The first week of July featured sizzling hot temperatures, and afternoon highs remained in the low to mid 90s for all but the first 9 days of the month!

Temperatures will simmer down heading into the weekend as scattered storms pop up through the afternoons, but still -- will it be too hot to walk your dog?

Different breeds’ coat length and colors will dictate their comfort in hotter air temperatures. However, all dog owners (and adventure cat owners, for that matter!) should be aware that the surface temperatures will run much hotter than what the phone app may be telling you, especially in direct sun.

Surfaces made of concrete -- like a sidewalk or lighter pathway -- absorb the sun’s rays and store that heat. As a result, concrete surfaces may reach 105 degrees during an 80+ degree day, but they may reach as high as 140 degrees on a 95+ degree day.

But if you are walking your dog on a darker surface, like a road or darker paved trail, be aware that the asphalt is very efficient in absorbing the sun’s rays and re-emitting that heat. As a result, the surface temperature can climb as high as 130 degrees on an 80+ degree day, and as high as 155 degrees on a 90+ degree day.

Physical activity is just as important for your dog as it is for you, but keep an eye on the time of day and where your dog’s paws may be hitting the ground. If you can, try and walk your dog in the morning, when Metro Atlanta experiences its coolest temperatures of the day.

Furthermore, try to avoid the hours between 10am and 6pm, which are the hottest air temperature hours of the day. If you must walk your dog during this time, try to find shady areas where the ground is not exposed to direct sunlight.

You can also do a “temperature” check for your pup: Place the back of your hand on the ground for 5-10 seconds. If it’s too hot for you, then it’s too hot for your dog. Even with the thick padding on their paws, their skin is still susceptible to burning due to constant contact with the hot ground.

Burning Questions... Does pet waste harm your lawn?

I talked with UGA Professor and Turfgrass Specialist Clint Waltz about all things that can impact our lawns, including “precipitation” from our furry friends.

Waltz is a lawn expert, and I just had to ask -- what happens if there’s a little too much of a canine “thunder sprinkle”, or perhaps some “brown hail” on the lawn?

Does that really impact the grass, or is that mainly for the health of everybody around?

“It’s more aesthetics, some of our grasses will show some injury, but it’s temporary. It’s nothing that is permanent. Our grasses are pretty resilient, so they’ll bounce back from it,” Waltz said.

“The ‘sprinkle’, those spots more often comes from girl dogs, the boy dogs like to meter it out, so you don’t get quite the intensity on it,” Waltz noted.

“As far as the ‘brown hail’, that’s just natural fertilizer. That’s organic. So all these folks that want to go organic -- thumbs up for letting Fido do what he has to do,” Waltz said.

But of course, that’s fine in the backyard. Keep it clean in the front yard, since it’s more likely to be visited by friends and neighbors!

Share your temperature reports and dog photos with me!

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