Walking your dog is one of the easiest ways to reap all the benefits of exercise, training and the outdoors.
Yes, there are many touted health benefits of walking but there are also tons of training opportunities on walks.
The simple repetition of exposure to random situations is great for socializing your dog.
When walking you will encounter things like bicyclists, other dog walkers, rain, wildlife, cars, skateboarders, exercisers on odd equipment, and loud noises. Training during this time will make sure that your pooch is cool with it all.
But, before you go out into the big wide world as a team, there are some things that you need to know.
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Safety first
You begin a safe dog walk before ever stepping outside.
Dog walking safety tips
Know how your dogs reacts when exposed to new things
If you have the kind of dog that freaks out, start small and practice until the dog gains more confidence.
Learn basic commands
Teaching a few basic commands will help you navigate your dog on any walk.
Most dogs learn the “no!” command first from adjusting to living with you but you are going to need a little more than that for venturing out and about.
Five easy commands to practice for stress free dog walking are “come”, “stay”, “heel”, “drop it”, and “leave it”.
*Note: “Leave it” is not the same as “no!”. “No!” means no, never, ever, BAD. The “leave it” command is for things that are not forbidden but can not happen at that time.
Consider the weather
While some dogs love the snow, no dog likes burning their tender paw pads on hot pavement.
The rule is: If it is too hot for your bare feet, then it is too hot for your dogs bare paw.
Training your dog to wear booties can make it easier to get out in inconvenient weather situations.
Don’t get lost.
Don’t assume that your dog will know the way back. If you are inexperienced, then your dog probably is too.
Make sure your dog has an ID tag and a microchip, in case you get separated.
Be seen. Dress both of you in the proper reflective gear for evening and night dog walking.
Be aware of exhaustion. Choose a route within your level as a team.
Be in control
Make sure your dog is vaccinated. Dogs can catch diseases from what other animals leave behind.
Keep your dog on a leash. This way you are sure to have control at all times.
Save the off-leash fun for dog parks and fenced or remote areas.
No headphones. You need to be able to hear trouble coming. Plus, this is quality time that you spend with your dog, being engaged = canine enrichment.
Next up: The necessities
You are going to have to bring a few things with you on your walking adventures with your dog. Fido can tote some of in a doggie backpack or leash accessory.
I wear a fanny pack or belt bag to hold the things that have proven useful when I’m walking my dogs.
Here’s what I bring on dog walks
Baggies. Make sure that you have enough, 3 per dog should be plenty for a regular walk.
Treats. Training size. Out in public, treats are more than just rewards for commands, they are also a handy distraction from new things or situations that your dog needs to ignore.
Water. Optional for short walks. I bring water in case things get weird, which can happen when you are picking up poop. Once a whole roll of baggies had a hole in them and I was on a walk when I found out in the worst way. Which brings me to the next item in my dog walking waist bag.
Dog cloth or paper towel. Not heavy to carry and beyond useful, especially if you have to deal with slobber. Both my Rottweiler and English Bulldog make the dog cloth an essential item.
Carbineers. These handy little clips make tethering your leashed dog a cinch. And believe me, sometimes you’ve got to do it in a pinch!
A carbineer in the handle of the leash easily loops around something sturdy and attaches the leash to itself.
Micro mini flashlight (or use your phone) for awesomely quiet night walks. Even in a well lit neighborhood a little more light can be helpful at night.
I carry a light because I once lost track of where my dog went poo in a particularly dark area. Not life threatening, I know, but leaving poo behind, for someone else to step in, is not cool.
The hazards of dog walking
You need to be on the lookout for safety hazards, if your see them before your dog does, you have a better chance of avoiding a bad situation.
Here’s what you need to see coming when dog walking
Stuff your dog will step in
💩 POOP
Some jerks still don’t pick it up. Dogs will step in it, pee on it and eat it.
That goes double for cat poop. Cat poo is some kind of disgusting delicacy for dogs.
