Working out is a great habit to have, but at times, a person may not be in the best position to go out for a run if the temperature is too cold due to weather conditions. For some people, this may make the process of losing weight or getting lean very difficult in the winter. Of course, there are alternatives, like working out indoors, however, when the family pet cannot go for a walk, things get much harder.
Heat is definitely not a friendly condition for dogs. For one they don't usually have shoes on, which means if the pavements get too hot, their paws are put in danger and exposed to getting burned. On top of that, if they over exert themselves, the high temperature may cause a heat stroke. As a consequence, owners may refuse to take their dogs out and exercise them in the summer, which in turn leads to their pets putting on extra weight.
It's been a difficult summer for pet dogs in Britain. A number of owners have decided to keep their dogs indoors and not take them out on walks in fear of their animals getting hurt due to the heat. This is related to the warnings issued by animal charities who explained that dogs could suffer paw burns if walking on pavements that are too hot, as well as get a heatstroke provided they were overly active.
The decision to protect their pets from the heat has led to a different set of drawbacks for pet owners, such as their animals getting overweight. Because of this, experts have asked that people try to exercise their dogs inside of their homes, which could be done via various schemes such as hiding 'rewards' throughout the house. Otherwise, there is a big risk that the dog will have excessive weight gain.
In relation, Caroline Reay who is a representative of the animal charity Blue Cross, states: "It's too early to tell, but exercise for dogs is the same as exercise for humans. It takes a lot of work to lose weight. You don't want them being too active at home either, because you don't want them to get heatstroke, so the best option is non-vigorous games like hiding food for them."
The suggestion for dog owners is to perhaps get some rubber toys in which they can hide food in which they can have their pets try to get it out. On that note, dog owners should also feed their pets less in case they aren't having enough physical activity, so that they balance things out. The temperatures also lower early in the mornings and late at night, so maybe they could take them on walks at those times.
Tamsin Durston, a canine behavior officer, also added: "Dogs won't necessarily know if they are overheating and might continue to play and dash about in hot temperatures because they might have such a strong desire to play. Just because a dog is chasing a ball and bringing it back, this doesn't mean their body is physically coping with this activity, and they might be likely to overheat. It's up to owners to regulate playtime."
