Winter is a beautiful season, but for dogs — and especially for the people who walk them — it comes with real challenges. As professional dog walkers, we spend long periods of time outdoors every single day, often in cold, wet, windy, or icy conditions. We wanted to share a few important things we wish our clients knew about winter walks and how we work to keep everyone safe.
1. Reminder
Our walks are door to door – meaning the walker clocks in as they enter and exit your home or yard. This is intentional as leashing up is the first and an important part of the walk interaction and experience. Leashing is expected to take no more than one minute when items are easily accessible. For households with multiple dogs, this may take closer to two minutes. In winter, walkers may also need additional time to leash up carefully, apply paw protection, coats, and engage with your pup to help them warm up before heading out.
2. Winter Is Physically Demanding for Walkers
Unlike a single quick trip outside, our walkers are out for hours at a time, moving from one visit to the next. Prolonged exposure means hands, feet, and toes get cold quickly, even with gloves, boots, and layers. Cold fingers affect grip, balance, and reaction time — all things that matter when safely handling dogs.
Safety for our walkers is not just a comfort issue; it’s a health and injury prevention issue and it’s something we take very seriously.
3. Not All Walkers Drive
Several of our walkers do not drive and instead travel on foot or
bike between visits. This means they may be outside for extended stretches with little opportunity to warm up in a car. Because of this, walkers may:
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if the walk may be reduced, remaining time may be utilized with indoor engagement. This could be in the form of throwing treats, couch massages, photo opps, or other engagement.
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adjust pacing or routes for safety
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they may opt to utilize your yard for some of the time to throw a ball or play especially if streets and walk ways are heavily salted. Reducing strolls to pitstops is most common if they find your dog is not enjoying being outside. We have plenty of fair weather friends on our roster.
These decisions are always made thoughtfully, with your dog’s wellbeing and the walker’s safety in mind.
3. Clear Access Makes a Big Difference
Snowy or icy walkways and driveways significantly increase the risk of slips and falls — especially when walkers are cold, tired, or carrying leashes and supplies. Keeping paths clear helps protect our walkers and ensures they can focus fully on your dog rather than on navigating hazards.
As outlined in our inclement weather policy, walkers have the right to avoid unsafe or treacherous conditions and may still be paid if a walk cannot safely be completed.
4. Dogs Feel the Cold Too
Just like people, dogs experience cold differently based on breed, size, age, coat type, and health.
As a general guideline:
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Below ~45°F: Small, short-haired, senior, and low-body-fat dogs may benefit from a coat
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Below ~32°F: Most dogs — even medium and large breeds — may appreciate added warmth
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Wind, rain, and damp conditions can make it feel much colder than the actual temperature
If your dog wears a coat, booties, or paw protection, having them easily accessible helps your walker keep them comfortable and safe during winter outings.
5. Flexibility, Understanding & Teamwork Go a Long Way
Winter walks don’t always look the same as summer walks — and that’s okay. Shortened walks, extra indoor enrichment, or potty-focused visits are sometimes the safest and most humane option for both dogs and walkers during extreme conditions.
Clear communication, preparation, and trust allow us to continue providing reliable care while prioritizing safety. That said, note walkers will do their best to wipe off and dry off pups which may dig in to their walk time depending on the severity of the weather. We ask that you try to have all necessary items in plain site and/or be sure to update locations in the scheduling system.
6. Thank You for Supporting Our Team
We are incredibly grateful to work with clients who understand the realities of winter walking and support our team. Your thoughtfulness — whether it’s clearing a path, providing a coat, or offering flexibility — helps us care for your dogs with confidence and care, even on the coldest days.
Winter requires teamwork, and we truly appreciate being part of yours!
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