Broken glass
Dogs will walk right through it.
Drink cans and other debris
Trash that has been made more dangerous after being shredded by the blades of a lawn mower and left behind.
Ants
Dogs never seem to recognize ant piles and will even sit right in them.
Wasp nests and beehives
These pollinators often build their homes in low places, even holes in the ground.
I learned that we had some honey bees make a home in our backyard when I saw, too late, Loki taking a long morning pee on the new hive. Amazingly he did not get stung.
Traffic
Drivers notoriously forget to consider pedestrian traffic. This means that you need to see cars coming and prevent your pooch from stepping into the danger zone, possibly taking you with them.
Puddles
Most dogs do not understand dirty water, make sure they don’t take a drink.
Other stuff you gotta look out for
Random off leash dogs
Dogs get out, they escape their yards, they squirrel away from their owners and make a mad dash for you and your pupper.
Some people carry a walking stick to feel safe.
Another way to stop a charging dog is to stomp your feet and yell “NO! NO! NO!” This has worked for me most of the time, but I still don’t carry a weapon when I’m dog walking.
If I were to carry a dog walking weapon, it would be a mini long range squirt gun filled with white vinegar. The vinegar squirt gun is a great dog repellent and long-distance discipline tool for your own dog.
Junk food
Garbage that your dog thinks is food. Some litterer through it out and before you know it, Fido is on the sidewalk trying his best to choke it down before you can stop him.
Hopefully, the “drop it” commands works.
Once, Meatball ate an entire chicken leg this way. Chicken legs piled IN the base of a bush. Who does that? I never saw them until it was too late.
If you see it coming, this is a good chance to train your dog to ignore garbage.
Mud, dead stuff and anything gross
Some dogs like to “get their game scent” on which means rolling around in anything stinky. If you don’t see it first, then you will get to experience a special sort of bio-waste clean up.
Once, Shannanigans and I took Bella, our neighbors adorable terrier mix with us on a dog outing. The minute we got out of the truck, Bella rolled in poop. Gross, and the worst part? Riding home trying to make sure poo didn’t spread to the truck or other dogs.
Since, I have used a blanket to create my own version of a multi-function SUV cargo liner but you can just buy one. I also keep a large towel and garbage bag in the truck, just in case I have to wrap up dirty dog.
OK, this next one might surprise you.
Your own dogs
Male dogs accustomed to marking will lift their legs to everything from postal packages to passerby.
If you are walking more than one dog, there are some extras that you have to watch out for.
Dogs will pee on one another. One second they are all sniffing one spot, the next second one dog is lifting his leg on the others.
Kicking dirt on other dogs. Some dogs enjoy a good kick of the soil after relieving themselves. It’s up to you to make sure that the other dogs are not in the line of fire.
Dogs will walk right in front of a peeing dog and get splashed.
Cats and wild animals
Some dogs love the chase.
See it coming to avoid getting yanked into action, and when possible, use these opportunities to train your dog to ignore random scurrying animals.
Ticks
While you may not be able to see them coming, you can be more cautious when walking in remote areas where ticks are more common.
Look your dog over, and run your hands over your dogs body to find ticks that you can’t see.
If you are not comfortable removing ticks, any vet or experienced groomer should be able to help.
Click here to see what the CDC has to say about tick removal.
Toxic plants and lawns treated with pesticides
Both are poison.
Some of us are just anti-poison, some people and dogs have bad reactions to even small amounts of “safe” poisons on our skin.
Dogs do eat some grasses safely, however if a lawn has just been treated with chemicals that grass may harm your dog.
Many plants are naturally poisonous, if you are not sure, then avoiding strange plants is best.
Stuff is gonna happen
Try as you might, you will not be able to avoid every hazard out there. It’s impossible to see everything before your dog does.
However, with a little forethought, and the right tools, you can be ready for most common dog walking hazards.
Go, enjoy all bonding and health benefits that walking your dog has to offer!