Since coronavirus have entered our lives and experts have advised us to self-quarantine, we try to stay in our houses as much as we can. But if you are a dog owner, you have to consider another thing: Can you walk your dog during this time?
Can You Walk Your Dog?
Let’s start with the first question. We know you have to walk your dog, but is it safe for you and your fury friend to go outside everyday? And what can you do to remain safe when you walk your dog?
Since UK is under lockdown, dog owners are wondering whether they can walk their dogs or not. Johnson stated the allowed reasons to leave is your house are as follows:
Going to work, if working from home is not possible
Medical need, including helping a relative
Shopping for essentials, like food and medicine
And exercise once per day
The exercise can be running, walking or cycling. This means during that period of exercise, people can walk their dog.
If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have exposed to the virus, you should restrict your contact with your pets. Contacting with them can result with you transmitting the virus to their skin or coat and they can pass it on to another person that touches the dog. But other than that, experts say you can.
So, short answer is, yes you can walk your dog during pandemic, but you have to be careful.
How Can You Walk Your Dog?
For dogs, walking regularly is extremely important, for their physical and mental health. But you have to make sure the area you us efor your walks should be safe enough. You also have to chect the local rules for going outside, like you have to learn if there will be any curfews or its hours and adjust your walks accourdingly.
When selecting the area you will walk your dog, don’t forget to practice social distancing and avoiding crowded areas. Try to pick uncrowded areas for your walks. If you live in a crowded part of the city, walk your dog during less busy times of the day like early morning or late night and try to avoid high traffic streets and parts of the city.
The owners should wash their hands for 20 seconds throughly before and after each walk and they should avoid touching their nose, mouth and eyes during that period. You can also carry hand sanitizers during your walk.
Can You Visit The Dog Park?
If you are used to taking your dog to crowded parks before, you may consider takig a break from those areas for a while. If your dog only relaxes in those areas and want to run on its own without a leash, you can decide to visit the parks during less crowded, off-peak hours.
Also, if you visit dog parks, make sure to limit your and your dogs contact with others. Even though dogs cannot catch the virus, they can pass it on to you. So, they should avoid contacting other dogs and people.
How Can You Keep Your Dog Active Indoors & Outdoors?
Outdoor exercise is necessary for a dog’s health and you can exercise in outdoors if you pay attention to the important rules like the ones we listed above.
And if you don’t have an option to go outdoors you can also play some games to help your dog to release some energy. You can tear old t-shirts into stripes and play tug games with your dog, you can play fetch and retrieve. Another game is hide and seek, hide their favorite toy, a treat or yourself, somewhere in the house.