With the passing of winter comes the opportunity to participate with your dog in various outdoor activities, including walks or runs sponsored by shelters, animal welfare societies, and other pet related groups. These experiences can be very positive or quite otherwise.. To help things stay positive, here are some things to consider.

Preconditioning. Both humans and dogs need the same four categories of exercise for optimum health: aerobic, strength, balancing, and stretching. Frankly evaluate where you are in all categories and where your dog is -- couch potato or world class athlete? In any activity involving your dog, be totally and only on the dog's program. Is your dog older or slower, overweight, arthritic, or does he have heart problems? Get a reality check from your veterinarian concerning your intentions and begin a sensible conditioning program if indicated.

Pacing. We need to use common sense regarding pacing at these events. Take into consideration your dog's age and physical condition, as well as the weather. Walk-a-thons are not meant to be a race against the clock, instead they should be a pleasurable outing for you and your dog.

Give some thought to where you and your dog should begin. The frenzy that ensues at the beginning of a walk may be overwhelming to some dogs, and this is not the time to keep up with the Joneses. Arrive early and keep a careful watch on how your dog is handling the environment. Think about starting halfway back or at the end of the line where the atmosphere is more relaxed. Use common sense in adjusting your dog's pace and when you need to stop. Some dogs do these walks effortlessly, others do not.
Understand that you and your dog are under no obligation to finish. Know what your dog is capable of. We have seen teams begin at the end of the line, enjoy a leisurely walk, turn around mid-way and return. This is okay -- advocate in the best interest of your dog.

Physical Stress (Heatstroke, pad damage, and sunburn). Heat stroke - Certain breeds are more susceptible to heat stroke than others. These include the brachycephalic (short nosed) breeds like pugs, Boston terriers, bulldogs, and boxers, all of whom have smaller airways, dogs with double coats, such as Old English sheepdogs and German shepherds, retain more heat than single-coated dogs. Dogs with a dark coat absorb more heat. Also, older dogs are less tolerant of heat and will suffer heat stroke more rapidly than younger dogs. Keep in mind, any dog can suffer heat stroke if they are exercised too heavily on a hot, humid day, are overweight, or have a heart or lung ailment.

Paying attention to warning signals can be a life saver. The first signs of heat stroke are rapid, heavy panting, and excessive salivation. The dog will gasp for air, eyes may glaze, facial expression may look anxious, gums may turn dark red, weaknesss, unable to stand. This may progress to bloody diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, and collapse.

Heat stroke can also lead to serious problems involving damage to the dog's kidneys, brain, heart or lungs. If you think your dog has suffered heat stroke, have your veterinarian test those functions.

Pad damage. During hot weather exercise your dog in the morning or at dusk to avoid heat and humidity. Check the temperature of the pavement by placing your hand on it for a few seconds. If it is still hot from the sun, it will burn your dog's pads -- remember, they not protexted by socks and shoes! The best surface for dogs is nicely mowed grass, which has natural elasticity, is kinder to pads, and gentler to the dog's joints, ligaments and tendons. A walk or light trot on concrete is okay as long as the sun's heat hasn't made it too hot.

Sunburn. Dogs don't sunburn as easily as humans due to insulating fur which protects them from too much ultraviolet light. But areas not as well protected are the nose, tips of ears (especially if prick or upright ears) and belly areas. Dogs with short hair and fair skin such as Dalmations, white bull terriers and pit bulls, whippets, and German short haired pointers, to name a few, may need extra sun protection. Consider applying sunscreen, one with at least a SPF of 15 (the higher the SPF, the more protection) and that won't wear off in water. Make sure it doesn't contain PABA, which can be dangerous to dogs if licked off and ingested. The sun is most intense between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. so try not to have your dog out very long during that time period.

Emotional Stress How is your dog in situations involving other dogs and people? Party animal or shrinking violet? Does your dog meet, socialize and play with other dogs effectively? Does he meet people appropriately?

If you don't know if your dog is social in group situations, don't find out at a big event. Whenever you have people and dogs together in groups, it is usually a behavioral crapshoot. You'll see asute, proactive caretakers, and some really lame, reactive, unfocused types whose attention is everywhere but on their dog. So as you advocate for your dog, adjusting distance and intensity according to the dynamics present, keep in mind that for every person like yourself, there will be others for whom this approach is completely foreign. And people will be using their leashes in ways that interrupt and prevent their dog's natural attempts to interact with other dogs, adding to the level of stress.

Equipment. Use the collar your dog is accustomed to. Trying something new or different may place undue stress on your dog.

All dogs should wear current identification tags.

A word of caution. Head halter collars are great tools, and more and more dogs are wearing them. But you need to make sure they are fitted properly so your dog can breathe. Even with a proper fit, if the day is a hot and/or humid one, or your dog's stress level is high, your dog's ability to pant may be somewhat restricted. Give him a couple of breaks during the walk. Take off the head halter and have water available. This is a give, but we must mention it. When transferring from one collar to another, do not take off your dog's leash with out having complete physical control of your dog, either by a second leash attached to his regular collar or by using the existing leash slipped through the handle creating a loop that goes over your dog's head. Once this is in place and your dog is secure, unhook the leash and transfer it to the regular collar, only then slip the looped end of the leash off of your dog's head.

Delayed Stress. Anytime dogs and humans are together in groups, disease can be transmitted. The greatest risk factors for dogs have been found to crowded conditions such as conformation dog shows; dogs entered at performance events are at a lesser risk. A wise precaution is to carry your own water and water bowl. Do not share water bowls or permit your dog to drink from a common water bowl. The same rule applies at any training class you attend.

Giving consideration to these factors should allow you and your dog to get the most out of all your outdoor and group activities.