Essential Winter Dog Walking Products

By DogDialog Team on 17 October 2017

If winter is hard on us humans, imagine how uncomfortable it can be for our canine companions when going for walks. While we get to wrap up warm in all kinds of ways, using thermal socks and gloves, thick boots and plenty of layers, most dogs have just their fur to keep them warm.

While that may not be too bad for Huskies, mountain dogs and other breeds that thrive in the colder temperatures, the majority of dogs can do with some extra protection. Fortunately, there is a great range of products available to help keep their paws safe, and their temperature up when venturing out into the frost, snow, ice or fog. From the team at PetDialog to your four-legged friend, read on to find out how to keep your dog warm this winter.

 

Keep them seen

Since more dog walking takes place in the gloom or dark during winter, making your dog more visible is a key benefit of the dog accessory market. LED collars or bands, reflective vests and even audible alerts like bells can help your dog be seen and heard by cyclists, other dog owners, pedestrians, and cars if you’re road-walking your hound. These are low cost and an essential before venturing out in winter weather. They can also help you keep an eye on the dog, and it is great to watch a bunch of dogs play lit up like UFOs racing in and out of the mist.

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Advice on what happens if someone hits your dog with a car here

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Safety harnesses and jackets

No one likes getting wet, although some hounds mind it less than others. Whatever their temperament, when going out in the winter drizzle, a good waterproof coat will help keep them warmer and make them easier to dry when you get home, and there should be less of that wet-dog smell to deal with.

In the dark or gloom, more dogs are likely to be spooked by something looming out of the shadows at them. With nervous dogs, a solid well-fitting safety harness means they are less likely to slip the lead or rear up out of a basic harness. With these, you need to ensure that you get the right size harness for your dog and that the straps are comfortable yet tight enough to prevent a scared pet from taking flight. Having the lead attached to the middle of the dog’s back may help keep control of them, and extra handles make it easier to grab them if they try to take flight or are usually hard to recover after a play.

For smaller breeds or skinny dogs like greyhounds or lurchers, the cold can definitely make their walks less fun. To help protect them, there is a wide range of waterproof dog jackets, fleeces and other warming kit to help keep their body temperature up while out and about. Again, choosing the right size is essential so they don’t manage to shake it off, and a strong material is a key choice, in case other dogs chew or paw at it during play.

 

A good torch

With dogs going to the toilet in the dark, some owners are likely to think they can get away with leaving a poop behind. But with increasingly tight laws and council regulations, not seeing the poop is no excuse, and the fine will be just as unwelcome as someone stepping in your dog’s mess. If you shop around, you can find a light but powerful torch to help make you visible to others, light up any gloomy stretches of your walk and locate any poops in the dark. Some poo-bag holders even come with one built in, so you can find and bag them efficiently.

 

Dog boots

In the cold weather, dogs with sensitive feet, previously injured paws or other foot problems will definitely be less keen on going out. If your dog starts showing signs of wanting to stay in the warm, then some good fitting paw protectors for dogs could be the answer to this problem.

Most makes offer rubber boots that are a huge improvement on putting your dog’s feet in plastic bags secured by elastic bands. Among the many advantages of dog boots is that if the white stuff does fall where you are, then dog snow boots will prevent ice-balls getting stuck in between their paws. That’s as well as protecting them from frozen or sharp surfaces, and giving them reasonable grip in the cold. Most boots are sold in multi-packs so you can afford to lose a few should they slip off, but by picking the right size, that shouldn’t happen.

Finding your lost dog in winter

Winter brings its own challenges for dogs, with more hounds getting lost in the dark or poor weather. If your hound is particularly witless or an escape artist, you might want to get a GPS collar tracker so you can find them when they vanish. Using a smartphone app, you can track the dog down, without the need to alert the neighbourhood and local pounds. If you walk along hills, ravines, old mining areas or other hazardous places, you can also find your dog quickly should they take a tumble and get injured.

 

Those little extras

Along with your usual assortment of balls, drinks bottles go for plastic in winter as the metal ones will get terribly cold, bags of snacks, spare poop bags, leads, a blanket to dry them off before you get back in the car, and other essentials, this selection of dog equipment will help keep your hound happier when going out over the winter months and ensure they get their full quota of walks and exercise.

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