Safety Tips For Walking Your Dog At Night
When it comes to a dog’s potty schedule, nighttime walks can sometimes be unavoidable. Or if you’re an owner with a busy schedule so you can only fit in walks at the crack of dawn or when the sun goes down, don’t fret. Night walking your dog can be nerve-wracking, but here are some safety tips to put you at ease when you’re out.
Visibility Is Key
At night, some dogs can get spooked easily and not pay attention to their surroundings, which is why having a visible leash is important! Never walk your dog in the dark without a leash, no matter how well trained they are. Dogs can freak out when they’re enveloped in the darkness of the night and forget their trained responses.
Leashes provide better visibility of you and your dog at night. Leashes that are reflective or LED-powered help with the quality of visibility of your pooch. You can even tape your dog’s regular leash with reflective tape to make a reflective night leash. The more visible you and your dog are, the better!
Reflective or LED collars can be a great add-on for visibility, along with a reflective leash! Reflective collars can also be a solid option if you just want to better see your dog at night while they’re in your backyard.
It’s important to think of your dog during your nightly walks, but what about you? Reflective vests can protect you from passing cars in the dark. You can even get a matching vest for your dog, it’ll even help keep them warm in the colder months too!
More Lighting During Walks
Walking in well-lit areas will help ease your state of mind and is significantly safer for you and your dog at night. You can get a light that secures onto your dog’s collar or leash as an extra source for night walking! It comes with blinking patterns too if you want more emphasis that you and your dog are there.
It might seem silly, but a headlamp can also be a great source of light for your walks and is hands-free!
Stick To Routine Walking Routes
The nighttime is not the moment you want to start exploring new walking routes. If you’re new to your walking route, you may not know all the blind spots of visibility, how to navigate in an emergency, the wildlife around the area, and who else could be out at night. For example, you could run into a wild animal you aren’t used to seeing, like a mountain lion, and be completely caught off guard on what to do. It’s too dangerous to start walking new routes at night. Try exploring them in the daylight to familiarize yourself and your dog with the area before you choose to walk at night.
Remember Helpful Technology
Make sure to always bring your fully charged phone with you on a walk, day or night. You never know when you might need it (or when you will just have to capture an adorable moment of your pup).
If your dog isn’t microchipped, you might want to think about a doggie GPS! You can get a tracker that will attach easily to your pup’s collar. It even has an interactive app for IOS and Android that lets you track your pooch at any time and see their activity stats!