About Walk My Dog

Walk My Dog tells you whether it's safe to walk your dog right now. We check real-time weather, air quality, and your breed's specific temperature tolerances and give you a straight answer.

Why We Built This

As my senior dog, Leo, has gotten older, I've become much more aware of how temperature affects him. He loves spending hours outside in the sun, but I was always worried about his safety. Was it too hot? Too cold? Would the pavement hurt his paws? Was the air quality okay that day?

I built this tool so that I didn't have to keep checking the weather, doing mental math about pavement temperature, or second-guessing myself about being overprotective.

Walk My Dog takes everything I was trying to calculate in my head and turns it into a quick check before each walk. Now I can take a quick look and adjust our routine based on actual data.

How It Works

Multiple outdoor factors are considered:

Breed-Specific Safety Thresholds

Different breeds have evolved for different climates. A comfortable temperature for one breed can be dangerous for another. Breeds are categorized by size and temperature tolerance:

Breed Category Examples Hot Limit Cold Limit
Small Breeds Chihuahua, Yorkie, Pomeranian 85°F 32°F
Medium Breeds Beagle, Corgi, Cocker Spaniel 88°F 20°F
Large Breeds Labrador, Shepherd, Golden Retriever 90°F 10°F
Brachycephalic Pug, Bulldog, French Bulldog 80°F 35°F
Arctic Breeds Husky, Malamute, Samoyed 75°F -10°F

Brachycephalic Breeds

Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds like Pugs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and French Bulldogs have significantly reduced heat tolerance due to their compressed airways. They can struggle to cool themselves efficiently through panting and are at much higher risk of heatstroke.

Arctic Breeds and Heat Sensitivity

Breeds developed for cold climates—like Siberian Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, and Samoyeds—have thick double coats designed for extreme cold. While they can tolerate temperatures well below zero, they overheat quickly in warm weather. We recommend limiting outdoor activity for these breeds when temperatures exceed 75°F.

Understanding Pavement Temperature

Note: When air temperature is 77°F, asphalt pavement in direct sunlight can reach 125°F. That's hot enough to cause serious paw burns in 60 seconds or less.

Pavement temperature is one of the most overlooked dangers in hot weather. Dark asphalt absorbs and radiates heat, becoming significantly hotter than the surrounding air temperature. We calculate estimated pavement temperature based on:

When pavement temperature exceeds 105°F, we recommend staying on grass. Above 125°F, we warn that pavement will burn paws and suggest avoiding walks entirely or using protective booties.

The 7-Second Test: Place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you can't comfortably hold it there for 7 seconds, it's too hot for your dog's paws.

Air Quality and Your Dog's Health

Poor air quality affects dogs just as it affects humans. We monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) and provide warnings based on EPA guidelines:

Brachycephalic breeds, senior dogs, and dogs with pre-existing respiratory conditions are more sensitive to poor air quality and should use more conservative thresholds.

Data Sources

We pull data from open, free weather APIs:

All data is open-source and updates in real time.

Privacy & Your Data

Walk My Dog Today doesn't collect your data. Here's the full picture:

When you grant location permission, we only use it to fetch weather data. Your exact location is never stored or transmitted except to the weather API to retrieve current conditions.

Important Disclaimer

This isn't veterinary advice — it's a weather check for your dog. Always:

If your dog shows signs of heatstroke (excessive panting, drooling, bright red tongue, vomiting, collapse), seek immediate veterinary care. Move them to a cool area, offer water, and contact your vet or emergency animal hospital right away.

Get in Touch

Have suggestions? Found a bug? Want to report how the tool helped you?

Email us at hello@walkmydog.today.