Dogs, Haze & Pollution: Should You Still Walk Your Dog?

If you live in Singapore long enough, eventually you open the curtains one morning and think:

“That looks a bit grim.”

Then you step outside, smell the air, check the PSI and realise the haze is back.

Meanwhile, your dog is standing at the front door staring at you because it is 7.02am and, according to the legally binding contract they believe you signed, this is walk time.

So what do you do?

Do you skip the walk? Shorten it? Carry on as normal? Lock everyone indoors until Malaysia becomes visible again?

The answer is not quite as simple as “walk” or “don’t walk”.

The goal is to meet your dog’s physical, behavioural and emotional needs without unnecessarily exposing them to poor air quality.

And sometimes that means going for the walk.

Sometimes it means making the walk shorter.

And sometimes it means accepting that today is an indoor day.

Your dog will survive.

I promise.

First, What Exactly Are We Worried About?

During Singapore haze episodes, the main pollutant of concern is PM2.5, extremely small airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometres or less.

Because they are so small, these particles can travel deep into the respiratory tract when inhaled. Singapore's NEA therefore uses both the 24-hour PSI and current 1-hour PM2.5 readings to help people assess air quality and exposure.

Dogs are breathing the same air we are.

And unlike us, they cannot decide to put on a properly fitted respirator before heading outside.

The veterinary evidence around pollution in companion animals is still developing, so I would be wary of dramatic claims that every hazy afternoon is doing permanent damage to your dog.

However, there is enough evidence to take it seriously.

A 2026 review of research into air pollution and domestic animals found reported respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, eye, immune and behavioural effects, although the amount and quality of evidence varies considerably between areas. More importantly, a large 2025 study looking at more than seven million veterinary visits in the UK found that increases in PM2.5 were associated with increased veterinary visits in both dogs and cats.

So this is not a reason to panic.

But it is definitely a reason to be sensible.

Some Dogs Need More Protection Than Others

I would be considerably more conservative with a French Bulldog with airway problems than I would with a fit, healthy adult Singapore Special.

Dogs likely to be more vulnerable include brachycephalic breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and Bulldogs, puppies, elderly dogs, and dogs with existing heart, lung or airway disease. Cornell University's veterinary guidance specifically identifies these groups as being more susceptible to poor air quality.

If your dog already struggles with exercise tolerance, tracheal collapse, BOAS, chronic coughing, heart disease or another respiratory problem, speak to your veterinarian about what precautions are appropriate for your dog.

That bit matters.

There is no scientifically established “dog PSI” where 87 is fine and 88 suddenly turns your Labrador into a medical emergency.

We have to combine the available air-quality information with the individual dog in front of us.

PSI or PM2.5? Which Number Should I Actually Look At?

This is where people understandably get confused.

For planning tomorrow's activities, NEA recommends looking at the 24-hour PSI forecast.

But if you're standing at the door with the leash in your hand wondering whether you should walk the dog right now, the 1-hour PM2.5 reading is more useful because it reflects shorter-term changes in air quality.

And haze can change surprisingly quickly.

This is also why I would not rely on rules such as:

“Just walk early in the morning.”

Or:

“Wait until late at night.”

Check the actual conditions.

Pollution unfortunately doesn't own a watch.

My Practical Rule of Thumb for Walking Dogs During Haze

The table below is not an official veterinary guideline or canine medical threshold. It is a conservative way I would use Singapore's NEA PM2.5 bands alongside current veterinary advice.

1-hour PM2.5	What I would do
0-55: Normal	Healthy dogs can generally follow their normal routine. As always, consider heat, humidity and the individual dog.
56-150: Elevated	Reduce the length and intensity of outdoor exercise. Think relaxed sniffing walk rather than running, hard training or an hour-long march. Be more conservative with vulnerable dogs.
151-250: High	I would avoid strenuous outdoor exercise. Keep outings short and purposeful. Toilet, sniff, decompress, home. For higher-risk dogs, minimise unnecessary outdoor exposure.
Above 250: Very High	This becomes an indoor day. Keep outdoor exposure to essential toilet breaks and return indoors.

These bands mirror NEA's advice to progressively reduce strenuous and eventually overall outdoor activity as PM2.5 rises, while veterinary guidance similarly recommends limiting dogs' outdoor exposure and avoiding running or hiking when air quality is poor.

And this brings me to perhaps the most important behavioural point in the entire article.

Your Dog Does Not Need to “Complete Their Walk”

A walk is not a moral obligation.

We sometimes become so locked into:

“My dog needs two 45-minute walks every day.”

that we forget why we're walking them in the first place.

The walk is supposed to meet needs.

• Movement.

• Sniffing.

• Exploration.

• Choice.

• Social information.

• Mental stimulation.

• Interaction with us.

• A change of environment.

If the environment itself has temporarily become unhealthy, blindly completing the same route because “that's his routine” rather misses the point.

