Thinking of taking your dog on a run? Our professional dog runners and walkers are well-trained to walk and run your pups in Miami’s sunny climate, and we’d like to share a few tips for when you take your fur kids on their adventures around your neighborhood!

Best Practices for Walking Dogs in Miami:

1. Carry water for your pooch on long walks, especially when out in our Florida sun! There are plenty of options, such as taking a water bottle or a dog-friendly collapsible water pouch, which makes it so easy to give your dogs the water they crave and need during their walks. Just as important, please make sure they do not drink any standing water or water from our canals and ponds during their walks; you never know if there are bacteria or other harmful substances like motor oil, etc… in it.

2. Hydrate your dog the day before a long run… as well as the morning of their exercise! Think of them as mini-humans with the similar hydration needs.

3. Do not feed your dog any food or treats anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half before your run. Feeding them before strenuous exercise has been correlated with Bloat, which is lethal to dogs and requires immediate veterinary care. Our dog walkers and runners are strictly instructed to NOT run any dogs who have been too close to their exercise time in order to preserve the dogs’ health.

4. Stay in the shade as much as possible! Asphalt heats up quickly and may harm the pads on your dog’s paws. A quick exercise to determine whether your pup can handle the heat? Place your hand on the asphalt. If you can’t keep your hand on it for 4 seconds without feeling pain, your dog should not be running on that surface. We try to stay on grass (keeping an eye out for lawns freshly-sprayed with pesticide, a very common sight in Miami). You can also use Musher’s Secret, an all-natural, non-toxic salve, to coat the pads of your pups’ paws and protect them from extremely hot roads and pavement.

5. Watch for Dog Heat Exhaustion: The sun in Miami gets to be too much for us; imagine what it’s like for your furry pals… not to mention, for our beloved brachycephalic breeds like Pugs, Boxers, and Bullies. Heat exhaustion is potentially fatal, and preventable if you follow our guidelines above. We watch our dog running and walking clients constantly during our runs, and will not run dogs when it’s over 90 degrees. During your walk, watch for:

• Brick-red gums
• Excessive panting
• Thick, sticky, and foamy saliva

Follow our guidelines for fun, worry-free walks in beautiful Miami! Please contact me if you have any questions about our pet exercise options, or wellness questions in general.

Paws and peace,

Flavia

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.