Is it too hot to walk my dog?
Type the temperature and humidity or use your location, tell us about the sun, the pavement and your dog. You get a walk verdict, the heatstroke signs to know and how to keep it cool. Free, in °F or °C.
A breathable cotton bandana you can wet
Our Flairtie bandanas are 100% cotton and tie on, so they soak up cool water and come off in a second. Machine wash cold.
What this hot weather check does
It reads the temperature with the Tufts weather safety scale, folds in humidity with the heat index, then adjusts for sun or shade, water, a flat face, a thick coat, extra weight and age. Add the pavement hand test and you get a plain verdict, the heatstroke signs to know and what to do instead. No sign-up needed.
On a scorcher, the best walk is often a sniffy one at dawn, or a game in the shade. They won't mind.
Is it too hot to walk my dog?
On the Tufts weather scale, heat risk starts to climb around 70°F (21°C). At 75°F (24°C) it's "potentially unsafe" for most dogs, and from 85°F (29°C) every size sits in the top, life-threatening band[1]. On humid days, read the chart at the heat index ("feels like") temperature[8]; a flat face, a thick coat or extra weight push the line lower.
Walks matter more than you'd think: in UK vet records, exercise triggered 74.2% of heat-related illness cases[6], and the RSPCA says dogs are 10 times more likely to get heat-related illness on a hot walk than in a hot car[3].
Dog heat chart: when it's too hot to walk
Find the temperature on the left and your dog's size across the top. Use the "feels like" (heat index) on humid days.
| Temperature | Toy and small | Medium and large | Giant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60°F (16°C) | Good | Good | Take care |
| 61–65°F (16 to 18°C) | Good | Good | Keep it short |
| 66–70°F (19 to 21°C) | Take care | Take care | Keep it short |
| 71–75°F (22 to 24°C) | Keep it short | Keep it short | Keep it short |
| 76–80°F (24 to 27°C) | Skip it | Skip it | Skip it |
| 81–85°F (27 to 29°C) | Skip it | Skip it | Skip it |
| 86–90°F (30 to 32°C) | Skip it | Skip it | Skip it |
| 91–95°F (33 to 35°C) | Skip it | Skip it | Skip it |
Then adjust, as Tufts does: one step worse for a flat-faced (brachycephalic) dog, a dog carrying extra weight, a puppy under 6 months or a senior; one step better for shade, and for water they can drink[1]. "Good" is a score of 0–1, "Take care" 2, "Keep it short" 3, "Skip it" 4–5.
The Tufts scale (Patronek, 1997) is a screening chart that animal welfare officers use to judge risk to dogs kept outdoors[1]. A walk is shorter than a day outside but harder work, so we use it as a cautious guide, not a timer. Humidity is folded in with the National Weather Service heat index[8], which is built for people. In the US, "Use my location" fills in the current hour from the National Weather Service forecast[9]; check it against the sky outside and change anything that's off.
The 7-second pavement test
Press the back of your hand on the pavement for 7 seconds. If you can't hold it there, it's too hot for paws[5]. (The RSPCA uses 5 seconds[4]; either way, if it hurts, skip it.)
Pavement heats up far past the air: in Vets Now's figures, at an air temperature of 25°C (77°F) asphalt can reach 52°C (125°F), hot enough to damage skin in about a minute. Natural grass stays coolest[5].
Signs of heatstroke in dogs
- Heavy panting, or noisy or fast breathing[3]
- Thick, sticky drool, or red gums and tongue[3]; dry or sticky gums or an abnormal gum color[2]
- Weakness, sluggishness, wobbliness, confusion or disorientation[2][3]
- Vomiting or diarrhea[3]
- Collapse or seizures[3]
What to do if your dog overheats
Cool first, then go to the vet[3]:
- Stop the walk and get them into shade.
- Pour cool water over their neck, belly and thighs, and fan them[3]. Skip the ice, and don't cover them with a wet towel[2].
