Walking with your dog

Dog walking can be a rewarding and healthy experience for walkers and dogs alike. Not only is it physical activity, but it’s mental stimulation for your dog to smell, see, and hear beyond the limits of your yard. Walking helps preserve your pet’s muscle tone and joint movement—if your pet is overweight or obese, walking can be a great way to shed those extra pounds.

To maximize these rewards, it pays to know how to design a safe walking program, and to consider the risks of disease and injury to both participants. There are simple precautions you can take to help keep everyone safe.

Even under the best circumstances, accidents, emergencies, and other unexpected things can happen. Always make sure your dog is wearing identification tags with up-to-date owner information.

General tips for getting started

Not sure where to start with your pet’s exercise program? Start with your veterinarian! It’s best to make sure that your pet is healthy enough to begin an exercise program and that the program is tailored to fit your pet’s health needs. Here are other tips for getting started:

• Train your dog to behave on a leash, and seek help to address any behavioral problems.
• Begin with short, frequent walks, and take frequent rests as needed.
• If your pet seems to just want to go back home, try driving to a nearby park or less familiar area for your walks.
• Remember that walks are also a means for your dog to enjoy his/her environment. Allow your dog to take “sniff breaks” within reason.
• Build gradually to one or more 15-minute periods of brisk walking, then allow for cool-down time and recovery.
• Walk on safe footing to avoid slips, falls, or injuries.
• If your pet shows signs of lameness, difficulty breathing, or seems to tire quickly, consult your veterinarian.
• Obey leash laws, and always clean up after your pet.

Walking in hot or cold weather

A dog’s tolerance to heat and cold differs based on their size, body condition, hair coat, health status, and other factors. If possible, consider timing walks to avoid the hottest part of the day during warm weather and the coldest times of the day during cold weather.

Hot temperatures

Brachycephalic (short-nosed) and overweight dogs seem to have a tougher time than others in hot weather and may require more frequent rests, shorter walks, or a change in walk schedule to avoid the hottest hours of the day. In general, if you’re warm, the dog likely is much warmer. Be on the lookout for these signs of heat stress:

• Unexpectedly anxious or weak
• Less responsive than usual to commands
• Heavy or frequent panting
• Excessive drooling
• Discolored, dry, and/or sticky gums

Heat stress can quickly progress (with or without other signs like staggering, vomiting, or diarrhea) to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death without immediate veterinary care.

And remember the paws! Hot sidewalks, roads, and other surfaces can burn a dog’s paw pads, and walking in the grass may be the best option on extremely hot days.

Cold temperatures

Dogs vary widely in their tolerance to cool and cold temperatures. Smaller breeds, breeds with thin or very short hair coats, and very young and very old dogs are more likely to have a hard time with cold weather. Some may even get frostbite. If a dog shows signs of feeling cold—like shivering, weakness, and less mental alertness, consider talking to the dog’s owner about a dog coat to keep the animal warm during cold-weather walks. If a dog shows signs of more severe hypothermia (muscle stiffness, shallow and slow breathing, collapse), seek immediate veterinary care.

Icy walkways can be a slip hazard and sharp, broken edges of ice can cut dogs’ feet. In addition, if a walking path is cold enough, the dog’s feet could become frostbitten. During frigid or icy conditions, dog boots are a great way to protect little feet. Also consider changing the walking route or duration to reduce any risk of harm.

Preventing accidents and injuries

Any physical activity, even one as simple as walking, carries a risk of injury. To minimize the risk to dogs, yourself, and others:

• Limit your walks to safe areas by avoiding the following:

• Surfaces that could injure dogs’ paws, such as very hot surfaces or those with broken glass or other hazards
• Areas with very uneven ground, sand, or holes that could cause falls or trap feet
• Ice, particularly when it’s covering water
• Areas known to have free-roaming, unrestrained dogs
• Areas with high wildlife activity

• Ensure each dog’s collar or harness fits them properly to prevent injury or escape. Some dogs have airway, neck, or other conditions that require the use of a harness instead of a collar.
• Cut the walk short if, while walking, your dog becomes injured, begins to limp, or develops other signs that something is wrong:
  • Staggering or stumbling
  • Struggling to breathe
    Reluctance or inability to walk
  • Wide-based stance
  • Abnormally colored gums, tongue, or skin
  • Disorientation

Avoiding dog bites

Always be careful when walking a dog to avoid situations that might cause the dog to bite someone or another animal.

• If you’re unfamiliar with a dog that you’re walking and you don’t know how it will act toward people, politely decline when someone asks if they can pet the dog.
• Learn about dog body language, including signs of stress or aggressive intent, and remove dogs from situations that trigger these signs. 
• If your dog has a history of aggression toward people or other dogs, walk the dog separately and avoid situations that may provoke them to bite.

Preventing the spread of infectious diseases

Certain infectious diseases like canine distemper or parvovirus can spread to dogs but not people, especially in social settings. Others like rabies, leptospirosis, ringworm, and toxocariasis (roundworm infection) are zoonotic, meaning they can spread animal-to-person and, sometimes, in the opposite direction.

Some possible routes of infection for dogs include these:

• Direct contact between dogs, including the simple act of touching noses or sniffing each other
• Airborne transmission through respiratory droplets generated when a dog coughs, sneezes, or barks
• Ingestion of or contact with the feces (poop) or urine of infected dogs
• Contact with contaminated sticks, toys, equipment, and other objects that infected dogs have interacted with

Less commonly, people who have had contact with an infected dog may infect other dogs if their hands, clothes, or shoes are contaminated.

In addition to taking steps to prevent dog bites, these practices can help keep everyone safe:

• Practice good hand hygiene. This means thoroughly washing your hands with soap and running water after picking up feces (poop) or handling dogs, toys, and food/water bowls; before eating, drinking, or smoking; and between caring for different dogs. Use hand sanitizer if handwashing isn’t feasible.
• Promptly pick up dog waste using a scooper or plastic bag-covered hand and dispose of it in the trash.
• Keep dogs from interacting with unfamiliar dogs, dogs with unknown vaccine histories, and wildlife.
• Prevent dogs from giving you kisses on your face, especially on or around the mouth, nose, or eyes. If you get a tongue lashing despite your efforts, wash your face.
• Stop dogs from eating or chewing on feces, garbage, animal carcasses, plants, and any other things outside any food or treats you have permission to feed.
• Keep dogs from drinking from standing or slow-moving water sources like puddles, ponds, lakes, or stream.
• Avoid eating, drinking, or smoking while walking dogs.
• Refrain from sharing equipment or toys between dogs unless these items can be sanitized between uses.
• If you have a weakened immune system (such as from medications, illness, pregnancy, or other conditions), be extra careful about protecting yourself from bites, scratches, and potential exposure to zoonotic organisms.