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6 Tips for Walking Your Dog in the Winter

December 3, 2018 by Mary Telesz

the owner of a professional dog walking services company taking a dog for a walk on a main roadAs the temperature starts to drop, you may be wondering how, or if, you’re supposed to walk your dog in the freezing winter months. You should continue to walk your dog on a daily basis as they need the exercise and it’s good for them to get out and get some fresh air. However, you should be aware of the cold weather so you can make sure the walk is safe and enjoyable for your dog.

1. Keep Your Dog Warm

Not all dogs are suited for walking in Virginia‘s cold weather, so you need to take the extra steps to ensure they are as comfortable as possible as your walking them in the winter. A small detail that many people overlook is the hair between a dog’s toes. If this hair is too long, it can be very easy for ice to accumulate which can cause temporary lameness and difficulty or pain when walking. Either make sure this hair is kept short, or invest in a pair of boots that comfortably fit on their paws. If your dog isn’t in need of the extra insulation that a winter boot can provide, you can also look into thin rubber boots that can easily be slipped on the paw and allow them full movement. A third option is to get paw wax that can act as a barrier between their paws and the cold exterior.

Another reason for getting boots is such a good idea is because when you walk your dog on snow or ice, their paws are at a greater risk of getting dried out. This can make your dog get colder faster, and also cause them severe discomfort. When you come in from your walk, you should take the time to get a warm washcloth to not only warm up your dog’s paws but also to get rid of any salt or ice melting chemicals that have collected on your dog’s paw.

2. Keep it Short

You should adjust how long your walks are according to the weather outside. When it’s super cold outside, keep them as short as possible for the comfort of both you and your dog. This also means you should take advantage of days when it’s warmer outside to really give your dog a long and good walk. If there’s snow on the ground, it’s important that you plan the route of your walk ahead of time. You want to stick to known sidewalks or paths to keep your dog from stepping on something dangerous.

3. Choose The Right Time To Walk

There are shorter hours of daylight during this time of year, so finding the time to walk your dog when it’s sunny out can be challenging. However, this is actually a super important tip because it can be much colder outside during the nighttime. Try to plan your schedule ahead of time so you can fit your dog’s daily walk into the warmer hours of the day.

4. Watch Out For Frostbite

a dog walking in the snow with a dog walker since the owners are on vacation for the winterYou should be aware of the signs of frostbite for dogs. You need to keep an eye on their ears, nose, food pads and tails as these are the most common places where frostbite occurs. You’re looking to see if the skin is pale, cold and hard and if it turns red and puffy after it warms a bit. Don’t allow your dog to lick, scratch or chew at any potentially affected areas. Be sure to use a warm rag on the area to help soothe the discomfort.

5. Don’t Let Your Dog Eat Snow

Eating snow may not seem like it would be such a big deal, but it can be dangerous. You have no way of knowing what’s in the snow. It’s very possible for harmful chemicals to be in the snow or for it to have small choking hazards hidden within it.

6. Hire Dog Walking Services

One of the best ways to walk your dog in the winter is by hiring professional dog walking services. Dog walking services not only give you the benefit of being able to stay out of the cold, but it’s also great because your professional dog walking services will be trained and certified so they will know the proper way to walk your dog in the cold. Dog walking services can also be particularly helpful during this time of year in ensuring your dog gets walked during daylight hours. Your job might cause you to get home after the sunsets and the temperature drops, which could be harmful to your dog if it’s too cold. Having a dog walker will allow you to avoid this problem. Be sure to reach out to Paw Pals for more information and to book your dog walker. If you are going out of town for the holidays and are unable to walk your dog daily, Paw Pals also offers dog sitting services to walk and care for your dog while you are out of town.

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!

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

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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.
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