What temperature should you walk your dog UK?
Kiley Paucek
2025-06-03 11:38:53
Count answers: 1
At around 5°C – dogs who are cold averse could be particularly small, have a thin coat, or spend most of their life snuggled up in a blanket. If your dog shows any signs of being cold averse, it may be time to try dog coats, reduce the length of your walks, or even give walks a miss. At around 0°C – Small dogs, puppies, elderly dogs, and naturally slim dogs may start to struggle at this temperature and should avoid walks where possible. At around -5°C – Skip the walks at this stage, even if you think your dog would be able to exercise at this temperature. So, as a general rule, it’s best to avoid walking your dog when it’s -4°C or lower.
When is it too cold to walk a puppy? Puppies are at greater risk of health conditions caused by cold weather because they can’t regulate their body temperature as well as adult dogs. For this reason, even short walks can prove dangerous for puppies during the winter months – so when temperatures reach around 2°C, it’s best to avoid walking your puppy outdoors.
You also need to consider wind chill, wet conditions, and how sunny the day is before deciding whether it’s safe to exercise your dog outdoors. If in doubt, keep your walk short or skip it altogether – especially if your dog can toilet in the garden instead.
Henriette Mosciski
2025-06-03 09:26:18
Count answers: 6
Walking your dog at any temperature below 20C is ideal. Most dogs are comfortable at temperatures between 15-25°C, but this is very much dependent on their age, breed, size, coat length, amount of exercise they're engaging in, health and fitness. Below 12°C: Perfect walking weather, your dog will be comfortable and ready to explore. 12-19°C: Safe for most dogs, but keep an eye out for signs of overheating if they’re running around a lot. 20-23°C: Start to take precautions, stick to shaded areas, keep walks short, and bring water. 24-26°C: This is risky territory, only take your dog out if it’s absolutely necessary, and make it a quick, shady stroll. Above 27°C: It’s too dangerous to walk your dog, stay indoors or let them relax in a cool, shaded area instead. During the hot summer months, take your dog out before 8am or after 8pm when temperatures cool down.
Laurence McDermott
2025-06-03 08:20:39
Count answers: 3
Most dogs are comfortable at temperatures between 15-25°C, but this is very much dependent on their age, breed, size, coat length, amount of exercise they're engaging in, health and fitness. Some dogs may struggle to maintain a low body temperature, even in lower temperatures. Walk your dog in the early morning or evening and avoid the midday sun. However, early morning or evening walking, when it’s cooler, should reduce the risk of heatstroke, depending on the temperature. If it’s too painful for you to place the back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds then it’s too painful for your dog to walk on. Dogs can overheat on hot days, and some dogs can even struggle in warm weather, especially during the midday sun. Is it dangerous to walk your dog on a warm day? Yes, it can be, but it depends on how hot it is and how well your dog copes in warmer weather.
Andrew Boyer
2025-06-03 07:45:25
Count answers: 1
Walkies go out in the early morning or late evening when it’s cooler. Don’t run or cycle with your dog when it’s hot. If the ground is too hot to touch with your hand for five seconds, it’s too hot for paws. Pavements can get very hot.
Elyse Schamberger
2025-06-03 06:46:58
Count answers: 4
The breed of your dog will be the main determiner for when it’s safe for it to go outdoors in very cold weather. Small and medium breeds with thinner coats will struggle in -4°C conditions. Bigger dog breeds with thicker coats can withstand temperatures of -6°C. At -7°C dogs are at a risk of developing hypothermia and frostbite and going in these conditions is not recommended for most breeds. Large breeds can walk in -6°C for about 30 minutes, while smaller breeds should be limited to walks of fewer than 20 minutes in freezing temperatures. Dogs should never be left outdoors when the weather drops below 10°C. However, it does depend on the breed. The thick coats of Siberian husky’s can withstand extreme below freezing temperatures, but lean breeds like whippets or greyhounds will be a lot more sensitive to the cold.
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