5 Most Important Tips To Safely Walk Your Dog
5. Don’t Use a Retractable Leash
I know that the retractable leashes are very popular and when I brought my first dog Rocky home, I used a retractable leash too. It was my first time walking my dog and I was using my brand-new retractable leash; the walk went well for about 20 minutes but then there was a chipmunk and Rocky bolted across the street. I tried to lock the string come coming out and stop him, but the button must have been broken or jammed, and Rocky went flying across the street. Luckily there were no cars coming but all I could think of was if the street was busy what would have happened. So since that day I have never used a retractable again because they might not always work. I recommend a leash made from a strong material like nylon.
4. Always Wear Light Up or Reflective Collar
This tip is mainly focused on if your walking your dog in the dark, which is very common because when people get home from work in the winter, they need to walk their dog and in many places its pitch black by five. A very disturbing fact is hundreds of millions of dogs are hit by cars at night every year because the drivers can’t see them. Not to mention how many dogs get lost at night and can’t be found. But if your dog is wearing a light up collar then drivers can see them and they will be easier to find if they get lost. To answer the question you’re probably asking and what I asked when if first heard about this is wouldn’t it annoy the dog, and the answer is NO! The collar does not in any way bother the dog.
3. Don’t Wear Headphones/Earbuds
Some people might not be happy to hear this tip but listening to music may make the walk much more enjoyable for you, but can actually be very dangerous. When you cannot hear your surroundings there could always be the possibility for another animal to attack you, a car from behind hitting you, and a lot more unlikely but possible scenarios that would be devastating.
2. Always Have Your Dog In Front or Beside You
Many dog experts say that your dog should be a few steps behind you to show your authority, but I have a friend who was walking her dog and the dog was lagging a little behind and was attacked by another dog. Luckily her dog was fine but that entire event could have been avoided by having the dog in her vision. I know for sure that she has never let her dog lag behind again during a walk.
1. Always Be Looking Around And Paying Attention
This may be a little obvious, but it definitely goes unnoticed all the time and is by far the most important tip I can give you to safely walk your dog. You can be following all the rest of these tips but if you’re not paying attention anything can happen. Please don’t be faced with a devastating event that could have easily been avoided.