[roostershmoo]

It's pushing 32'C right now, and we always have uncertainty about how comfortable the pups will be on a walk. They have free access to the yard, so they are not busting to go.

As well, it gets cold here in Ontario in the winter.

What are your guidelines?

Cindy
mom to Clem and Sally

 

[Scully]

Hiya Cindy,
Scully and I are former Toronto gals! I'm not much help with 'guidelines', but I can tell you that during both the hot summer weather and the really cold winter weather, I generally tend to give her shorter but more frequent walks. Once the temps get much past 25C (especially when you factor in the darn humidex) I'm always afraid to take her too far for fear she'll get heat stroke or burn her pawsies on the hot pavement. Although, she doesn't seem to care if she's overheating (or freezing in the winter). :blink: It doesn't get quite as hot and humid here in Vancouver, but I still keep her walks shorter when it gets into the mid-20's.

 

[murraysmom]

What are your guidelines?

Cindy
mom to Clem and Sally[/b]

Murray makes his own guidelines based on loving the cold and hating the heat

0-32 degrees F(below freezing, January): running, jumping, pulling me along trails because he loves the cold and snow!

32-70 degrees F : normal walks ( February through April, September through December)

70 degrees F and above: this happens around May: he's out for the season until September rolls around! He just wants to snooze on the backporch, except for early morning walks if there's no humidity. Even then, we take lots of water and Sitting Down Looking At The Scenery breaks.

 

[roostershmoo]

Hi Mary, downtown Toronto bassets are common, but in the suburbs, peeps hardly recognize our breed. Nice to hear from a fellow canadian!

I think we'll skip the walk today for sure!

Hiya Cindy,
Scully and I are former Toronto gals! I'm not much help with 'guidelines', but I can tell you that during both the hot summer weather and the really cold winter weather, I generally tend to give her shorter but more frequent walks. Once the temps get much past 25C (especially when you factor in the darn humidex) I'm always afraid to take her too far for fear she'll get heat stroke or burn her pawsies on the hot pavement. Although, she doesn't seem to care if she's overheating (or freezing in the winter). :blink: It doesn't get quite as hot and humid here in Vancouver, but I still keep her walks shorter when it gets into the mid-20's.[/b]

 

[roostershmoo]

The SDLATS break, know it well! In the meantime though, young basset is pulling for a Run With The Wolves sprint.

Even then, we take lots of water and Sitting Down Looking At The Scenery breaks.[/b]

 

[Kaira]

Lucky you, with all that nice weather. A good idea are to take the walks in
the evenings during hot weather.

When it get's cold like below 15 degrees celsius I've noticed that dogs can
begin to get cold on their paws. Doggie boots are nice for that kind of
temperatures. But in the wintertime with the snow I'm always conserned for
my little guy's testicles. He keeps dragging them in the snow you know, that
can't be very comfortable Well, that's the drawback with lowriders I guess.

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

I use my own tolerance for the hot or cold weather. We now do our morning walk about 6:30 A.M. BEFORE the heat starts to get unbearable here in Florida. That we we can get our full mile in. At night we wait until between 7:30 P.M. and 7:45 to go so we get another mile in. The kids can tolerate those times great. I think if I'm terribly uncomfortable they must be too?? I do the same with the cold months here. If I am freezing cold with the wind bothering me, they must be too so I shorten the walk. It seems to be working for us.

 

[Scully]

Hi Mary, downtown Toronto bassets are common, but in the suburbs, peeps hardly recognize our breed.[/b]

Very true! We lived in Etobicoke, and we only ever met one other basset. Scully got called a beagle or weiner dog on a daily basis. Either that, or people would ask "what IS that", with a look in their eye like she was an alien or something...lol. (Of course, now that we're gone, my parents keep seeing bassets there more often...figures.)

But in the wintertime with the snow I'm always conserned for my little guy's testicles. He keeps dragging them in the snow you know, that
can't be very comfortable[/b]

:lol: :lol: Poor Mr. Runcible!

 

[BubbaLeroy]

We live in South Dakota, the flat prarie lands of temperature extremes from below zero temps in the winter to above 100 degree temps in the summer and wind. In the winter if it's 10 degrees or below we put on Bogie's coat and take more frequent shorter walks. If the wind is blowing, which really drops the wind chill below zero we nix the walks and play inside. Icy and snowy walking surfaces make for cold paws, and he does have boots to wear, but he hates them. You can tell if his paws are getting cold, because he'll start picking them up and doing the "ice dance" as we call it. He loves the cold weather and romping in the snow.
In the summer on those above 90 degree days we walk around 6:30 in the morning or after nine in the evening when things have cooled off. I will put my hand on the pavement or sidewalk to see how hot it is, especially in the evening to be sure the surface won't burn his paws.

Ready for our winter walk.

 

[roostershmoo]

Ready for our winter walk.[/b]

Love the picture! He looks like a Sherlock! Good idea about feeling the pavement, will do. I'm not sure I want to live in SD-I had no idea the weather was that disparate!

We get lots of salting on our sidewalks, and that is really painful for their feet, so we have 4 pairs of boots that they hate wearing. I'll just have to perservere next winer.

 

[Kaira]

The ice dance I forgott to mention the ice dance. Thanks for reminding me
BubbaLeroy. It's a good indicator for when it's to cold to for walks. One winter
we had - 25 degrees celcuis and then me and my previous basset just went
outside to pee. But she just wouldn't put her little paws down on the freezing
ground. So whilst peeing she fell over on her side, it's not a good idea to try
and lift all your feet at once

roostershmoo: for those salty roads paw wax might be an idea.