Most of us have to go out for a final "constitutional" at night but walking in the dark, especially if, like me, you are a dark-colored dog, can also be hazardous. There may be animals about (like raccoons) or sharp objects on the ground that you cannot see. And of course, there may be people in cars that cannot see you...or don't see you until the last minute. Not good at all.
At Pet360, there's an ongoing Community discussion about how you can make your nighttime walks safer. I know what I do to make my nighttime walks safer:
Oz's 5 Tips to Make Your Nighttime Walk Safer
1) Walk in well-lit areas. If you are walking in your neighborhood, stay where there is enough light for you to see who or what is coming towards you (because then they can see you too). And always try to stay on the sidewalk instead of walking on the street...that could be asking for trouble.
2) Bring a flashlight. We bring a flashlight on walks when we are camping because it gets dark in the woods. But if your neighborhood or park where you walk at night is not well-lit, a flashlight is a brilliant (BOL - get it?) idea. (The flashlight will also help you locate your "business" so you can #ScoopThatPoop! There's no excuse for leaving a mess behind.)
3) Dress your human appropriately. Have your human wear light colored, or even better - reflective, clothing so they are more visible to people in cars.
4) Don't walk alone. Yes, I know you are walking with your human but I say, if possible, have your human walk with someone else. There is safety in numbers! Ma and I tend to walk with my friend Bentley and his mom.
5) Wear your super cool light-up doggie gear. There are a lot of options out there like the SpotLit LED Collar Light that hangs from your collar and collars and/or leashes that have reflective material on them.
I have a Nite-Dawg Light-Up LED Collar that I wear when it is really dark - like when we are camping or when the power goes out and there's no street/ambient light (see my Nite-Dawg Light-Up LED Collar product review HERE). It works really well too; the light can either blink or be constant.
On a nighttime walk wearing my Nite-Dawg LED Collar:
My good friend Pepper has several other Nite-Ize products including the Nite-Dawg LED Collar Cover which slips over your collar (or even your leash) and attaches with Velcro. She has the SpotLit LED Collar Light too (of course, in pink). If you are interested in learning more about those, you can see Pepper's product reviews HERE.
So I want to know...What do you do to make your nighttime walks safer? Share your ideas here and then jump over to the Pet360 Community and join the discussion.
Walking at night is something I am very warry of. In one sense I like the cooler air and the lack of traffic, but at the same time when a car drives by, they don't always notice me and drive pretty close. I have a reflector I Velcro around my that has seemed to help.
ReplyDeleteA reflector is a great idea!
DeleteWalking at night can be so scary. The roads here are not always well-lit, so we really appreciate these great tips, Oz. That LED collar is awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy neighborhood is well-lit but that doesn't always mean a driver is paying attention to see you walking.
DeleteWe do our last outing in our fenced yard. However, when we do night time walks with Mom and Dad we practice car awareness. We don't expect the cars to see us, so we focus on staying out of their way.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Bailey. Staying out the way of cars is crucial.
DeleteHiya pal! That collar is really cool. We've been thinking about trying one. I also have blinking lights that I put on our doggie stroller when I used to use that more.
ReplyDeleteYour pals,
Diane and Rocco
Hi! The light-up collar comes in very handy. Blinking lights on the stroller is a great idea too!
DeleteGreat post mate, sometimes we worry about walkies after dark as well. I shall dispatch pops to investigate these light up collars further,
ReplyDeleteRA
You should definitely check out the light-up collar, Ra.
DeleteExcellent post, We're going away for Christmas and New Year to the countryside were there's very little street lighting, so looking around for safety products I like the look of the LED collar light and am thinking of a fluorescent jacket for myself.
ReplyDeleteThe LED collar shows up really well - despite Ma's awful attempt at videoing it. BOL If you get a fluorescent jacket, I want to see photos!
DeleteThis is an important post. In neighbourhoods, on vacations, and even truckers who walk their dogs need to utilize this. Safety first and foremost. Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. Safety should be a top priority.
DeleteWhoa...still trying to get over the night ride of the bod-less glowing collar...creepy! ;-) Muahaha! Great tips on night walking Oz! I totally concur with the whole flash light idea, especially if you have a (very) small fear of the dark!! I want to get an LED leash too!
ReplyDeleteBOL! A flashlight is perfect for scaring away whatever might JUMP out at you.
DeleteWe almost never walk at night. Morning and early evening are usually our times. (We have a fenced yard for after-dark business). But I do kinda love the light-up leashes and collars!
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky to have a fenced yard.
DeleteLuckily my neighborhood is pretty well-lit, and for our dark walks Momma makes sure to take routes that let us cross streets where there are lights and preferably stop signs. Momma has a reflective vest that she wears over her clothes. (She also wears it when she goes running at night without us.) And in the winter, my coats all have some kind of reflective stripe on them. You can't be too careful!
ReplyDeleteI never wear doggie clothing so it didn't even cross my mind that WE dogs could wear reflective clothes. Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteWe do our night business in our fenced yard. Dad has installed yard lights so must of OUR back yard is lit up at night enough for them to see what we are doing. We do sometimes have to be careful when the Big Owls come around.
