Too hot to trot? Can you Canicross in warm weather?

As Canicrossers, the health and wellbeing of our dogs is our main priority. We love getting out there and running whenever we can, whatever the weather. However, when the weather warms up, how hot is too hot?

This is a question we are often asked, especially by people who are new to the sport. Our guests in this interview are canine researcher, Anne Carter, and small animal vet, Emily Hall from Hotdogs - heatstroke education for dog owners. You can find out more on their website,: www.heatstroke.dog whey they share their research into canine heatstroke and other heat-related disorders.

More about our guests:

Emily Hall MA VetMB PGCAP SFHEA MRSB MRCVS

Emily qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 2007 then spent seven years working in small animal primary care veterinary practice. In 2014 she made the leap into teaching, starting at a further education college in the Midlands teaching animal health and welfare. In 2015 after moving to Nottingham Trent University to teach student veterinary nurses, and in 2021 joined the LIVE team at the Royal Veterinary College teaching veterinary education.

Emily is passionate about animal welfare and strongly believes we can do more to prevent many diseases and much suffering. She is currently researching canine heatstroke, particularly exertional heatstroke – heatstroke caused by exercise rather than confinement in a hot space like a car.

Anne Carter BSc (Hons) MSc PhD PGCEP SFHEA MRSB

Anne has a real interest in applied research-things that make a difference in the real world. After she completed a PhD in canine behaviour and welfare in 2011, Anne moved to Nottingham Trent University in 2012 to continue my passion for all things research and all things dog. She has been a Canicrosser for about 8 years and inevitably her research and recreation have begun to overlap. One of Anne's dogs really struggles in the heat, and as a winter sport, she started to question the effects of unseasonably warm weather on dogs competing in Canicross.