Too Hot to Walk Your Dog? Try Indoor Scent Games Instead

Unless you’re going to a park with lots of shade, walking dogs in the city can force them onto dangerously hot pavement that could burn their paws. photo: AdobeStock

Summer in the Bay Area can feel like a gift — and if you have a dog, the instinct is to bring them along for all of it. But there will be days this summer when it’s simply too hot to walk your dog, and knowing what to do instead makes all the difference. Heat changes the rules fast, and a lot of dogs end up paying the price because their guardians didn’t realize how quickly conditions can turn dangerous.

Asphalt absorbs heat dramatically faster than the air around it. On what feels like a mild day to you, the ground can be hot enough to cause paw burns in under a minute. And heat doesn’t discriminate by breed or age. If it’s genuinely hot out, no dog should be walked in the middle of the day on hot pavement, and no dog should ever be forced to wait in a parked car, even briefly. Temperatures inside a car can reach dangerous levels within minutes even on a mild day. 

While heat doesn’t discriminate, some dogs do have an even narrower margin for error. Brachycephalic dogs - including Bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, and related mixes - struggle more in the heat because their anatomy makes panting, a dog’s primary way of cooling down, much less effective. Senior dogs, overweight dogs, and dogs with heart or respiratory conditions are also at greater risk.

That’s why, on the hottest days, you should just skip the walk, for both of you. Skipping it is not neglect, it’s good judgment. But then the question is what to do instead - because a dog with nowhere to put their energy will definitely find somewhere to put it.

One of the best things you can do with an indoor dog on a hot day is scent work. Sniffing has been shown to have a calming effect on a dog’s nervous system, and the mental effort of working an odor puzzle can tire a dog out more thoroughly than a walk ever will. 

Here are four nose-based games to try when climbing temps keep you and your pup indoors.

The Shell Game

Grab three cardboard boxes, and mark the bottom of one with a Sharpie as the box where you’ll always put the treats. This matters because you want to keep the food in the same box every time to avoid confusing your dog with any lingering odor from previous rounds. Place a few treats inside your marked box, then shuffle all three dramatically in front of your dog — slide them around, cross them, make a show of it. Then let your dog use its nose to investigate and find the one with the food. When they do, reward them with a little extra treat, pick everything up, and start again. Simple, repeatable, and dogs love it.

Hide the Treasure

Put your pup behind a baby gate or ask them to wait on their mat. Then, with them watching, take your dog’s favorite toy or object and theatrically “hide” the item in the living room. Pretend to place it in multiple spots, but only actually leave it in one. Then show your dog your empty hands and release them to find it. The object itself is the reward here, so when they find it, play with them or let them have it for a bit before you go again.

Two-Person Hide and Seek

This one requires a second human, but it’s worth it. It’s also the easiest way to get your dog running around indoors while making them solve a problem. In this game, the first person holds the dog’s collar, then offers them a treat. While that first person restrains the dog, the second person gets excited about leaving and then disappears somewhere in the house. After they’re hidden, the second person calls the dog once, enthusiastically, and the first person lets go of the collar. When the dog finds the hidden person, that person delivers several treats to the dog, one after the next. Switch the hiding and holding roles back and forth and you’ll have a tired dog in no time.

The Sniff It Game

This game is quieter but surprisingly powerful. Say “Sniff it” and present an object with a mild smell down in front of your dog’s face and watch their nostrils. The moment you see the nostrils flare - indicating active sniffing where the nose is really working - say “Yes!” to mark it and offer a treat. Then pick up a different item, say “Sniff it,” present the item, wait for the nostril flare, mark with “Yes!” and reward. That’s the whole game. It sounds almost too simple, but it’s genuine mental enrichment for your pup - plus you get the bonus of learning which smells your dog finds interesting and which ones they couldn’t care less about. Just use common sense about what items you’re presenting, avoiding any things that would be harmful for your dog to inhale.

The hottest days of summer will come whether you’re ready or not. When they do, leave the leash by the door and pull out the cardboard boxes instead. Your dog doesn’t need a  walk in the heat. They need you to make a good decision on their behalf. 

These fun indoor games are the best part of that decision.