The Dog Police
Discussion
Anyone else noticed this social media hysteria around dogs and hot weather?
Unless you are a total moron you will know its not a good idea to do vigorous exercise with your dog in hot weather, walk them on red-hot pavements or leave them in a car.
It now seems to be a thing for people to walk up to strangers and berate them for walking their dog in the sunshine, or NaME ANd SHAME on curtaintwitchers.com or whatever vacuous group they populate.
My dog comes to my air conditioned office (in an air conditioned car) and I took him round the block in town for literally three minutes to do his business as he was looking a bit restless after he'd been asleep all morning, having put my hand on the pavement to check temp. He was not even panting. To my astonishment some random woman started railing on at me, saying it was far too hot and I must take him indoors immediately.
Yes, animal welfare is important, but unless a dog is visibly distressed then how about people mind their own business?
What next? Walking up to people ordering chips or a pudding in restaurants and telling them to choose different menu options?
Unless you are a total moron you will know its not a good idea to do vigorous exercise with your dog in hot weather, walk them on red-hot pavements or leave them in a car.
It now seems to be a thing for people to walk up to strangers and berate them for walking their dog in the sunshine, or NaME ANd SHAME on curtaintwitchers.com or whatever vacuous group they populate.
My dog comes to my air conditioned office (in an air conditioned car) and I took him round the block in town for literally three minutes to do his business as he was looking a bit restless after he'd been asleep all morning, having put my hand on the pavement to check temp. He was not even panting. To my astonishment some random woman started railing on at me, saying it was far too hot and I must take him indoors immediately.
Yes, animal welfare is important, but unless a dog is visibly distressed then how about people mind their own business?
What next? Walking up to people ordering chips or a pudding in restaurants and telling them to choose different menu options?
There was a bloke on facebook complaining about someone with a loud exhaust basically ripping it up residential streets too fast (another favourite social media complaint). He started his post with "I was walking my dog at about midday when..." Pretty much all the comments were people launching into him for walking his dog in the heat!
Robertb said:
Yes, animal welfare is important, but unless a dog is visibly distressed then how about people mind their own business?
What next? Walking up to people ordering chips or a pudding in restaurants and telling them to choose different menu options?
I found my cat perfectly contented sprawled out on an old concrete slab yesterday - it was burning hot but he was loving it!What next? Walking up to people ordering chips or a pudding in restaurants and telling them to choose different menu options?
& yes, the vegan/animal rights lot go into restaurants & shout at punters for being 'animal murderers' or similar.
Biker 1 said:
I found my cat perfectly contented sprawled out on an old concrete slab yesterday - it was burning hot but he was loving it!
Some of our cats will sleep on the Aga, even at this time of year. They are essentially domesticated desert animals. It's rarely too hot for them.As for the dog police, it is the same hard of thinking types which were clapping at the sky during covid. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...
I wonder how dogs in hot countries manage?
Our dog loves the heat, won't go out in the garden if it's cold, raining or too windy.
Many years ago we moved from UK to Italy and took our dog (Jack Russell) with us, he had always loved the heat (would sit so close to an open fire/wood-burning stove you would think he'd melt) and would lie out on the tiled front porch in 40 degree sunshine all day, coming in only for a drink.
We had him for around 16 years and he was a couple of years old when we got him so it didn't do him any harm.
Our dog loves the heat, won't go out in the garden if it's cold, raining or too windy.
Many years ago we moved from UK to Italy and took our dog (Jack Russell) with us, he had always loved the heat (would sit so close to an open fire/wood-burning stove you would think he'd melt) and would lie out on the tiled front porch in 40 degree sunshine all day, coming in only for a drink.
We had him for around 16 years and he was a couple of years old when we got him so it didn't do him any harm.
We asked somebody the other day how their dog was coping with the heat. They answered that the dog absolutely loves it - not only will he lay in the sun, he'll do it in the conservatory. And that's a single pane conservatory - essentially a big greenhouse bolted to the back of the house!
WH16 said:
Some of our cats will sleep on the Aga, even at this time of year. They are essentially domesticated desert animals. It's rarely too hot for them.
As for the dog police, it is the same hard of thinking types which were clapping at the sky during covid. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...
Apparently death by airing cupboard is a thing for cats: they curl up above the hot water tank, overheat & don't wake up!As for the dog police, it is the same hard of thinking types which were clapping at the sky during covid. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing...
As for dogs: I've seen loads of happy tail wagging canines all over the middle east, India & Australia...
As a dog owner, like other have said, ours won't go out if raining, and when it's hot and sunny will go and lay on the lawn and enjoy the sun.
I don't think the heat or sun is an issue (despite being a black dog), but I'm not sure the paws manage quite so well on man-made, black tarmac pavements.
