How to tell if the ground is too hot for dogs?
Lily Nienow
2025-09-06 14:09:18
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The best way to tell if a pavement is too hot for your dog to walk on is to place the back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds. If it’s too painful for your hand, then it’s too painful for your dog’s paws. When walking on a hot day, if you notice that your dog is limping, looking uncomfortable or whimpering, then look at the bottom of their paws and check the temperature of the pavement with the back of your hand. If your dog’s paws look red, swollen or blistered then it’s important that you quickly take them off the hot pavement. On hot days try to: Use the seven second rule to test the heat of a pavement and see if it’s safe for your dog to walk on. Try going for walks on cooler grass. Walk your dog in the early morning or evening. Avoid walking in the midday sun. Walking your dog at cooler times of the day in the summer will help to reduce your dog’s risk of burning their paws.
Letha McKenzie
2025-09-01 10:54:32
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: 13
If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for them. Typically if something hurts us, it will hurt our dogs. The ground is probably hotter than the air. Try the “seven-second rule.” The rule goes like this: put your hand flat on a surface and count to seven. If it’s too hot to hold it there for all seven seconds, then it’s too hot for your dog. Dogs are pretty good at communicating discomfort. A dog that is trying to avoid hot pavement may seek shade, pick up their paws, or whimper.
Ida Bashirian
2025-08-24 00:11:56
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The 5-Second Rule: Place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you can’t keep it there for 5 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.
Physical Signs in Your Dog: Watch out for behaviors like hopping from paw to paw, limping, or trying to retreat to a grassy or shaded area.
These could be tell-tale signs that the ground is uncomfortably hot for your four-legged friend.
When in doubt, test it out.
Our four-legged family members rely on us to make smart choices for them.
If you have concerns about your dog’s paws or general health in this Texas heat, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Bulverde Animal Hospital.
Carli Will
2025-08-17 11:34:04
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There is a simple test in which you can do to check whether the pavement is too hot for your pet's paws by doing the seven-second test. Simply touch the pavement with the back of your hand for seven seconds. If you can’t hold out for the full seven seconds because the surface is too hot, then it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws. The ground can get much hotter than the surrounding air. What’s more, some surfaces get hotter than others. A study by Frostburg University has shown that when concrete reaches a temperature of 40 °C, under similar conditions brick can get as hot as 43 °C and tarmac 51 °C. Burns can be avoided by taking the precautions such as doing the seven-second test before walking your dog. Walk your dog on grass or in meadows. Walk your dog at times when the ground is cooler – early in the morning or late in the evening.
Winifred Kozey
2025-08-07 23:47:26
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To determine if the ground is too hot for dogs, take off your shoes and stand on the pavement or patio with bare feet, is it too hot for your feet, if so, it is far too hot for your dog on that surface. Walking on hot surfaces can cause severe burns to the sensitive skin on the pads of their paws. This will be intensely painful for your dog and leads to open wounds where the skin has burnt and peeled off. During the hot summer months, take your dog out before 8am or after 8pm when temperatures cool down. Stick to grassy or shaded paths, avoiding pavements that can burn their paws. Always carry water and a portable bowl to keep them hydrated, and take frequent breaks in shady spots. Above 27°C: It’s too dangerous to walk your dog, stay indoors or let them relax in a cool, shaded area instead.
Talia Stiedemann
2025-07-29 15:12:43
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So how can you tell if it’s too hot, well, that’s where a very different kind of 7 second rule comes into play. Before you head out for a walk, test the foot-path outside by placing the back of your hand on the concrete. If you can’t leave it there for 7 seconds without removing it, it’s too hot to walk. Hot feet warning signs Once that signal finally sinks in that they have hot feet, it can be too late and the surface layer of their foot pads can be burnt. So look out for these signs: Desperation to walk in the shade and stay there, Endless licking of their foot pads, Limping or lack of interest in walking in the hours after a walk.
Lilliana Kuphal
2025-07-29 12:30:17
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: 18
Pavements can get very hot. You know the saying, it's hot enough to fry an egg, imagine what that does to your poor dogs' feet. If the ground is too hot to touch with your hand for five seconds, it’s too hot for paws. Also look out for: limping or refusing to walk, licking or chewing at their feet pads, darker in colour, missing part of pad, blisters or redness.
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