Is the Pavement Too Hot for Your Dog's Paws?

In this guide

Indian summer pavement gets far hotter than the air temperature would suggest, and paw pad burns are a genuinely common, entirely preventable summer injury.

The simple test

Press the back of your hand firmly against the pavement and hold it there for five to seven seconds. If it is too hot for you to keep your hand there comfortably, it is too hot for your dog's paws. This single test, done before every summer walk, prevents most pavement-related injuries.

Why pavement gets so much hotter than the air

Dark asphalt and concrete absorb and radiate heat far more intensely than the surrounding air temperature suggests. On a 40°C day, pavement surface temperatures can climb well past 60 to 70°C, hot enough to cause burns within seconds of sustained contact.

Signs your dog's paws have been burned

• Limping, reluctance to walk, or lifting paws off the ground repeatedly
• Visible redness, blistering, or darker discolouration on the pads
• Excessive licking of the paws after a walk
• Pads that feel unusually soft or peel slightly in the following days

If burns have already happened

Rinse the paws with cool, not ice-cold, water, and avoid letting your dog walk further than necessary. Mild cases often improve with rest and keeping the area clean, but blistering, broken skin, or a dog reluctant to bear weight at all warrants a vet visit, since burns can become infected without proper care.

Avoiding it altogether

• Walk in the early morning or after sunset when pavement has had time to cool
• Stick to grass or shaded paths when a midday walk is unavoidable
• Consider dog boots for regular walks during peak summer, though most dogs need a short adjustment period to tolerate them
• Apply a protective paw balm if your dog will be on hot surfaces briefly

This is one of the easiest summer risks to prevent entirely, a five-second hand test before you step out is really all it takes.

Building the habit into your daily routine

The hand test only works if you actually remember to do it, and the easiest way to build the habit is to tie it to something you already do automatically, checking the weather before a walk, or putting on your own shoes. A few seconds added to an existing routine is far more sustainable than trying to remember an entirely separate step, and over a full summer, this small habit prevents considerably more injuries than any single piece of protective gear alone.

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