(by Brianne Statz, CPDT-KA)
Walking the dog is a great way for you both to get some exercise. However, walking in Wisconsin in winter is not exactly the easiest or most enjoyable excursion. But there are some helpful products that can make those winter walks better.
1. Yaktrax (http://yaktrax.com/) – While icy sidewalks don’t seem to faze the dogs, they can be very dangerous for people. Yaktrax attach to the bottom of your shoes or boots and help you stay vertical on your walks. I find them very effective, especially when the only free time I have is in the evening when it’s too dark to see all the icy patches.
2. Waist Leash (many brands available, such as Blue Dog Waist Leash (www.bluedogtraining.com) – While the waist leash has many advantages in walking and training, it’s wonderful in winter because you can keep your hands in your pockets! And if you do happen to slip and fall on some ice, you don’t risk dropping the leash and having your dog running free.
3. Paw Plunger (http://www.pawplunger.com/) – Winter can be very messy, when snow and ice start to melt and turn into slush and mud. With this device, you can come home, slip your dogs paws into it, and clean them easily. It does work quite well for cleaning the paws, although sometimes I wish there was a “full body” version.
Keep yourself and your dogs safe and warm, but you can still get out there and walk!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Winter Walking Tips!
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I LOVE my waist leash from Blue Dog! I use it frequently. It is great for training not pulling on leash - you stop and be a tree when the dog pulls, and they only get to move forward when there is slack on the leash. If you had a regular leash in your hand while doing this exercise, we humans have a tendency to pull back on the leash when the dog pulls or to let them have a little bit more room by letting our arm fly out with the leash.
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