Dog trainer urges pet owners to ‘get up earlier’ if they live in flat
He offered advice to those with dogs living in flats (Stock Image) (Image: Getty)
A dog trainer has urged people not to take their dog out for a proper walk in this scorching weather, even if you’re in a flat.
He shared “it’s far too hot” at the moment, with advice meaning that dog owners should not be walking their dogs if it’s 24 degrees and over, as the pavement could burn their paws, it’s so warm.
And when temperatures reach over 28C, no dogs should be taken outside for a walk at all, and must only be allowed out for a short moment to do their business in the shade, and then should be taken back inside.
TikTok user @southenddogtraining1 shared he always gets asked what people in flats should do when the weather is super warm, and said a “lot of people are making excuses that they live in a flat, so their dog has to go for a walk”. But he urged this isn’t the case, said you can avoid it.
“There’s a huge difference between taking your dog outside to go to the toilet when it’s warm, and taking your dog out for its proper exercise,” he said.
He continued: “You taking your dog outside when it’s hot, typically if your dog’s healthy, it’s gonna be alright. A couple of minutes, just to go to the f****** toilet, it’s gonna be fine.
“You wanna walk your dog when you live in a flat, get up earlier, or go out later so your dog can have its proper exercise then.
“But the reality is that your dog doesn’t need a 60-minute walk [in weather like this], a 30-minute walk, a 45-minute walk, a two-hour walk, when it’s 25 degrees in the UK. It simply f****** doesn’t.”
He pointed out “that’s how dogs get heatstroke,” so it’s not worth taking your dog for exercise in these extreme temperatures.
The trainer also said if your dog has “full bladder control,” they can generally go the whole night without weeing or pooing, so they “don’t need to be going out every 20 minutes or half an hour”.
He then shared a quick tip you can use to see whether it’s actually way too warm for your dog to be outside.
“The reality is, all you’ve got to do is check that pavement. Back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds. If you can’t hold it there for a full seven seconds, without it being uncomfortable, without you removing your hand, it’s gonna be too hot for your dog,” he shared.
In the comments, many responsible dog owners agreed. One wrote: “We were out at 6:15am this morning… only saw 2 other dog owners. Yet 1pm I’ve seen 4 people walking their dog.”
Another said: “When I lived in an apartment in the Netherlands and summers could be 35 degrees. I set my alarm at 3/4 o’clock in the morning. During the days, I carried her 30kilos to the grass across the street, did her business and back. And around 11/midnight 30/45 minutes chilled walk. There is always a solution for everything.”
Somebody else shared: “Also, things like dog barns, dog softplay and indoor dog enrichment places now exist so it’s easy to mix up what you’re doing to keep your dog occupied now.”
