5 Essentials for Walking Your Dog in the Rain
Staying active is good for your health and your pet’s health, so it’s important to get out for a bit of exercise – even when the weather is a little below Southern-California-grade beauty (i.e. raining).
Even when the weather is wet, you can easily head outside with your dog for a nice walk in the rain. The following items will make your outing a bit safer and more comfortable for you both.
5 Rainy Day Dog Walking Essentials
1. Reflective Harness
When it’s rainy outside, visibility is lower. Be sure to put your dog in a reflective harness for safe walking and high visibility. This will make your pup much easier for drivers to spot – even if he is little, short-legged, and low to the ground.
2. Leash
For safety, we recommend always keeping your dog on a leash when you go out for a walk in an unfenced area. Even if your dog has good recall training, there are still a lot of risks associated with going off-leash.
In the rain, keeping your dog on a leash is even more important because of the potential for thunder that could startle your dog and cause him to run away.
3. Raincoat
A dog raincoat in a bright color will help your dog stay comfortably dry and also make him more visible.
4. Booties or Paw Wax
Wet, rainy weather can wreak havoc on your dog’s paws. Booties offer the best paw protection, but not all dogs will accept wearing them. In these cases, apply paw wax before and after your walk to keep your dog’s paws nicely conditioned.
5. Towel
Be sure to bring a towel so that you can dry your dog off as soon as you reach shelter from the rain. Letting his coat stay damp can increase the risk of skin infections, dryness, itchiness, and rashes.
Peace of Mind With a Microchip
A big risk of walking your dog in the rain is thunder. If your dog is afraid of thunder, then going out for a walk in the rain means risking having your frightened pet get loose and run away. We strongly encourage all of our clients to have their dogs and cats microchipped.
A pet microchip provides a permanent form of identification for your pet and greatly increases the chances of reuniting with a lost pet. To learn more about pet microchips or to schedule a microchipping appointment for your pet, we welcome you to contact Pacific Animal Hospital today.
