Paw Pals Pet Sitting

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in Northern VA

Client Portal
(703) 345-1695
Schedule Services
  • About Us
    • Client Reviews
    • Common Questions
    • Team Bios
    • Join Our Team
    • Policies & Service Agreement
    • Who We Support
  • Pricing
    • Dog Walking
    • Dog Sitting
    • Cat Sitting
    • Pet Sitting
    • Additional Services
    • Holiday Fee Service Schedule
  • Dog Sitting
  • Dog Walking
  • Cat Sitting
  • Pet Sitting
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Essential Dog Walking Tips For A Rainy Day

July 6, 2020 by Mary Telesz

dog walking tipsLooking for dog walking tips? As a responsible dog owner, you already know that your dog needs to be walked every day, regardless of the weather. No one enjoys walking when the weather is unpleasant, and many dogs prefer to minimize the length of the walk on such days, too.

Nonetheless, you can make the walk enjoyable and safe for both of you by adjusting how you walk your dog in the wet weather conditions.

Helpful Practices for Walking in Wet Weather

The first rule to follow when walking your dog in any weather is safety first. That means wearing clothing that will help oncoming traffic see you and your dog. During daylight hours, wear bright clothing. At night, staying safe means wearing reflective clothing and using reflective leashes, harnesses and collars on your dog. If possible, use sidewalks and minimize the number of street crossings you have to make.

Here are some additional dog walking tips:

Shorten the Length of Your Walks

When the rain is coming down, you no doubt will be happy to shorten your walks. When the temperature is cold, try to make the walk as short as you can, especially if the temperatures are low enough that the rain is freezing and the surfaces are slippery with ice.

Walking in a soft rain on warm spring or summer days can actually be refreshing. However, avoid walking in downpours or during thunder and lightning storms. We all know that lightning is dangerous. Moreover, some dogs are terrified of thunder and lightning. Know your dog. If your dog is afraid, you run the risk of a frightened dog slipping out of your grip in a frantic attempt to find a hiding place. If you must walk your dog in such conditions, do so in a safe area and keep it as short as possible.

Check the weather forecast in your area. For example, before a dog walk in Fairfax, look to find out if you can wait thirty minutes or so and perhaps walk when the weather improves a bit.

Avoid Puddles

Avoid Puddles During Dog WalkingRain makes puddles. Dogs often like to explore them and may pull you off of the sidewalk or trail to check one out. Your dog may be one that finds a puddle irresistible, and may want to play in it or drink from it. Drinking water from a puddle may be cute, but you need to discourage your dog from doing it. The water can easily contain toxins that are bad or even dangerous for your dog to ingest. Puddles often harbor bacteria like Leptospirosis, which can make your dog quite sick and can be transmitted to humans.

Properly Dry Your Dog after Walking in the Wet Weather

You can try keeping your dog dry during a walk by putting a rain jacket and boots on your dog. If your dog will tolerate wearing rain protective equipment, by all means use it. Make sure it fits the dog properly or you could end up with a wet dog that is entangled in its gear! If your dog will walk in boots, you can also use them to protect its paws from sharp, icy surfaces in winter and burning hot pavement in the summer. The boots can improve traction on slippery surfaces, too.

Be aware that not all dogs will accept rain coats or walking in boots. If your dog is one of those intolerant ones, you will need to properly dry them after the walk. In those cases, make it easier on yourself. Simply leave a clean, dry towel by your door. When you return from your walk, use it to dry your dog’s face, coat and paws.

Expect that your wet dog will want to shake itself off, sending water droplets everywhere. Give it a quick rub down with the towel before it shakes and you can at least minimize the amount of water spraying on you and your home’s interior surfaces. Dry each one of its paws to minimize wet paw prints on your clean floors.

Properly Dry Your Dog after Walking in the Wet WeatherSometimes your dog will find a nice muddy place to trot through or even roll in. For that reason, you should have a supply of paw cleaning products and dog shampoo on hand. Include a dry shampoo or dog cleaning wipes for use in cold weather. Avoid using soap designed for humans as it can quickly dry the dog’s skin and paws out.

Only use shampoo products designed for a dog to clean off mud and debris. Once dry, consider using a good paw conditioning product to keep the dog’s paws healthy.

Contact the Dog Care Pros at Paw Pals

Your dog needs regular walking to keep it healthy and happy. For that reason, a walk in the rain is usually better than no walk at all. If you need help making sure your dog gets regularly and properly walked no matter the weather, contact the experts at Paw Pals. They provide first-rate dog walking and pet care services. Talk to them today about how they can help you with your dog.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

Have a Question?

Certifications & Associations

PetTech-logo

PUPS-logo

Kennel Pro

Best of NOVA award 2022

Best of NOVA award 2021

Best of NOVA award 2020

Northern Virginia Magazine - Best Pet Care 2019 Award

Powered By

Pet Sitter Plus logo

Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

professional dog walking software

Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Next Reviews Write a review
powered by Google

© 2023 · Paw Pals Pet Sitters, LLC · Website Design by 321 Web Marketing