Protect your pup from risks of hot sidewalks, streets

This column was originally published June 9, 2001:

I just wrote a limerick that is so good I am thinking of calling off the contest and declaring myself the winner. Actually, a colleague and I collaborated on it, which works out well since the first prize is two Diamondbacks tickets. One for him, one for me.

Unfortunately, while not actually obscene, it is dirty enough to be unprintable here, so I suppose we are disqualified. Take my word for it, it was really good. So the contest continues and we move on to ...

Today’s Question:

When it’s hot like this, which is the best surface for my dog’s feet when I walk him, the pavement or the sidewalk?

I took your question to Kenneth White and he knew the answer right away, which is not all that surprising since he is the president of the Arizona Humane Society and knows all about stuff like this.

There is, he said, a measurable difference between the heat of a black pavement and the cooler surface of a beige colored sidewalk. However, when it’s this hot, both surfaces are too hot for a dog’s feet in the heat of the day. It can literally sear the top layer of skin right off the pad of a dog’s feet. So walk your dog on grass or in the early morning or late evening.

If that’s not possible, say in the case of a seeing-eye dog or an assistance dog, White said you should buy little boots for the pooch. You can get them at any pet supply store, and they don’t cost much.

It takes the dogs a bit to get used to them, but they will. White said it is like teaching a child to skate.

While we’re on the subject: Don’t be a chowerhead and leave your pets in a locked car in the heat.

And here’s something you might not have thought of: If you want to spray old Fido down with the hose after he’s been in the pool or exercising, be sure to let the water run a while. It comes out scalding at first.