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Higher-risk: flat-faced/brachycephalic, senior, overweight, puppy, thick-coated, unfit, has a health condition, or has breathing issues.
Live hourly forecast for today
Working out the best times…
— Why heat matters
Dogs cool themselves mainly by panting, not sweating, which is a far less efficient way to shed heat than we have. That means they can move from comfortable to dangerously overheated much faster than a person would in the same conditions — and puppies, senior dogs, overweight dogs and flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds like pugs, French bulldogs and boxers are all at risk sooner than a fit, average-built adult dog.
Air temperature only tells part of the story. Tarmac, paving and sand absorb heat through the day and radiate it for hours after the sun has passed its peak — a path that felt fine at midday can still be dangerous to paws well into the evening.
Ground temperature (estimate)
Estimated ground temperature in direct sun: —.
This is an estimate, not a measurement. It combines the current air temperature with how much sunlight is hitting the ground right now, from the forecast, to model how hot dark tarmac in the open would get. Surfaces in strong sun can run 20–30°C hotter than the air — but real surfaces vary with colour, shade and material, so this figure can be several degrees out either way. The 5-second hand test is still the reliable check before any walk.
The 5-second test
Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement and hold it there. If you can't keep it there comfortably for 5 seconds, it's too hot for your dog's paws — whatever the air temperature says. If that's the case, use the "pavement too hot" check above the forecast chart — it overrides the reading and marks the walk unsafe.
These are conservative, UK-focused safety guidelines — not precise medical cut-offs — following common veterinary heat advice from Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and PDSA. Always judge your own dog, carry water, and check with your vet if you're unsure.
— What kind of walk suits the day?
Early morning
The hour after sunrise is the coolest part of a summer day. Paths are quiet, dew keeps the ground cool, and the light is genuinely good. Luups suggests routes that avoid east-facing slopes that catch early sun, keeping you in cooler shadow for as long as possible.
Shaded routes
On hot days, Luups prioritises routes through woodland and along watercourses where temperatures can be 5–8°C lower than open ground. In deep shade, some dogs can walk twice as far as they could on an exposed path in the same heat. Luups knows which routes stay shaded and which only appear to.
Evening walks
Air temperature drops in the evening but tarmac and concrete stay hot for hours after the sun has moved on. Luups routes onto grass and compacted earth paths in the evening, keeping you away from road surfaces and car parks that radiate stored heat long into the night.
— Know the signs
Heavy panting, excessive drooling, glazed eyes, vomiting, collapse — if you see these, move your dog to shade immediately and apply cool (not cold) water to their paws, groin and neck. Call your vet. Heatstroke can kill within minutes. Luups helps you avoid the conditions that lead here, but always carry water, know where you are, and never assume a route is safe because you've walked it before.
— Keep it handy
Add it to your home screen and it's one tap away every time you're about to head out — no searching, no typing. Handy for a quick check before every walk, especially through summer.
Early access
Luups learns your dog from its own walks, age and history — so it can tell you when your dog should head out, not just the average. Join the early access list.
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— Common questions
As conservative UK-focused guidance (following Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and PDSA advice): below 16°C is generally fine, 16–19.9°C calls for a bit of care, 20–24.9°C means walk with care, and 25°C and above is too hot for most dogs. Higher-risk dogs — flat-faced/brachycephalic, senior, overweight, puppies, thick-coated, unfit, with a health condition, or with breathing issues — should treat these as one level more cautious than the temperature alone suggests. Ground temperature matters more than air temperature — tarmac can run 20°C or more above the air, so the 5-second hand test on the pavement always overrides the reading if it fails.
Before 8am or after 7pm when temperatures are above 20°C. The coolest part of the day is the hour after sunrise, not early evening — heat stored in the ground means evening walks on hard surfaces can still be dangerous even when the air feels cooler.
Usually only in the early morning or late evening, and even then check the ground, not just the air — pavements stay hot long after the air has cooled. During a heatwave, prefer shaded, grassy or wooded routes over tarmac and pavements, keep walks short, carry water, and skip the walk entirely for brachycephalic, elderly, overweight or unwell dogs. If in doubt, swap the walk for garden time or indoor play.
For most dogs, no — 30°C is well into the red band on Luups' heat-check thresholds. Short walks in deep shade or woodland are possible for fit, acclimatised dogs, but higher-risk dogs — brachycephalic breeds, seniors, overweight dogs, puppies, thick-coated or unfit dogs, or dogs with a health condition or breathing issues — should not be walked in 30°C heat at all.
Press the back of your hand flat against the pavement or tarmac and hold it there. If you can't keep it there comfortably for 5 seconds, it's too hot for your dog's paws — even if the air temperature itself feels fine. This overrides any temperature-based reading: treat the walk as unsafe regardless of what the thermometer says.
Luups routes by surface type and shade, favours cooler wooded and north-facing paths in summer, and suggests shorter routes during heatwaves. It learns how far your specific dog comfortably walks and adjusts as conditions change, rather than applying one average to every dog.