Tips for Dog Owners in the Phoenix Area

[Bungle]

The shoes/paw covers are great and much needed out here. My rule of thumb is if I can't stand on the concrete in my own bare feet then I won't walk my dog on it. In the summer months we try to avoid walks in the middle of the day but will use his dog boots if needed.

[RenW]

Originally Posted by elcajones

Where are the best dog parks or places for dogs to get exercise?
There are dog parks all over the place. While it's a bit out there, Cosmo Park, off of Higley and Ray is the coolest dog park I have ever seen. (depending on where you live, I live in Fiesta district area and it's far). They have multiple play areas for dogs, fountains that look like fire hydrants and a lake for dogs to swim.

Thanks for the suggestion. After her Vet visit I took the pooch to Cosmo Park in Gilbert. There is plenty of room in Cosmo park to walk on a leash.



There also are four main areas for dogs to be off the leash. There is an area for timid dogs, one with the pond for dogs to swim and a "beach", one of two big areas for dogs to run around is in open at a time, in the very back of those areas is an enclosed area for small dogs.



There is a set of stone "agility" stairs in the main area.


Water area

I was really pleased to see the area for the dogs to swim as well! It is more like a pond so washing your dog after is suggested.


I would suggest bringing a dog dish if you want to use the water provided there or a jug of water and dish if you want them to drink your own. I saw one owner bathing her dog in one of the areas provided that has a hose right before they left. I thought it was a smart idea if the dog will tolerate it.

When we got there the timid dog area was being used for aggressive dogs vs timid dogs. I saw two different groups doing that. The pooch surprisingly tolerated the regular dog area fairly well even if she stuck to me like glue.

I do wish this park was closer to where we live as well.

[RenW]

36 Phoenix Area Dog Parks

Dog Parks in Phoenix: Off Leash Opportunities

I'd still love to hear what people's favorite dog parks are!

[RubyJune]

Originally Posted by RenW

My dog is a little mixed breed puppy at 5 months old. She is only 7.3 pounds right now and the vet said she will likely only get to about 10 pounds to 12 pounds or so.



Sorry for the messy back porch!



We aren't sure exactly what she is breed wise. Guesses are welcome!

Do people use anything on their dogs paws when it is hot or do you all just have your dog avoid walking on pavement?

I got little sandals for her kind of like the below but I have no idea if she is going to tolerate them.

I'm not an expert by any means, but I'd say chihuahua mixed with some sort of terrier - I'm leaning towards Jack Russell due to the shape. If you ever get a doggy DNA test, please let me know. I'm curious.

As for the sandals, I don't know, but if you look up videos on You Tube of dogs walking in boots, it's HILARIOUS. I tried to put my dog in winter boots once because my old apartment complex back in MO was using non-pet friendly salt and she kept burning her paws on the chemicals. It seems to disorient them because they can't feel the ground anymore (my personal theory) and they start walking like they are drunk. As a result, I never tried again. We just avoided the salted areas after that.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

A person should never leave a dog in a hot car, of course, but I am afraid to do so even in cooler weather. Why? Because people are on a rampage these days about it and will break your window without hesitation to "rescue" the dog from the car. I have been confronted by someone when I left my dogs in the car on an overcast 55 degree day for 5 minutes while I went in the bank. The dogs were actually COLD that day, but a stranger told me she was going to call the police for leaving my dogs in the "hot car."


I understand the need to prevent deaths of animals in hot cars, but some people really overact!


In general my dogs LOVE the heat and tolerate it very well. My boy will sprawl out in the sun (his belly even gets tan). They are Chihuahuas, and they are true desert dogs.

You will receive a ticket as leaving a dog in the vehicle violates state law and is not tolerated. That applies even in January.

There are many days when a 55 degree day turns into an 80 degree day.

[RenW]

AS 13-2910. Cruelty to animals; interference with working or service animal; classification; definitions

A. A person commits cruelty to animals if the person does any of the following:

7. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly leaves an animal unattended and confined in a motor vehicle and physical injury to or death of the animal is likely to result.


It doesn't appear to be illegal to leave an animal in the car. It is illegal to endanger an animal by doing so.

After doing research the main thing that needs to be considered is the rapid increase of temperature in vehicles due to the greenhouse effect.



In sunlight a car's temperature can increase by 43 degrees in an hour. The greatest increase of 34 degrees happens in the first half an hour.

A dog's normal body temperature is higher than a human's at about 103 F. Using that in a calculation (104-43 = 61), it would be unwise to leave a dog in a vehicle for an hour or more at the external temperature of 61 and that is if the external temperature stays constant and doesn't increase.

I'm not advocating that people leave their animals in their vehicles. But I do think that it is important to be clear with facts instead of the mantra of "never, ever leave your dog in your car". I know some organizations are trying to make people incredibly cautious but in the process they erode their message since logically there are instances when leaving a dog in a vehicle does not endanger them. It is up to us to protect our furry friends and it is good to have the facts to do so.

[phxone]

Originally Posted by RenW

My dog is a little mixed breed puppy at 5 months old. She is only 7.3 pounds right now and the vet said she will likely only get to about 10 pounds to 12 pounds or so.



Sorry for the messy back porch!



We aren't sure exactly what she is breed wise. Guesses are welcome!

Do people use anything on their dogs paws when it is hot or do you all just have your dog avoid walking on pavement?

I got little sandals for her kind of like the below but I have no idea if she is going to tolerate them.

The ears look like German Shepherd to me, a lot of GSD in the muzzle, tail and general body shape also.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

You will receive a ticket as leaving a dog in the vehicle violates state law and is not tolerated. That applies even in January.

There are many days when a 55 degree day turns into an 80 degree day.

It is not against the law to simply leave a dog in the car.


The 55 degree overcast day was in November in the Midwest. It was NOT going to turn into an 80 degree day, trust me. I would never leave my dogs in the car on a day that was too warm. 65-70 is my limit, only if parked in the shade.


People mean well, but if someone busted my car window on a 55 degree overcast day after I left my dogs for 5 minutes (it isn't going to jump to 80 and sunny that fast, is it?) and could see them from inside the building I entered, there would be hell to pay!

[locolife]

In the summer I always put my barefoot on the pavement before letting my dog walk on it, if it's too hot for me barefoot then it's too hot for him. We do have doggy shoes for our aussie, we use them when we take him hiking as he cut his paws up the first few times after we adopted him.

I'm very paranoid about leaving the dog in the car, if it's under about 75 and we know we can find a shady spot we'll usually take him but we always leave the windows down when we go inside. A lot of this depends on the time of the day too, in direct sun 75 can be too hot but if the sun is setting it's much better. I don't know think there is an exact temperature number that's okay and not okay.

[phxone]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

It is not against the law to simply leave a dog in the car.


The 55 degree overcast day was in November in the Midwest. It was NOT going to turn into an 80 degree day, trust me. I would never leave my dogs in the car on a day that was too warm. 65-70 is my limit, only if parked in the shade.


People mean well, but if someone busted my car window on a 55 degree overcast day after I left my dogs for 5 minutes (it isn't going to jump to 80 and sunny that fast, is it?) and could see them from inside the building I entered, there would be hell to pay!

I agree, busting out someone's window should only be done on a hot day and when a dog is clearly in distress. If someone saw my dog sitting in my car and busted the window out, they would be dealing with a very angry 100lb+ dog. The flesh of an overzealous Good Samaritan would make for a very tasty treat. If they offered the appropriate apology and had cash to pay for the window, I would make my dog quit gnawing on them.