29/05/2026
As temperatures rise, so does the importance of managing the welfare of our detection dogs. 🐾☀️
At Wessex Water, the welfare of our dogs is always our top priority, and during periods of hot weather, we adapt how we work to ensure they remain safe, comfortable, and able to perform at their best.
This week has seen some very early starts, with alarms going off at 4am before heading down to Dorset for surveys. With a two-hour drive each way, we plan our days carefully and aim to complete searches by around 9am before temperatures begin to climb.
Some of the measures we put in place include:
🐾 Ensuring fresh water is always readily available
🐾 Rotating dogs regularly to prevent fatigue
🐾 Providing rest periods in our air-conditioned canine vehicle between searches
🐾 Continuously monitoring each dog’s condition and temperature
🐾 Assessing surfaces such as tarmac, manhole covers and other infrastructure that can heat up rapidly in urban environments
🐾 walking in shaded areas between searches
One of the most important things to remember is that every dog is different. Some dogs cope well with warmer conditions, while others reach their threshold much sooner. Understanding each dog’s individual needs and recognising the earliest signs of heat stress is a key part of responsible handling.
The dogs may love working, but it’s our responsibility to make the right decisions for them. Sometimes that means shorter searches, more breaks, earlier starts, or even postponing work altogether.
Working dogs can only do their job effectively when their welfare comes first, and that’s exactly how we approach every deployment. 🐶💙
