Keeping Your Dog Safe on Evening or Early Morning Walks

By Suzanne Alicie

We love hearing from our readers. Mary M. recently gave us a great topic to address to help you keep your dog safe when walking in low-light situations, such as evenings and early mornings. As you know by reading some of our other Responsible Pet Ownership posts, we’re all about finding ways to help you keep your pets safe, healthy and happy.

Do you walk your dog early in the morning as the sun is coming up or late in the evening when dusk makes dangerous shadows? Believe it or not, wearing reflective clothing yourself is not enough to protect your dog. Driving at this time of morning or evening is dangerous, and no matter how careful a driver may be there is always a chance of them not seeing your dog. Yes, I know that the side of the road is supposed to be a safe area for walking your dog, but accidents happen. People look away from the road and veer off the side, or shadows can make it difficult to discern where the edge of the road is, not to mention making it hard to see a person or dog in the gloom.

Reflective Equipment

Besides having some sort of reflective clothing on yourself, you should also make sure your dog has a reflective safety vest, reflective leash and collar. Glow in the dark items are also helpful in the event that headlights don’t hit you. Making you and your dog visible even in very low light is important for keeping you both safe. There is no such thing as too much reflective safety gear when it comes to keeping your dog safe.

Watch Where You Walk

If at all possible, alter your routine to walk during these dangerous times on a bike path or nature trail rather than along the road. If you have to walk beside the road, keep your dog on the side away from the road and always make sure you have full control of where he goes. Follow pedestrian traffic rules by walking facing oncoming traffic. You don’t want anyone to drive up behind you and strike you or your dog.

These are simple solutions for when you are walking your dog in low light situations, but what if he gets loose and takes off in the same kind of lighting? You won’t be able to see him any better than someone driving a car, and you chasing him may cause him to run out in front of a car.

The Tagg GPS tracker makes it easy to locate and leash your dog. The lightweight GPS band transmits to an app on your Smartphone showing you where your dog is at all times. It makes rounding up a loose doggie much easier than simply walking the streets shaking a container of CANIDAE Pure Heaven treats and hoping your dog tires of his adventure and comes to you without disaster.

To learn more about other ways to keep your dog safe, check out these posts:

Summer Safety for Dogs

Traveling With Your Dog

Is Your Yard Safe for Your Dog

What to Do if a Snake Bites Your Pet

Eight Things Every Pet Owner Needs to Know

Photos by Takashi Hososhima

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Free Recorded Webinar for Parents Keeping Kids and Dogs Safe Over the Holidays

Thanks to the Pet Professional Guild and Family Paws Parent Education for partnering with Doggone Safe to present this free webinar for parents. If you have a dog and expect visitors or if you will be visiting a family that has a dog, you will get some great tips from this webinar. Even a nice family dog can bite if stressed, and unfortunately many do at family gatherings. The dog owners are inevitably shocked and upset, and say that this "came out of the blue" and that they never would have thought their dog could bite. There are always warnings, although subtle in some cases. Learn to recognize the signs of stress and how to prevent situations in which a dog might feel the need to protect himself with his teeth.

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