Walking dogs in Louisiana heat: times, pavement and what to ask a walker

In a Louisiana summer, walk your dog in the early morning or late evening, check the pavement with the back of your hand before you set out, and keep midday outings short and shaded. It is too hot to walk when the ground fails that hand test or when your dog shows signs of overheating, whatever the thermometer says. A hired walker should follow the same rules, which usually means a shorter midday visit than the one you book in January.

When it is too hot to walk

There is no single temperature at which every dog must stay in. Humidity is why. The National Weather Service describes the heat index as how hot it really feels once relative humidity is factored in with the air temperature, and gives an example: 96°F with 65% relative humidity feels like 121°F. It adds that full sunshine can raise heat index values by up to 15°F, because the figures assume shade and a light wind. Louisiana summers are humid, so look at the heat index, not just the temperature, and remember your dog is walking in the sun.

The margin for a dog is narrow. The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine puts a dog's normal body temperature between 99°F and 102.5°F and says a rise of only three degrees, to 105°F, can lead to heat-related illness. Its advice is to avoid jogging or biking with your dog at midday in summer and to match exercise to the dog's age, breed and body condition, with your veterinarian's guidance.

Some dogs are at more risk than others. LSU names puppies, older pets and short-nosed breeds such as pugs and bulldogs as especially prone to heatstroke. For those dogs, treat a warm day as a hot one. How much exercise your own dog can safely take in summer is a question for your vet.

How to check the pavement

Asphalt and concrete in the sun get much hotter than the air, and LSU warns that pavement can become hot enough to burn a dog's paw pads. The National Weather Service gives a simple check in its advice on keeping pets cool: place the back of your hand on the asphalt, and if it is too hot for you, it is too hot for your pet.

Do the check where the dog will actually walk, in the sun, not on the shaded step by your door. If the pavement fails:

• walk on grass or dirt, and cross pavement only where you must
• choose the shaded side of the street
• shorten the route so the dog is back inside sooner
• wait until later

Dark asphalt, parking lots and metal surfaces such as manhole covers and truck beds are the worst. Pavement also holds heat after the sun drops, so check it in the early evening too.

Which times of day work from May to September

Both LSU and the National Weather Service give the same guidance: plan walks for early morning or late evening, when temperatures are lower, and keep walking to a minimum during the hottest part of the day.

Time of day	In summer
Early morning	The best time for the day's main walk. Air and pavement are at their coolest.
Late morning to late afternoon	The hottest part of the day. Keep it to a short break on grass or in shade, then back inside.
Early evening	Often still hot underfoot. Do the hand test before you go.
Late evening	A good time for a second proper walk.

The sources do not give clock times, and the right hour shifts through the season and with the day's forecast. As a working rule, do the long walk when you would be comfortable walking barefoot, and treat everything else as a bathroom break.

Bring water on any walk longer than a few minutes. The National Weather Service notes that pets need more water in hot, humid weather.

Signs of trouble, and what to do

Stop the walk and get out of the heat if you see any of these, which the National Weather Service and LSU list as signs of heat illness:

• heavy or excessive panting, or rapid breathing
• excessive drooling
• a rapid or irregular heartbeat
• gums turning from light pink to bright red or a dull, grayish pink
• lethargy
• vomiting or diarrhea

LSU's instruction is to move the dog to shade right away, dampen its coat with cool water, and get veterinary care immediately; it calls heatstroke a dire emergency. Call your vet or an emergency clinic rather than waiting to see whether the dog recovers.

What a hired walker should do differently in summer

Most dog walkers in Louisiana come to your home, often in the middle of the day, which is exactly when the advice above says to do the least. A good walker changes the routine from May to September. Ask how before the heat arrives.

• What time will you come? Ask whether summer visits can move earlier or later. If the slot has to stay at midday, ask what the visit looks like then.
• What does a midday visit include in summer? A sensible answer is a short outing on grass or in shade, fresh water, and the rest of the time indoors. Many walkers sell a 15-minute walk or backyard break alongside 30- and 45-minute walks; in July the shorter one can be the better buy.
• Do you check the pavement? Ask what route they use and whether it has shade and grass.
• Do you carry water? And do they refill the bowl before they leave?
• How do you get here? If the walker drives your dog anywhere, ask about it. LSU and the National Weather Service both say never to leave a pet in a parked car, even with the windows down.
• Will my dog walk alone? A dog walked on its own can go at its own pace and turn back when it has had enough. Some walkers take only your household's dogs at a time.
• What do you know about my dog? Tell the walker if your dog is a puppy, a senior, short-nosed, overweight or has had trouble in the heat before.
• What will you do if my dog overheats? They should know the signs, have your vet's number, and call you at once.
• Will you tell me when you cut a walk short? You want a walker who shortens the walk on a dangerous day and says so, not one who completes the full time regardless.

Paying the same for a shorter, safer summer visit is reasonable: the walker still made the trip, and the judgment is part of what you are paying for.

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