Would you want to walk barefoot on a hot day when the sun is nearly melting the pavement? No, and dogs don’t want to either, animal welfare advocates say. That’s because hot surfaces like bitumen can burn their paws, just the way they can burn your skin.

A so-called seven-second test will help you check if the surface of a pavement is too hot for your pet’s paws. Just hold the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds. “If you can’t stand it, then the heat from the ground is too much for dog paws,” says pet expert Sarah Ross.