Unfortunately subtlety and nuance is lost on a lot of people, and it's black or white.
I don't think the heat or sun is an issue (despite being a black dog), but I'm not sure the paws manage quite so well on man-made, black tarmac pavements.
Unfortunately subtlety and nuance is lost on a lot of people, and it's black or white.
Our big cat just brings himself into the kitchen when he is too hot, and lays on the slate flag floor to cool down.
The small cat, which is hard as f
k, goes out a the hottest time of the day, and would happily wear and hat and coat, drinking a brew and smoking a fag. Her favorite roost is the boiling hot bitumen shed roof. I can still see Robbie in my minds eye, a Lab type mongrel we had when i was a lad.
We had a coal fired boiler in the kitchen, you could toast bread by holding a slice about 2 or 3" from it without opening the door, Robbie would stand with his chest almost touching that boiler how he didn't catch light is still a mystery.
We had a coal fired boiler in the kitchen, you could toast bread by holding a slice about 2 or 3" from it without opening the door, Robbie would stand with his chest almost touching that boiler how he didn't catch light is still a mystery.
I can remember walking one of our dogs around the local woods in the middle of winter where she jumped into every freezing puddle and mud pool she could find.
When we got home my dad was burning some garden waste in a 50 gallon drum which was glowing a dull red from the heat so the dog stood next to the drum until she started to steam!
When we got home my dad was burning some garden waste in a 50 gallon drum which was glowing a dull red from the heat so the dog stood next to the drum until she started to steam!
Yep the "Dog Police" are active in my area, Nextdoor is full of them, all the usual poorly put together information sheets are posted, the usual "why don't you wear a fur coat and go barefoot and see how you like it" posts are posted.
Sure there the occasional idiots out there walking their dogs in the heat when they shouldn't be doing so either as it is too hot or the type of dog doesn't do well in heat, but by and large I don't see many.
The dog foot pad thing gets me, dog pads are by design heavily insulated and made for walking barefoot on all terrain and varying temperatures, my barefoot is going to have a far lower tolerance of heat than a dogs barefoot.
Sure there the occasional idiots out there walking their dogs in the heat when they shouldn't be doing so either as it is too hot or the type of dog doesn't do well in heat, but by and large I don't see many.
The dog foot pad thing gets me, dog pads are by design heavily insulated and made for walking barefoot on all terrain and varying temperatures, my barefoot is going to have a far lower tolerance of heat than a dogs barefoot.
Edited by HTP99 on Saturday 30th May 07:50
catso said:
I wonder how dogs in hot countries manage?
Our dog loves the heat, won't go out in the garden if it's cold, raining or too windy.
Many years ago we moved from UK to Italy and took our dog (Jack Russell) with us, he had always loved the heat (would sit so close to an open fire/wood-burning stove you would think he'd melt) and would lie out on the tiled front porch in 40 degree sunshine all day, coming in only for a drink.
We had him for around 16 years and he was a couple of years old when we got him so it didn't do him any harm.
Having witnessed stray dogs in hot countries, Egypt. India, Thailand, they manage very well, hot floors and sand don't bother them at all, they find water where they can and resort to the sea for a drink if needed. Our dog loves the heat, won't go out in the garden if it's cold, raining or too windy.
Many years ago we moved from UK to Italy and took our dog (Jack Russell) with us, he had always loved the heat (would sit so close to an open fire/wood-burning stove you would think he'd melt) and would lie out on the tiled front porch in 40 degree sunshine all day, coming in only for a drink.
We had him for around 16 years and he was a couple of years old when we got him so it didn't do him any harm.
The hysterical things are driven by lunacy and being on a band wagon lol. Oh, and probably those selling tat they tell you is needed.
Robertb said:
Yes, animal welfare is important, but unless a dog is visibly distressed then how about people mind their own business?
I think that's the key really. Not every dog owner is a good dog owner. Not every owner has common sense or has the empathy to see when their dog is uncomfortable.Doesitdrive said:
Having witnessed stray dogs in hot countries, Egypt. India, Thailand, they manage very well, hot floors and sand don't bother them at all, they find water where they can and resort to the sea for a drink if needed.
The hysterical things are driven by lunacy and being on a band wagon lol. Oh, and probably those selling tat they tell you is needed.
You can't take a one size fits all approach. Depends on the dogs breed, age and health as to how well they cope with heat or cold. Puppies pads or a dog that's kept on grass and carpet 99% of the time, won't be as well adapted to hot tarmac as a stray in India.The hysterical things are driven by lunacy and being on a band wagon lol. Oh, and probably those selling tat they tell you is needed.
Similarly, you should take extra precautions with cold adapted dogs like huskies in hot weather, and some dogs such as whippets don't cope well with the cold.
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