Soccer fans and players weren’t the only ones coping with extreme heat this week at the Club World Cup in Philadelphia. Read more:

PHILADELPHIA — Fans and players weren’t the only ones coping with extreme heat this week at the Club World Cup.

Sniffer dogs – a common addition to the security details at many large sporting events – had a job to do at the international soccer tournament despite the sweltering temperatures.

And because that job includes walking on hot asphalt, it can be tough on an animal’s feet.

Every dog team is different and there are different requirements; their precursors are different. However, we go by the seven-second rule. If us humans can’t put our human backside or our hand on the concrete for longer than seven seconds without pulling it off, then we require dog booties to go on,” said Cody Schwartz, manager of 3DK9 Detection Services, the private company providing the K9 teams at the stadium. The company also contracts with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Besides wearing booties, the dogs are kept hydrated and limited to 20-minute patrols at a time in the heat. They also enjoy cooling baths in kiddie pools filled with ice.