How to safely walk your dog during the holiday season?
For the majority of dogs, the month of December is not a happy time. They are terrified of the fireworks, hustle and bustle, and intense light shows that accompany the holiday season. During this time, a minor lapse in attention or an accident might swiftly occur, causing the dog to flee away. Unfortunately, a scared animal’s escape generally ends badly, or in the worst instance, tragically. Consider following these guidelines to make walks as safe and stress-free as possible during the magical festive season:
- Contact your veterinarian as soon as possible so that he/she can recommend and prescribe suitable drugs, nutritional supplements, or aids to help your dog overcome fear and anxiety.
- Do not leave your dog unsupervised outside, even if he/she is accustomed to taking a quick pee in the garden regardless of the area being fenced.
- Try to go for a walk, at least for a long one, when there is still daylight. There are more distractions, especially more pyrotechnics being used when it gets dark.
- Consider your dog’s needs. If he/she shows signs of fear, distress, or significant discomfort when being outside do not pressurize him/her to continue the walk.
- Attach an ID tag with up-to-date contact information and a tracking device on your dog’s collar or harness, and make sure that you plug in the tracking device regularly.
- Thoroughly check all walking equipment and remove any that are already seemingly unreliable: cracked/broken buckles and snap hooks, rusted hardware, chewed leashes, and poor-fitting harnesses.
- Always adjust collars and harnesses to the appropriate, tight enough size. Don’t let the gear be loose, especially if you put it over your dog’s clothes.
- If using a martingale collar, be sure to tighten it so that you can put one or two fingers underneath the collar. Metal parts on the tightening loop should never be touching. A dog can still escape from a loose martingale even when the leash is taut.
- If using a harness, choose the one with an additional safety strap on the narrowest part of the chest, especially if your dog is terrified of fireworks, timid, jumpy, wary, anxious, a dog with an unknown history, recently adopted dog or a dog with a deep chest.
- If you’re using a leash with multiple snap hooks or several leashes at once, attach one snap hook of the leash to the collar and the other one to the harness.
- Always walk your dog on a leash that you firmly hold in your hands or you even additionally attach around your waist. Fasten and unfasten the leash in a safe environment, such as an apartment or a house behind closed doors. Avoid using retractable leashes with a plastic casing, as they easily fall out of your hands, especially if you’re wearing gloves, and the noise can startle a sensitive dog.
- While bringing your dog out of the car, always grab the leash first and then unlock the transport cage or unfasten the seat belt. When loading your dog into the car, fasten the seat belt or close the transport cage first, and only then release the leash from your hands.
- Do not take your dog to festivities, parties, or in crowds where you can expect noise and other distracting things that could that may distress him.
- On New Year’s Eve, take your dog for a walk only as much as is absolutely necessary. Avoid long outings in the late afternoon/evening and night hours, especially if you live in an area where fireworks and other similar disruptions are common.
- Take care of yourself too, wear warm clothes and wear reliable shoes that are not slippery. There is nothing worse than a painful fall on the icy ground, during which you can let go of the leash and lose control of your dog.
