Seasonal Safety Guidance

Temperature & Your Dog

Forget the magic number.

Veterinary guidance supports looking at the whole dog and the whole environment, not treating one air temperature as safe for every breed, size and condition.

Size

Small dogs generally lose body heat faster because they have more surface area relative to their body mass. That can make cold weather harder on them.

Coat

Short-coated dogs may chill quickly. Thick-coated dogs may tolerate cold better but can also retain more heat during summer activity.

Muzzle shape

Short-muzzled dogs such as Pugs and Bulldogs are less efficient at cooling themselves through panting and are at greater risk in hot weather.

Age & health

Puppies, seniors, overweight dogs and dogs with heart, respiratory or other medical conditions may have less tolerance for environmental extremes.

Wind & humidity

Wind can make cold exposure harder. Humidity makes panting less effective and can increase heat risk even when the thermometer does not look alarming.

Activity

A dog sprinting, wrestling and chasing generates considerably more body heat than a dog quietly walking beside its person.

Dog thermoregulation is genuinely complicated. Research has found that body size, season and individual characteristics influence how dogs regulate temperature.

Read the thermoregulation research

Summer

Heat starts mattering before it feels extreme.

The American Animal Hospital Association recommends considering heatstroke risk whenever temperatures rise above about 27°C (80°F) or humidity is high. That is a caution point — not a guarantee that every dog is safe below it or unsafe above it.

Regina can go far beyond that. On genuinely hot days, particularly when there is little shade, the better dog-park decision may be an early-morning visit, a very short visit or no visit at all.

Bring more drinking water than you think you will need.
Choose cooler times of day and seek whatever shade the park offers.
Remember that concrete and asphalt near entrances can be much hotter than the air.
Give your dog real rest breaks. Standing and panting is not the same as cooling down.
Be especially cautious with short-muzzled, older, overweight, very young, thick-coated or medically vulnerable dogs.

Veterinary hot-weather guidance

Winter

A fur coat is not a heated building.

Veterinary guidance warns that all pets can be vulnerable below freezing, even dogs with substantial coats. Small dogs, seniors and short-coated dogs may become cold particularly quickly.

Regina’s dog parks do not provide warm-up shacks. Once your dog is cold, the warm place is usually your vehicle or home — not somewhere inside the park.

Shorten visits as temperatures and wind chills drop.
Consider a properly fitted coat or sweater for dogs that benefit from extra insulation.
Watch paws for ice buildup, salt irritation and repeated lifting from the cold.
Wipe paws after exposure to road salt, de-icers and other winter chemicals.
In deep cold, a few short outings may be safer than one long park session.

Veterinary cold-weather guidance

Know the Warning Signs

Your dog will usually tell you before the thermometer does.

Behaviour changes matter. Do not wait for collapse, severe weakness or obvious injury before deciding a visit needs to end.

Getting Too Hot

End the activity and cool down.

Heavy or excessive panting
Excessive or thick drooling
Seeking shade or refusing to keep playing
Weakness or stumbling
Vomiting or diarrhea
Confusion, collapse or seizures

Severe overheating and heatstroke are veterinary emergencies. Move the dog to a cool area and contact a veterinarian immediately. Use cool — not ice-cold — water when cooling.

Cornell heat-safety guidance

Getting Too Cold

The visit is over.

Shivering
Repeatedly lifting paws
Whining or suddenly wanting to leave
Slowing down or reduced energy
Weakness or pale, cool skin
Lethargy, confusion or slowed breathing

Frostbite and hypothermia can be serious. Move the dog somewhere warm and dry and contact a veterinarian if you suspect a cold-related injury.

Cornell winter-safety guidance

Cathy Lauritsen Memorial

The creek is part of the boundary — and part of the risk.

Cathy Lauritsen Memorial Off-Leash Dog Park is only partially fenced. The City identifies Wascana Creek as the remaining park boundary.

Open Water

Going in can be easier than getting out.

Creek banks can be steep. A dog that enters the water may not find the same bank easy to climb on the way out.

Keep reliable control near the creek, especially with dogs that are enthusiastic swimmers, poor swimmers or likely to chase wildlife.

Frozen Water

Frozen does not mean safe.

The City specifically advises owners and dogs to stay off the creek ice because of thin-ice concerns and recommends staying away from the creek during winter.

Warning signs are useful for humans. Unfortunately, Fido cannot read them. Keep your dog under enough control that the sign does not have to do the job for you.

Cathy Lauritsen Park Page City dog park information

Severe Weather

The park is not shelter.

Open fields, fences, trees and water are not places to wait out a severe thunderstorm.

Thunder & Lightning

When thunder roars, go indoors.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says that if you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance of lightning. Leave the park and take shelter in a fully enclosed building or metal-roofed vehicle.

Wait at least 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before returning outdoors.

Government of Canada lightning safety

Wind, Hail & Severe Storms

Leave before the weather arrives.

Strong winds can bring falling branches and flying debris. Hail can injure dogs and people. Heavy rain can create flooding, poor visibility and slippery surfaces.

Check the forecast and watches before heading out. A dog-park visit is easy to reschedule.

Check Canadian weather alerts

Wildfire Smoke & Poor Air Quality

If the air is bad for lungs, running harder is not the answer.

Wildfire smoke and poor air quality can affect dogs as well as people. Dogs with short muzzles, heart or lung disease, and very young or older dogs may be especially vulnerable.

During poor-air-quality alerts, veterinary guidance recommends limiting outdoor exposure and avoiding strenuous exercise until conditions improve.

Check Air Quality Veterinary Smoke Guidance

Ground Conditions

Spring thaw and winter freeze create their own hazards.

Weather changes the ground under the dogs as much as the air around them.

Ice

Slick patches can cause falls, strains and other injuries. Snow can hide uneven ground and frozen holes.

Mud

Spring and heavy rain can turn paths and open areas slippery. A dog running at full speed has considerably less concern about traction than their person does.

Standing Water

Puddles and stagnant water are not reliable drinking sources. Bring clean water from home rather than counting on whatever the weather left behind.

Salt & De-Icers

Winter chemicals can irritate paws and may be harmful if licked off. Wipe and inspect paws after the visit.

Permission to Skip the Park

Some days are indoor-enrichment days.

Skip, shorten or reschedule the park when the conditions are wrong for your dog. That may mean extreme heat, deep cold, high wind, smoke, lightning, dangerous ice or simply a dog that is already struggling with the weather.

Missing one dog-park visit will not ruin your dog’s life. Heatstroke, hypothermia, a lightning strike or a trip through thin creek ice can.

Evidence Behind the Guidance

Official information and veterinary guidance

OLDPUG combines local park knowledge with official City information, Canadian weather-safety guidance and veterinary sources.

City of Regina — Dog Parks Official park information, including Cathy Lauritsen Creek and thin-ice guidance. American Animal Hospital Association — Heat Safety Heatstroke risk, prevention, warning signs and higher-risk dogs. American Animal Hospital Association — Cold Safety Hypothermia, frostbite, paws and cold-weather vulnerability. Environment and Climate Change Canada — Lightning Safety Thunderstorm shelter and the 30-minute return rule. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Wildfire Smoke Poor-air-quality risks, vulnerable dogs and limiting outdoor exercise. Body Temperature Regulation in Domestic Dogs Published research on season, body characteristics and canine thermoregulation.

Before You Head Out

Check the weather. Then check the dog.

Forecasts tell you what the environment is doing. Your dog tells you whether that environment is working for them today.

Check the Forecast Find a Dog Park