We’ve got 7 dog walking tips for the last day of National Walk Your Dog Week for you today. This week happens every year on October first and lasts for seven days. We all love to walk and so does our Mom, but some things do help to make our walks for fun and safe for everyone.
7 Dog Walking Tips
1. Grab The Right Leash
What kind of leash is right for your dog and the place you plan to walk? We are huge fans of the bungee leashes. We have regular ones as well as the hands-free bungee leash. They all work great in pretty much any area. A regular four or six foot leash is also a good choice if your dog isn’t one to lunge and pull much. Flexi leashes are fine if you are away from others and the space isn’t crowded. We used them for a long time but Mom finds our other leashes better these days.
2. Collar Or Harness Which Is Right For Your Dog
A harness will not stop a dog from pulling, but it will make a dog who pulls safer. If your dog pulls and is attached to the leash at the collar, the pulling can end up causing neck damage to your dog. Mom could care less about a well behaved walking dog, so we all wear a harness. The harnesses allow us to pull without injuring ourselves and we can’t slip out of it like we can in a collar. Usually around the time we turn three or so we stop pulling so much anyway. There are a lot of harnesses to choose from, so research which one would be best for your dog.
3. Glow Collars For Walking In The Dark
The days are getting shorter which means we are ending up walking in the dark quite often in the morning. It is important to be seen by cars, especially early in the morning. So many drivers are still not really awake and are not paying attention. Slipping a glow collar around your pup’s neck will help her be seen. Most glow collars are rechargeable and all you need to do is slip it over your dog’s neck and hit the road.
4. Always Bring Your Phone
Mom never likes to bring her phone on walks or runs. She claims it is too big and it is just a hassle. When she broke her ankle she and Bailie had to walk half a mile home on her broken ankle because she didn’t have her phone, but she didn’t learn. For some reason in July she grabbed her phone as she left on her walk with Bailie and it saved her life. She had her heart attack that morning and would never had made it home on her own. You never know what can happen to you or your dog and there is no excuse to not have a phone with you. If you don’t have a pocket, use a fanny pack or an arm band to hold it. We know first paw that having the phone with you can save your life.
5. Don’t Forget The Poop Bags
Remember to always pick up after your dog, even if you are in the woods. Cleaning up after your dog is part of being a good citizen. We have poop bags on our leashes, in Mom’s pockets, and in our car all the time. At home we order rolls of six hundred so we don’t have to worry about running out.
6. Change Up Your Walking Routes
Don’t walk the same route day in and day out. We change up our routes every day because not only do we get bored, but Mom gets bored. Sometimes we do our walks in the reverse direction which means the other side of the street which also makes things more interesting. Variety is the spice of life!
7. Be A Good Neighbor
Don’t let your dog pee on all the stuff people have in their yards. Anything you think people will be touching should not be peed upon. Mailboxes are also not trees as they need to be maintained and the urine destroys the wood over time. Use your doggy manners and hold it until you get to the park or a place more suitable.
Happy walking to everyone! Walks are something to be thankful for and we sure do enjoy ours!
My GBGV Life is joining Brian’s Home Blog in the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
da leash is very impawtant… we agree… it is like wearing da wrong shoes when you hav a wrong walking string ;O)
Great analogy!
All very good tips to remember! We have ‘pup lights’ for our early morning outings, and we make sure our mom wears her ‘people light’.
Mom has a people light for herself too.
I love the poop bag picture,
I wasn’t thrilled about doing that, but I’m a good girl, so I did it.
All great advice. I agree. Excellent.
Have a woof woof Thankful Thursday. Scritches all around and my best to your wonderful mom. ♥
Thank you. Walking seems simple, but there is a lot to it with dogs.
All good! We wear collars, but add a harness on for walking , because Mom said we had a sister who got her neck messed up from using the collar. Also, we realy appreciate the mailbox tip, because Mom doesn’t let us do that, and a lot of walking dogs do – we thought she was just mean. Now, we know better, thanks to you.
Chablis
We wear our collars and a harness. Collars come off at bedtime and go on before we go out in the morning.
Great post girls. Mom never brings her phone along and she knows that she should.
Mom always thought about it but just didn’t think it was worth it. Now it is always with her.
That was a really good post on how to be a good doggie neighbor and we loved your photos. Hope those bags were empty MOL
Thank you. Of course, they were fresh bags off the roll. I’m a nice girl and wouldn’t want to be covered in used ones.
Those are all wonderful tips and the courteous ones are super nice! Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
It’s important to use good manners or you ruin things for all dogs and their humans.
Great tips. I wish everyone followed them- especially the poop bags. 🙂
Some people just refuse to pick up after their pup and we find that terrible.
Wonderful tips. We use the sleeves the newspapers come in as poop bags, they work great and since i only have the dog part time, i have plenty of them as i save them up.
Mom used to use those all the time too, but since we no longer get a paper, no more bags.
GREAT tips! The poop bag picture made me LOL. You’re such a good sport about photos like that! Ducky would never sit still for me with poop bags draped around her! And Bogie would try to eat them. 🙄
Happy Friday to all of you!!
Bailie and I will do almost anything, Olivia is a bit more selective as to what she will do for photos.
All great advice! We absolutely LOVE your illuminated collars and leashes. Mum just got a LED runner’s vest for when we’re out in dark conditions. It works great but particularly like the idea of illuminated collars and leashes. You can never be too careful with as much traffic as we have in our neighborhood.
Being seen is the key. Mom always wears bright clothing too.
What fantastic tips girls!! We are so glad your Mama brought her phone on that day in July! Mama always brings her phone…but mostly because you never know if there will be a photo opportunity!
xoxo,
Sunny and the Gang
Mom says it is so cumbersome while running and on morning walks she likes to just enjoy the walk but now she always has it with her.