temps.

We see more people using dog carriages for their beloved pets, these are also a good alternative to keep them off the hot pavement until they can reach some cool grass.

There are also plastic pet booties for your dog’s paws- probably not Fido’s favorite solution, but they do keep their paws safe from getting hurt on the hot sidewalk or sand.

ALSO: always bring a bottle of cold water for your pup to drink from if needed.

Don’t be afraid to share this important information with your friends and neighbors as well.

Downbeach dog owners don’t intentionally want to hurt their pets with an innocent summer walk.

It all just comes down to awareness.