Test the pavement before you walk the dog

The air feels fine, the lead is in your hand, and the dog is already at the door. What you cannot feel from where you stand is the ground. Some people say pavement and asphalt soak up the sun and can run far hotter than the air above them, which is why the weather app is a poor guide to what your dog’s paws are about to touch.

Before you walk a dog on a warm day, press your bare palm on the pavement; if you cannot comfortably hold it there for a count of seven, take the walk to grass or shade, or wait until the evening.

This page is for someone about to walk a dog in warm or sunny weather. If your dog already seems unwell from the heat, the box above is what you need first, not the rest of this.

The test, and why the count is seven

Two UK charities give a hand test, and they differ a little. The RSPCA says that if the ground is too hot to touch with your hand for five seconds, it is too hot for paws. The PDSA says to put the palm down, and that it is fine only if you can keep it there comfortably for seven seconds; it also names sand, artificial grass and tarmac as surfaces that get especially hot. Take the stricter count. Moving the walk costs you nothing, and a burned paw costs the dog a great deal.

Start with a quick touch rather than a long press. One person warns that blacktop in extreme heat can get hot enough to soften and stick to skin. Another warns that testing by walking onto the surface yourself is the wrong way round: by the time you feel it, they say, the pads are already burning and the walk back is worse.

People argue about which part of the hand to use. Some people say the back of the hand, because its skin is thin and sensitive. Some people say the palm, and one person adds that the back-of-hand habit comes from fire safety and may underestimate heat. The PDSA says palm.

Some people pointed out that the five-second test does not appear in the ASPCA’s own hot-weather advice, which only says not to let dogs stay long on hot asphalt in very hot weather. As far as this page could check, that is right: the five-second wording is the RSPCA’s.

How good is a human hand as a stand-in for a paw?

Not perfect, and people say so from both sides. Some people argue that a dog’s pads are thick and calloused, so a surface that stings your palm may not trouble the dog. Some people answer that thick skin still blisters on scorching ground, and one person says hot pavement can leave a dog with peeling pads. Whether a particular dog is tougher than you is not something a hand test can tell you. That is why the test errs on the cautious side: if it is wrong, the cost is a different route.

Some people also say pads toughen with gradual increases in time and surface, and that a sudden long walk on concrete can leave raw spots. One person adds that young dogs may be more vulnerable.

If the ground fails the test

Some people suggest steering the dog onto grass, dirt or shaded paths, and one person suggests parks and wooded trails over asphalt. Two cautions come with that. One person warns that shade on a trail does not cool the car park next to it. And some people note that a grass allergy rules grass out for some dogs, in which case this page has no answer and your vet is the person to ask.

Timing is the other lever. The PDSA advises avoiding the hottest part of the day and going out early or in the evening; the RSPCA advises the same cooler hours and says to avoid running or cycling with a dog in hot weather. Some people give a rule of before eight in the morning and after eight at night. One person living somewhere very hot says asphalt can stay dangerously hot for hours after sunset, so test it in the evening too. One person says not to play fetch on pavement in summer heat. One person warns that freshly laid tarmac is especially dangerous and that people ignore the warnings.

One person suggests hosing down a private patio before the dog goes out, and another keeping the dog in on the worst days with fans on and cool floors to lie on. One person says to carry water, and another pointed out that fizzy water can upset a dog’s stomach. One person points out that someone in a city in a long heat wave faces a bind: not walking the dog at all has its own cost, and the pavement is unsafe. This page does not cover that case; your vet can say what the dog needs.

Boots, wraps and balm

Many people say dog boots protect paws from hot surfaces, and many also say some dogs will not wear them. Some people add that boots are not the whole answer: the dog still needs shade, water and cooler ground. One person says socks or balm are cheaper than boots, though how well they work varies in extreme heat. Another says that if a dog refuses boots, stretchy bandage tape over felted wool padding can protect the paws for crossing a hot street to reach grass, as a temporary measure only. One person warns that some boots are reported to make paws bleed, and some people say boots need trying on and sizing carefully.

Some people suggest putting petroleum jelly or a paw balm on just before a walk; ask your vet before putting anything on the pads, because a dog may lick it off. One person says it works as insulation; another says a balm may not hold up near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and another that some dogs slip afterwards. One person warns against essential oils in any paw product, because a dog may lick it off and swallow it. This page could not check whether any balm or boot protects a paw against real heat, so treat them as a back-up to the test, never a replacement.

Some people also disagree about paw sweat. Some people worry that boots trap sweat that helps cool a dog; one person says paw pads sweat for grip, not cooling, and that a dog cools through its tongue and ears. This page could not check which is right. Some people say the bigger danger on a hot day is overheating rather than burns, which is why the walk, the water and the hour matter as much as the surface. The PDSA says heat is hardest on flat-faced, overweight, young, elderly, giant-breed and long-haired dogs, and some people say thick-furred breeds may need cooling help beyond avoiding pavement.

The dog’s own signals count, but they come second

Many people say a dog tells you: it lifts its paws, looks for shade, refuses to go on, or tries to get off the ground and onto the grass. One person says to read that as a message and not as laziness. But some people warn that dogs can ignore pain when they are excited or focused, and some say dogs often lie on hot pavement by choice, which proves nothing about whether it is safe. One person says a dog may put up with discomfort because it thinks its owner expects it. And one person notes that a dog stopping to sniff or in fear can look the same as a dog stopping because of heat. So test first, then watch.

If a paw looks burned

The RSPCA lists limping, licking at the feet, darkened pads, missing pieces of pad and blisters as signs of heat damage. If you see them, ring your vet. One person suggests running cool water over a burn and not applying ice, wrapping it loosely, and going to an emergency vet if it is severe; this page could not check that against a vet source for dogs, so let your vet confirm before you treat it yourself.

Who this page is not for

If it is winter, the heat test is not your problem, though a different one may be: one person warns that salt put down to melt ice can hurt a dog’s paws too. If you cannot get down to touch the ground, you may be better off keeping to grass and shade or asking someone else to test it, because the whole method rests on a hand reaching the surface. And if your dog is already showing signs of heatstroke, the test comes too late: the box at the top is the page for you.