- Call your vet on the way and keep the car cool[3].
Which dogs overheat fastest?
- Flat-faced breeds like Pugs, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs can't pant as well, and can get into trouble at only moderate heat and humidity[2][3].
- Thick coats trap heat[3].
- Puppies and seniors can't regulate their temperature as well[3].
- Heavier dogs: in a study of UK vet records, dogs weighing more than their breed's average, and breeds such as the Chow Chow, Bulldog and French Bulldog, had higher odds of heat-related illness[7].
Summer walk tips
- Walk early in the morning or late in the evening[4][5].
- Stick to grass and shade[5], and bring water.
- Walk, don't run: skip jogging or cycling with them in the heat[4].
- A wet cotton bandana, not a frozen one. Soaked in cool tap water, wrung out and tied loosely, it cools a little as it dries, so it helps most on a short walk in dry air. Rewet it every 10 to 15 minutes, and skip the freezer: the AKC advises against putting anything ice-cold on a dog[10]. It won't prevent heatstroke, and flat-faced, senior or heavier dogs need a cooler plan, not gear[11]. If they overheat, take it off and cool them with water and moving air[12].
More in our guides: how hot is too hot for your dog and summer walk tips.
Chilly day? Check the cold instead
Not veterinary advice. Every dog is different. Allergies, health conditions and medications can change what's safe. Ask your vet before adding new foods. If your dog ate something worrying, call your vet or nearest emergency clinic now. In the US/Canada you can also call ASPCA Animal Poison Control (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661. A fee may apply. By using this tool you agree to our Tools Terms.
How we got this
We start from the Tufts weather safety scale, a screening chart that gives a risk score from the temperature and the dog's size. When you add humidity we use the heat index as the temperature. Then we apply the Tufts adjustments: better for shade and drinking water; worse for flat-faced breeds, extra weight, puppies and seniors. We also count a thick coat as one step worse, because vets list thick coats as a heatstroke risk. A pavement that fails the hand test means keeping the walk short and on grass, whatever the score. The score becomes one of four verdicts.
The cool-bandana tip shows only on mild-to-moderate days, when the humidity is 50% or lower or not entered, and never for flat-faced, heavier or senior dogs. A damp cloth cools by evaporation, which slows in humid air, so it helps a little at best and never changes the verdict.
"Use my location" asks your browser for your location once, looks up the current hour of the National Weather Service hourly forecast and fills in the form. If the forecast leaves out the humidity or the sky, we leave that field as it is and ask you to check it. Your location goes only to the weather service; we don't store it, share it or put it in the link. It works in the US only; anywhere else, type the temperature from your weather app.
The heat index is modeled on people, the size classes are matched by example breeds, and the chart was written for dogs kept outdoors, not for a walk. We treat it as a cautious guide, not a timer, and we don't give "safe minutes". Your dog's own signals always win.
Early walks, light gear: browse dog harnesses.
Sources
- Patronek GJ (1997). Tufts Animal Care and Condition (TACC) scales: Weather Safety Scale. Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (copy hosted by the Oregon VMA). Supports: The temperature bands by dog size, and the adjustments for shade, water, flat-faced breeds, extra weight, puppies and seniors. A screening tool, not a diagnosis.
- Heat stroke in dogs. VCA Animal Hospitals. Supports: Signs of heat stroke; flat-faced breeds at risk in moderate heat and humidity; cool, not ice-cold, water; don't cover with a wet towel.
- Heatstroke in dogs. RSPCA. Supports: Heatstroke signs, who's most at risk, cool first then go to the vet, and that hot walks cause more heat illness than hot cars.
- Caring for dogs in summer. RSPCA. Supports: Walk early or late, skip running and cycling in the heat, the hand-on-pavement test.
- Hot pavements and surfaces: how to protect your dog's paws. Vets Now. Supports: The 7-second pavement test, how hot asphalt gets compared with the air, and that grass stays coolest.
- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, O'Neill DG (2020). Dogs don't die just in hot cars: exertional heat-related illness (heatstroke) is a greater threat to UK dogs. Animals. Supports: Exercise triggered 74.2% of the heat-related illness cases in UK vet records.
- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, O'Neill DG (2020). Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016. Scientific Reports. Supports: Higher odds of heat-related illness for breeds such as the Chow Chow, Bulldog and French Bulldog, and for dogs heavier than their breed's average.
- The heat index equation. NOAA Weather Prediction Center. Supports: The heat index formula we use to fold humidity into a feels-like temperature.
- API Web Service (api.weather.gov). NOAA National Weather Service. Supports: The hourly forecast behind "Use my location": temperature, wind, humidity and sun or cloud for the current hour. US only; public domain.
- (2026). How to keep your dog cool in the summer heat. American Kennel Club. Supports: Damp cooling cloths and vests cool by evaporation; don't put anything ice-cold on a dog, so a chilled cloth shouldn't go straight onto ice.
- Hot weather safety tips. ASPCA. Supports: Flat-faced pets, seniors, overweight pets and those with heart or lung disease should be kept cool indoors on hot days.
- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, Bradbury J, et al. (2023). Cooling methods used to manage heat-related illness in dogs presented to primary care veterinary practices during 2016-2018 in the UK. Veterinary Sciences 10(7):465. Supports: Cold-water immersion and evaporative cooling (water plus moving air) are the recommended cooling methods; wet towels, the most used method, are not recommended.
Questions people ask
What temperature is too hot to walk a dog?
On the Tufts weather scale, heat risk starts to climb around 70°F (21°C), most dogs are in the "potentially unsafe" zone at 75°F (24°C), and from 85°F (29°C) every size is in the life-threatening band. On humid days the calculator reads the chart at the heat index ("feels like") temperature, and a flat face, a thick coat or extra weight make it riskier sooner.
How do I know if the pavement is too hot for paws?
Press the back of your hand on it for 7 seconds. If you can't keep it there, it's too hot for their paws. Pavement gets much hotter than the air, so walk on grass or wait until it cools.
Does humidity make it worse?
Yes. Dogs cool themselves mostly by panting, which works less well in humid air, and VCA notes that flat-faced dogs can get into trouble at only moderate heat and humidity. The calculator folds humidity in with the heat index.
Are flat-faced breeds more at risk?
Yes. Pugs, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs and other flat-faced breeds can't pant as efficiently. In UK vet records, Bulldogs and French Bulldogs had higher odds of heat-related illness. Keep their walks short, slow and in the shade.
What are the signs of heatstroke in dogs?
Heavy or noisy panting, thick drool, red gums, weakness, wobbliness or confusion, vomiting or diarrhea, and in serious cases collapse or seizures. If you see these, stop and start cooling them straight away.
What do I do if my dog overheats on a walk?
Cool first, then go to the vet. Move them into the shade, pour cool (not ice-cold) water over their neck, belly and thighs, fan them and let them drink a little. Don't cover them with a wet towel. Call your vet on the way.
When is the best time to walk a dog in summer?
Early in the morning or late in the evening, when the air and the ground are cooler. Walk, don't run, and stick to grass and shade. More ideas in our summer walk tips.
Should I freeze my dog's bandana?
No need. Soak a cotton bandana in cool tap water, wring it out and tie it loosely; a short spell in the fridge is fine, but not frozen hard. Ice is stiff and harsh on their skin, and the AKC advises against putting anything ice-cold on a dog. A wet bandana cools a little as the water evaporates, so it helps most in dry air and stops helping once it dries or when it's humid. Rewet it every 10 to 15 minutes.
It won't prevent heatstroke: on a hot day, change the walk, not the gear. For flat-faced, senior or heavier dogs, don't count on it at all. If your dog is overheating, take it off, cool them with water and a breeze, and call your vet.