10 expert tips to improve you and your pets wellbeing on walks

Tom Stone — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:00:00 +0000

It can often be easy to forget about all the health and social benefits dog owners reap from walking their furry companions regularly. A regular walk is not only vitally important for your pet's health but is also a great opportunity for the owner to clear their head and get in some steps too!

To mark the end of Walk your Dog month, Bella & Duke's Natural Canine Behaviourist, Caroline Spencer, lists her top 10 tips for making your walks one of the most beneficial parts of the day:

1. Remove distractions – put away your mobile phone when out walking and make it about you and your dog. You get the best connection and fun when you are not distracted.

2. Try different locations – variety is truly the spice of life. It can be mentally draining doing the same walk day in, day out so let your dog decide whether to go left or right, live in the moment.

3. Keep yourself and your furry friend active and warm when out and about – nothing makes you want to get inside quicker than a cold frosty day, so wrap up and ensure your dog is on the move. If they have less hair, like Whippets and Grey Hounds, then it may be beneficial to pop a coat on them if they accept clothing or make their walk shorter.

4. Opportunities for sniffing & enrichment – engage your dog's brain by encouraging them to sniff or play with toys on your walk. It's also a fun way for the owner to keep engaged and feel connected with their pet.

5. Get plenty of rest – if you and your pet are feeling particularly tired and can't bear the thought of stepping out into the cold, that's absolutely fine. Have a rest day with short trips out to do the necessaries.

6. Influencing your dog – your body language influences your dog, if you find yourself often worrying about crossing paths with other dogs that could aggravate your own pet. Try looking for a different route where you are sure to have more control over.

7. Taking care of your dog post-walkies – paws can often get clogged up with snow and grit during the winter months, so regularly check when you are out and about as they will become sore if left. Your dog will also get colder quicker.

8. Take in your surroundings – enjoy the quieter hours of the day and take in your surroundings. Start foraging for wild foods such as raspberries to share with your dog. Get them back to nature and help them do what comes naturally to them. Soon you'll find your dog plucking berries off the branches themselves!

9. Keeping stimulated - similar to humans, when dogs don't get enough mental and physical stimulation they will get bored or even depressed. It's important you're engaging with your pet and exploring new places for them to smell.

10. Picking walking times – if possible, leave your walks until a little later when hopefully the sun is up or at least the temperature has gone up a notch or two. To keep spirits high, try take the opportunity when there is a break in the weather.

Caroline Spencer, Natural Canine Behaviourist at Bella & Duke, added: "Walking your pet should be fun for both you and your dog. It's how we often start and finish our days and can have a positive impact on the direction of our day. It has long been proven that walking has a number of benefits for wellbeing and it needn't be monotonous, take time to enjoy yourself and your dog will thank you for it!"

National Dog Walking Month: How to Keep You and Your Dog Safe During Winter Walks

Jessica Curtis — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 20:00:00 +0000

January is often the perfect excuse to get fit and healthy, by making the most of the outdoors, and what better way to get your steps in than with your furry friend in tow?

But with the dark and cold mornings set to continue a little while longer, taking your dog on a winter walk can present all kinds of hazards from low fog, rain and heavy wind, and if you add cold temperatures and slippery conditions your walk suddenly becomes dangerous.

That's why we've asked the team at tails.com to share five tips to ensure your evening or morning walks remain a safe and enjoyable experience for both you and your four-legged friends this National Dog Walking Month.

1. Make you and your dog as visible as possible

One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself and your pup while walking in winter is to ensure that you are both visible to passing traffic. Keep in mind that with the evenings and mornings becoming darker, and with weather conditions worsening, it can make it almost impossible for others to see you.

When it comes to increasing your visibility, try to avoid wearing dark clothing. Instead, opt for neon and reflective fabrics, paired with headlamps or other lights that you can attach to your clothing. You can even purchase ones that you can attach to your dog's harness and collar.

Attaching lights to your body or wearing a headlamp leaves your hands free to keep control of your dog, which is particularly important if you're walking on a narrow pavement.

Similar to how many cyclists use headlights when biking in the dark, use a collar light to ensure that you and others can see your pooch. Additionally, you could purchase a harness or coat for your dog with reflective material on them, so you both can be easily spotted when crossing roads.

2. Ensure your dog stays warm

Whether your dog has an abundance of fur or thin fur, it's always important to feel their body temperature. Make sure you check their ears, feet and limbs as those areas are more challenging to keep warm while walking in the dark. If your dog's body is not warm to the touch, they will benefit from a winter coat or fleece.

You may also want to consider a snood to protect their ears and neck, and or a thermal overall suit to protect their legs from cold wind or mud and keep their thighs warm.

Since the ground may be less visible, dog booties can help protect your dog's paws while also providing traction. There are additional dangers when walking in the dark, as it can be more difficult to see broken glass or sharp objects on the ground.

3. Be contactable and alert

Always take a fully charged phone out with you, in case you or your dog encounter any danger - and make sure you have an emergency vet saved in the contacts. It's important to take the correct precautions, even if you think you might be unlikely to need them, as having a way to contact others will give you peace of mind

When it's challenging to see, you need to rely on your hearing more than ever, to know exactly what's going on around you. Leave your headphones at home when walking your dog, so that you can pick up on potential dangers around you.

Additionally, it's important to tell someone where you have gone, whether that's a family member or friend, and how long you'll be. You can even download a Find My Friend app that will help others locate you if you feel threatened or scared when out walking alone in the dark.

4. Be wary of antifreeze

Rock salt is a mixture of salt (sodium chloride) and grit and is an effective way to reduce ice build-up on roads during the colder seasons.

However, road salt can be extremely dangerous to dogs, as it can irritate the dog's skin, causing dryness, cracking and even burns to a dog's pads. Even more dangerous for dogs, if they lick it from their paws or fur, they can ingest the chemicals, which can be toxic.

Symptoms of salt poisoning include drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and loss of appetite. In more severe cases, it can result in seizures and even death. This is why dog owners need to clean their pet's paws after coming home from a walk in the winter.

5. Consider personal safety

Walking in the evening can be scary, especially during winter when it's dark. If you feel like an area or situation may be threatening, don't wait around to find out. If you feel that you are in danger, walk as quickly as you can to a well-lit public place.

It's always best to avoid walking alone when it's dark outside. However, sometimes it's simply unavoidable. That's why it's important to have personal safety. This can come in many forms, from alarms and whistles to blinding lights and sprays that will cause disorientation for an attacker. If you've never owned a device like this before, personal safety alarms are the best place to start.

Your Pets Daily - Dog walking in winter