The five-second rule for hot asphalt

Press the back of your hand to the pavement and hold it for five seconds. If you pull away, so would your dog — pads burn faster than most owners expect, and the damage shows up hours later, not on the walk itself.

What works in a Florida summer

• Walk early or late. Before 9 am and after 7 pm the asphalt has usually dropped out of the danger zone — grass and shaded sidewalks buy extra hours.
• Choose grass routes. A block of lawn edges beats a straight hot sidewalk, even if the route gets longer.
• Water before, not only after. A dog that starts hydrated pants less and recovers faster.
• Watch the tongue. A very wide, spade-shaped tongue and loud panting mean it is time for shade now, not at the end of the loop.

Signs you missed the window

Licking at paws after a walk, limping on the next one, pads that look glazed or darker than usual — a vet visit beats guessing. Burned pads are painful and slow to heal precisely because dogs keep walking on them.