You will not ruin your dog's behaviour because their usual 45-minute walk became a seven-minute toilet-and-sniff mission for a day or two.

What matters is what you do with the rest of their day.

Replace the Function of the Walk, Not Just the Exercise

This is where behavioural science becomes incredibly useful.

If we simply remove two hours of activity from an active dog's day and replace it with absolutely nothing, then yes, don't be surprised when your dog starts following you around the house carrying a stolen sock like a hostage negotiator.

But physical exhaustion is not the only route to a content dog.

In fact, trying to “tire dogs out” constantly can create its own problems.

On haze days, I would shift more of their daily activity towards scent work, food-searching games, short positive-reinforcement training sessions, problem-solving, appropriate chews, food enrichment, calm play, place or settle work and giving them opportunities to make choices within the home.

One of my favourites is ridiculously simple.

Hide a handful of food around a room and tell your dog to find it.

That's it.

You have just turned breakfast into a search task.

Olfactory work is particularly useful because sniffing and searching allow dogs to perform highly natural behaviours and exercise a degree of autonomy. Research into nosework has found improvements in measures associated with positive emotional state and welfare in dogs.

You do not need to recreate an agility competition in your living room.

Five or ten minutes of good mental engagement, followed by an opportunity to settle, can be far more useful than repeatedly firing a ball down a hallway until your neighbours begin drafting a complaint.

Think:

Energy up. Brain on. Energy back down.

That ability to transition between activity and rest is itself a valuable behavioural skill.

Pollution Doesn't Necessarily “Cause Anxiety”

It is too simplistic to say that air pollution directly makes dogs anxious or agitated.

What we can say is that behaviour is influenced by physical state and environment.

If a dog has irritated eyes, an uncomfortable throat, breathing feels harder, their normal routine has changed and they suddenly have fewer opportunities to explore outside, their behaviour may change.

• They might sleep more.

• They might become restless.

• They might be more easily frustrated.

• Their tolerance for other stressors may decrease.

• They may struggle to settle because the normal outlets in their day have disappeared.

• Dogs do not behave in a vacuum. They behave in a body.

  
  

Pain, discomfort, fatigue, arousal, frustration and environmental stress all influence behaviour.

So if your normally patient dog seems slightly grumpier or more restless during a period where their entire routine has changed, don't immediately decide their training has fallen apart.

Ask what their body and brain might currently be dealing with.

Then adjust the environment accordingly.

Make the Air Inside Better Too

Keeping the dog indoors doesn't help much if we've invited half the haze into the living room.

When outdoor air quality is poor, keep windows and doors closed as much as practical.

Use air-conditioning for cooling and circulation where appropriate, preferably without drawing polluted outside air directly indoors. A suitably sized portable air purifier with effective particle filtration can also help reduce indoor PM2.5. NEA similarly advises closing windows and doors when outdoor air worsens and reopening them when conditions improve.

Also think about what you are adding to the air indoors.

A heavy haze day is probably not the ideal afternoon for incense, scented candles, cigarette smoke, aerosol sprays and enthusiastic wok-frying while telling everyone the air purifier will sort it out.

These activities can add additional particles and pollutants to the indoor environment.

If you have one purifier rather than several, creating a cleaner-air room where the family and dog spend more time can be useful.

And once the outdoor air improves, that's the time to open things up and ventilate.

What Should I Watch For in My Dog?

Mild smoke or pollution exposure may cause eye, nose and throat irritation.

Watch for coughing, gagging, unusual wheezing, red or watery eyes, nasal irritation, reduced exercise tolerance or breathing that appears faster than usual while your dog is resting.

If something feels wrong, speak to your veterinarian.

And there are some signs where I would not be sitting at home Googling.

Difficulty breathing is an emergency.

So are blue or grey gums, obvious abdominal effort when breathing, extending the head and neck to breathe, severe weakness or collapse. Get veterinary help immediately.

The Simple Haze-Day Plan

Before heading out, check the current 1-hour PM2.5 rather than judging the air entirely by how dramatic the skyline looks.

• If conditions are reasonable, walk normally.

• If they are deteriorating, shorten the walk and reduce the intensity.

• If they are poor, toilet and sniff, then head home.

• If they are very poor, minimise outdoor exposure.

Then replace what your dog has missed with useful indoor activity, keep the indoor air as clean as you reasonably can, allow plenty of rest and keep an eye on how your dog is actually feeling.

That is it.

No panic.

No guilt because your dog missed the park.

And no marching around the neighbourhood through terrible air because somebody once told you that “a tired dog is a good dog”.

A dog's welfare is not measured in kilometres.

It's about whether their physical, behavioural and emotional needs are being met safely.

Sometimes good dog ownership means taking them on an adventure.

Sometimes it means putting the lead back on the hook, hiding breakfast around the living room and letting their nose do the work instead.

This article provides general behavioural and welfare information and is not veterinary medical advice. If your dog has a medical condition, develops symptoms during poor air quality, or you are concerned about their breathing, please contact your veterinarian.