ReplyDeletehugs
Bailey, Hazel & Greta
Big owls?! Yikes! Be careful, pals.
DeleteThose collars are cool and anything high-vis has to be good. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes Molly
I agree Molly...high-vis is very good.
DeleteRingy Dingy ~ I got home, and the phone was ringing. I picked it up, and said "whose there"? and a voice said "You Are" Sooooooo Hellooooooo Oz. Our long walk happens before dark. My last potty break is out the back door in a fenced in yard with the flood light on showing everybody my business. Oh my Lee is a pain in the tail.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog
Sweet W
illiam The Scot
Sir William, leave it to your Lee to light up your business for the world to see. I am glad you are safe at night though.
DeleteWise ideas and safety should never be overlooked!
ReplyDeleteI agree, Brian. Safety must be a priority!
DeleteOz what happened to my name ~ it looks like illiam ~ I am not illiam! Now about that man who built the Lego scale of Music Hall, they said he HAD a wife and after building it in their living room for seven months perhaps HAD might be the optimum word.
ReplyDeleteSweet William The Scot
I thought that was your new way of signing your name...Sweet W
Deleteilliam the Scot
BOL
Had would probably be the optimum word for that Lego dude.
OZ THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TOPIC!!
ReplyDeleteHUGS MADI YOUR BFFF
Yes it is, Madi!!! Thank you for reaffirming it!
DeleteGood ideas. I hate when the days are so short that most things, except work, are done in the dark.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Tell my Ma about it...you are preaching to the choir! BOL
DeleteWe don't walk much in the dark at night, more in the morning before it gets light out, but I will wear my glow in the dark collar and we have my all white sister Katie along too.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear you have a glow in the dark collar, Emma...but I think this is the first suggestion/idea to get a white dog so you show up at night. All dogs should have a white companion dog...perfect!
DeleteMust admit we never going walking at night, too many crazy drivers around here no side walks and mosquito's would eat us alive !
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't even mention the mosquitoes and no-see-ums here in FL...I don't know what you would do to avoid them.
DeleteGreat tips! I hate walking in the dark. Flashlight or not, I seem to always misstep. And I hate crossing the street. I think cars can see me because they have their headlights on, but they really can't until the last minute unless the street is very very well lit. Love the LED lights. Maya has the Nite-Dawg and Pierson has one that hangs from his collar. I can't remember the brand.
ReplyDeleteI really think that drivers cannot see because of poor lighting but also because hardly anyone ever pays attention 100% of the time anymore. So sad, really.
DeleteWonderful post! The products you named are new to me, can wait to read the reviews!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely check them out, Spencer. You never know when you will need a light-up collar or leash!
DeleteOh, we need one of those for Rita! We do sometimes walk at night, and some of our streets are not well lit and don't have sidewalks. Rita wears a reflective collar and leash, but we need to get a light. The one we had pooped out!
ReplyDeleteMa loves the light-up collar...she can always see where I am.
DeleteGreat tips
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
Pawsome advices Oz my pal....luckilee we do live in a nice area wot do ave lites an wotnot so we is OK walkin at night...good idea about the toch for poop scoopin tho...we gonna try dat wun
ReplyDeleteYou gotta bring a flashlight so you can see where to scoop your "business".
DeleteIt is not me that's scared to walk at night ... my mom so dad walks me (if needed). We have those lighted leash and have issues with it. Mom is thinking about the glow in the dark collar. What do you think? BTW Love that it is PINK. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
ReplyDeleteI really like my light-up collar...I don't know about the glow in the dark collar; I've never had one of those. I think either would be great. It is always best to be safe on nighttime walks.
DeleteGreat advice Oz ! Nalle just got a very bright orange leash and we always protect Mama! Wooooowooooo, Ku
ReplyDeleteOooh, my leash is bright orange too...and it is reflective on one side! I bet you always protect Mama!
DeleteGreat advice Oz. We have little spot lights on our visors that are always shining. Since our neighborhood has no sidewalks we usually make the dogs sit in the grass and then we stand in front of them shining our lights down on them. Of course, we are very residential so there are some nights when we never encounter a car at all.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I like the little lights on visors. Those come in handy. Glad you are so residential that some nights you don't even see a car!
DeleteI love light up collars and reflective leashes! What drives me crazy is people who walk or bike at night and are wearing dark clothes. On busy streets with no shoulders! That's coocoo!
ReplyDeletewww.dogtreatweb.com
That is coo-coo! Why wouldn't they at least wear light colored clothes?!
Deletevery cool, nice post. I have some type of led collar so I can put it on the dogs when they go out at night i put it on one dog and it works well.
ReplyDeleteCool! The LED lights show up great, I think.
DeleteI cannot tell you how many times I've been driving and haven't seen a dog and his/her human until I passed them. So dangerous! Cool collar and great post :)
ReplyDeleteLots of run,
Carina and your PoopBuddies
Yikes, PoopNinja Carina! That is terrierible! Why don't people wear light colored clothes or carry a flashlight...at the very least.
Delete