5 tips for walking your dog at night in winter
Like every year, during the All Saints holidays, we change time and temperature. The night will point the tip of its truffle faster and it will be cooler and cooler. Brrr, I'm shivering already. You will therefore certainly be required to make night walks with your dog, the scarf around the neck, the cap on the head!
For successful outings, I share with you five tips for walk with your dog at night when it's cold. Musher and I have already started the walks in the dark, we had to bring out our winter gear. Dog equipment, tips, tricks: here's what you need to know for winter walks with your dog.
Tip #1: Don't Give Up on Walking Your Dog
It's cold and like everyone else, you'll prefer to stay at home under the warm blanket. It's easy to be tempted to give up walking with your dog. Bad idea ! Even if the season makes you less keen to go out, your dog will still need and want to let off steam outside, sniff the smells around him, run with his hair in the wind, roll around in mud puddles... elsewhere the specialty of my labrador. Musher says it makes the hair really soft… You can't leave your dog locked up for 4 months of winter!
Walking is very important at all levels for your dog. It contributes to the balance and well-being of your animal. In addition, the energy expended outdoors will prevent your dog from doing mischief indoors.
And then, a few minutes of walking will do you the greatest good, it's ideal for keeping in shape and clearing your mind. It is advisable to do at least 30 minutes of brisk walking every day as a reminder... So we put on a down jacket, a hat and gloves and we move, we go for a walk at night with your dog.
Tip #2: Make sure your dog is visible
Walks with Musher are now done when the sun goes down after my day's work. As a result, we quickly find ourselves in the dark and even in the dark. Our walks being in the countryside, I let her walk freely but I need to watch what she does and where she goes. When night falls, it's not always easy: there are no streetlights where I walk, only vines and almond trees... And Musher's black fur doesn't help me much to distinguish her in the darkness. So I tested some accessories too W'ouf for walk with your dog safely and be visible at night!
luminous necklace, reflective collar, waterproof lamp to be fixed on the collar, velcro security strip to fix in over-collar, bandanna and reflective vest are essential for walk safely with your dog at night.
Personally with Musher, I opted for 3 accessories:
-
le reflective vest which is very easy to put on and which allows my dog to be visible in the headlights of a car, for example, because there are reflective shapes on the sides of the vest. I wear a headlamp myself to see where I'm walking, my light is reflected in her vest and it allows me to locate her if she moves away a little. I also give him the day when I know we're going to come across hunters. Impossible to confuse it with a wild boar.
-
the lamp to be fixed on the collar: the Spotdog lamp is 100% waterproof. My dog jumps in every puddle and dives into every river or stream we come across on a walk. I sacrificed a few lights before finding this one… It has two modes: steady or flashing light. It allows me to locate Musher easily.
-
a bell: I add a bell on her necklace. The noise does not bother her and it allows me to locate her easily if she is behind a hedge and I can no longer see the light for example. I use this accessory during the day too. When we walk around town, it allows people to hear us coming and to pay attention to us. I often go to the market with Musher and before she wore a bell, she often got pushed around or stomped on by people in a hurry and impatient. As she is patient and gentle as a lamb, she says nothing but a more stressed dog might rebel. With this bell, people hear it coming.
If you walk your dogs, these accessories will be very useful for you to be seen by motorists or cyclists and thus prevent any accident! In the article "Walk at night with your dog”Musher and I tested all these Trop W'ouf accessories. You can find our tests in detail to choose your accessories.
I also advise you to download an app to geolocate yourself in real time so your family or friends will know where you are in the event of a problem... I use my running app so my partner knows where I am if I'm late to go back… It has become my reflex when walking: I start the app as soon as I leave the house. And it also lets me know how many kilometers I do with Musher.
Tip #3: Check that your dog is comfortable at night
Some dogs are scared at night.. Be careful, your dog is not afraid of ghost dogs or bad guys… Dogs see much better than us in the dark, but some are less at ease when they walk around in the dark.
Musher is a bit cowardly at night. Luckily for me, when she hears a suspicious noise she doesn't run far. Some dogs will tend to run away fast and far without looking back. This is where the games of hide and seek begin. If you know your dog is sensitive, keep him on a leash to avoid problems. Or equip it with a gps for dog : so you can easily locate it.
This fear is not trivial with them… Your dog may have associated the night with a bad memory that happened at that time of day. Also, when it is dark, this memory remains present in his memory and he becomes suspicious. I advise you to go see a canine behaviorist or a veterinarian who will be better able to explain to you how to manage your dog's trauma and ensure that he has as much fun at night as during the day...
If, on the contrary, your dog enjoys the night, I advise you to try the Nocturnal Cani-Rando. You will find lots of information in the article “The night hike, full of sensations with your dog”. I tested with Musher, you'll see it's Too W'ouf! Guaranteed sensations.
Tip #4: Is my dog cold?
Your dog can catch a cold too. When you walk around at night, the temperatures drop very quickly and there is a lot of humidity. They may be covered with hair from head to foot, but they are not all insensitive to the coldness of winter, especially if they have short hair.
You can absolutely cover a cold dog, there are dog coats specially made for these. Guess who tested it? Musher of course!
She is not chilly because her Labrador coat keeps her dry and warm whatever the weather. As my dog sleeps in our house, she is used to the warmth of the fireplace. A dog that sleeps outside will be even more resistant to the cold. Musher and I love going for a walk in Aubrac in winter and taking long walks in the snow. When the wind blows on the Aubrac plateau, wearing a coat can be very useful! The perceived temperature can then drop to -15°C. When we walk around, I don't put a coat on her because she stays active, but when we stop I cover her right away to prevent her from getting cold.
Find all our coat tests in the article “Should you dress your dog in winter?”Be careful, covering a cold dog is good. Covering a dog to give it a look is pointless. You will only get your dog used to being covered and the day you forget his coat, he will be freezing to death. If he's not cold, there's no need to weaken him and make him chilly.
Tip #5: Watch out for snow even at night
While it's easy to watch your dog during the day, it's less obvious at night. And yet, you will have to be attentive to your dog. When a dog walks in the snow, his body heat melts it and wets his hair which then freezes due to the outside temperature. This forms icicles on his coat and between his pads. And it can lead to complications if you don't take precautions! I advise you to read the article “Winter sports holidays – some precautions for your dog” for more details.
Snow is not water! Your dog may be tempted to eat it, most likely because he is thirsty, but he may have intestinal problems. Guess who tested… our mascot is greedy and had a terrible night because of it (and so did I!). Be careful that your dog does not eat it: keep your eyes open at night.
If you like snow and hiking, then I strongly recommend cani-rando on snowshoes, skijoëring with your dog or even cani-scooter for holidays that are too Wouf! Discover these activities in the article “what to do skiing with your dog"?
—–
I hope this article has given you some good tips to continue walking at night with your dog. Taking your dog out is essential for him as for you, well equipped, autumn or winter should not stop you. Nice walks to all 🙂