The #1 Most Important Thing Vets Are Begging Pet Parents to Stop Doing When Walking Their Dogs

Dog walking, in theory, seems simple: you slip a leash on your dog, step outside, and hit the trail. Done and dusted. Of course, pet parents know that in practice, it’s not that straightforward. Before you can confidently and comfortably start walking outside with your dog, you’ve got to train them to be comfortable walking with a leash and following your commands!

But even proper leash training isn’t the end all, be all to safe dog walking. As it turns out, a lot of pet parents who have well-trained dogs still unknowingly make mistakes that potentially put both them and their pup at risk. Since it’s National Dog Walking Week, let's talk about how to make your future dog walks safer and more pleasant by addressing some of the biggest dog walking pitfalls people stumble into - including the single most crucial bad habit to avoid.

Common Dog Walking Mistakes To Avoid

Before we talk about the biggest "don't" in dog walking, though, we also wanted to address a few other common bad habits a lot of well-meaning pet parents are guilty of. It's easy to fall into these bad habits, especially if you're a first-time dog parent, but recognizing these pitfalls is the first step in making a change and ultimately turning your daily walks into a more healthy, engaging, and beneficial experience for both you and your pup!

Approaching Unfamiliar Dogs

Meeting friendly new dogs while on a walk by yourself can be fun, but it’s something you’re better off avoiding when you're out on a casual walk with your pup. It takes time to property acclimate two dogs to one another, and a quick impromptu introduction with another dog on the street can run the risk of triggering aggressive, territorial, or otherwise undesirable behavior. Furthermore, unfamiliar dogs may be sick or unvaccinated and can potentially spread contagious diseases. There are times where it’s OK to introduce your dog to a new four-legged friend, but unless you know the other dog's "person" or have planned a meet-up, your daily walk probably isn't an ideal time!

Of course, keeping your pup away from strange dogs is easier said than done if they like to make a beeline for every new dog they see. If that’s the case, though, training out that behavior is important. Professional dog trainer Sassafras Patterdale claims you can help “teach neutrality” to your dog by rewarding them when they show you attention, making yourself more interesting and “valuable” to them than the distractions around them. Teaching your dog to ignore distractions is an invaluable skill that will help them in other aspects of their life outside of your walks, too!

Ignoring the Weather

Yes, you should obviously check the forecast for any storms before going out on a long walk, but we also mean that you should be mindful of seasonal weather-related hazards as well. Take summer walks, for example. According to the Madison Animal Care Hospital, dogs can be at risk of developing heatstroke in temperatures as low as 70F, and walking in temps above 77F is generally considered very risky by experts. Once you get into the 80s and 90s, hardscaped surfaces can become dangerously hot and burn your dogs’ paws. When you walk your dog in the summer, keep it brief and in the shade, bring plenty of water and a collapsible bowl, and if the ground temperature is high, consider using booties to protect their paws.

Winter can bring walking hazards too, and not just from the elements. Veterinarian Jamie Richardson told Business Insider that de-icing agents and rock salt on sidewalks can potentially cause burns or lead to poisoning if your dog licks their paws. Again, this is another situation in which dog booties could really come in handy!

Pulling Hard or Tugging on the Leash

Many first-time pet parents have a bad habit of tugging back when their dog pulls hard on their leash, or they’ll pull their dog along in an effort to “lead” the way. Unfortunately, yanking on your dog’s leash can do a whole lot of harm and not a lot of good. Your dog’s neck is a sensitive part of its anatomy, containing their esophagus, trachea, and thyroid glands, along with their neck and shoulder bones. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, heavy pressure around the collar can be extremely painful or even injurious to your dog. For that reason, using choke or prong collars is equally as bad. Additionally, they write that many dogs will naturally “lean in” and pull forward when they feel pressure on their collar, so you could ironically be making your dog’s pulling habits worse!

Leash tugging is a common and frustrating habit among dogs, especially puppies. Like all bad habits, though, it needs to be addressed with positive training, not punitive action. Loose leash walking (where the leash is always slack and your dog walks by your side) is the safest method by far, and it’s something that dog parents should strive for in leash training!

Using an Extendable Leash

On the other hand, some well-meaning pet parents opt for long, extendable leashes out of the belief that it gives their dog more freedom. In light of some of the previous entries on this list, though, you can probably guess why using an extendable leash is a bad idea. According to the Santa Barbara Humane Society, extendable leashes often end up encouraging pulling behaviors (the same issue we covered above) because the leash never fully slackens. Additionally, they don’t offer enough control for the dog walker, which in turn may encourage bad behaviors like attempting to dart off into traffic or chasing another dog!

Not Properly Fitting Their Collar

Be mindful of how your dog’s collar fits them. A collar that’s too tight puts them at risk of strangulation or other neck injuries, but they may be able to slip out of a collar that’s too loose. According to the American Humane Society, you should be able to slip two fingers between the collar and your dog’s neck. Check that it isn’t so loose that it will slip over their head, though (the AHS recommends using a Martingale collar for narrow-headed dogs like Greyhounds and Whippets). If you're not able to sufficiently tighten or loosen their collar to fit the "two fingers" rule, you need to buy a different size collar.

The #1 Biggest "Don't" While Dog Walking

As for the single biggest dog walking "don't" you should avoid? It's a deceptively simple one: don't walk while distracted or multitasking. That might seem like a minor faux pas compared to some of the ones we covered above, but experts agree that distracted dog walking is a major problem for a myriad of reasons.

"It's kind of like the dog-walking equivalent of distracted driving," veterinary behaviorist Leslie Sim told CBS News last year. "You're not paying attention to the signs that your dog is uncomfortable... and if you're missing all those clues because your head is elsewhere, that's a problem.

Missing signs of potential discomfort is far from the only risk inherent in distracted dog walking. Think of all the stimuli your dog is constantly exposed to on an average walk, and how easily they can get distracted when you're not fully engaging with them. Your dog could start gobbling up a poisonous plant or chasing after a squirrel, catching you off guard while you're not in full control. Walking while distracted also means you might miss other oncoming hazards like traffic or other, less friendly dogs.

It's not just your dog's safety at risk, either. A study published last year in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that the number of dog walking-related ER visits rose more than fourfold from 2001-2020, from 7,282 incidents a year to 32,306. If your big dog bolts off after a squirrel when you're not expecting it, they're taking you with them!

You owe it to your furry friend to be fully engaged while on your walks, not just for the sake of both your safeties, but because they're part of your family. Dog walking ought to be a time to encourage good behavior, reinforce training and trust, and connect with your dog on an emotional level. You're the center of their world, after all, and your walks together should be a special time for both of you. Take the opportunity to give them the attention they deserve and make each walk a happy, meaningful, and safe experience!

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