Play. Loyalty. A look of respect. Having a dog is a source of great joy, including taking brisk walks. But hiking also carries risks that some people should be more aware of.
According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, dog-walking-related injuries among children and adults in the United States have increased over the past 20 years. Fractures, sprains and head injuries are some of the most common.
Between 2001 and 2020, the estimated number of adults seeking emergency medical care for injuries sustained while walking their dogs increased significantly, from 7,300 to 32,300 per year, Ridge Maxson told The Associated Press. The majority of patients were women (75%). Overall, adults ages 40 to 64 accounted for 47%.
And that number only includes emergency room visits. “We know that many people can get care for their injuries at primary care, specialty care or urgent care clinics,” Maxon said.
She noted that people are dog owners, with about half of all households in the United States owning at least one dog. The pandemic has contributed to this increase.
How to protect yourself
Staying safe while walking your dog on a leash requires diligence, concentration, and extra precautions in adverse weather conditions. Multitasking can be dangerous. Put away your phone.
“You don’t really get a chance to relax when you’re walking a muscular dog with the torque of a small tractor. You have to pay attention,” says Noel Holston, a dog owner in Athens, Georgia.
In the early 2000s, Holston was walking her 65-pound pit bull in a park near her home when a goose began hooting and flapping its wings. The dog ran down the embankment and dragged Holston, now 76, onto the sidewalk.
“Struggling to keep my balance and stay upright, I fell into a hole and heard a snap in my left ankle. The pain was so intense. I almost passed out. My wife Marty had to get a jogger to help me back to the car. “My left leg was hanging down like a big wet noodle,” he said.
Suzanne Johnston, 64, is a yoga instructor and runs a Facebook group with 40,000 members aimed at improving balance, strength and the body’s ability to absorb shock. Over the years, she has suffered three injuries while walking her dog.
About five years ago, her dog, a 50-pound Labrador mix, chased a squirrel as Johnston knelt and stuffed a coat into her backpack. The belt was wrapped around one hand and the finger was broken.
“It was the worst because it was twisting and pulling. I had to have surgery, go to rehab and everything else,” says Johnston, who lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
Running with a dog on a leash is another danger, no matter how trained you think your dog is. This is especially dangerous for a dog that is easily startled, very young, or likes to run away for no reason. That’s what happened to Robert Godosky in Manhattan.
“We used to walk the last block before we got home,” Godosky explained. “There was a pedestrian train with bones. My dog is a rescue dog and he was with us for a while. He got scared and ran over me and I flew over the dog and hit the dashboard. I ended up with two broken ribs.”
Rural areas pose other risks, said Stephen Haywood, an emergency physician in Corinth, Mississippi.
“He was hit by a car,” she said. “It’s definitely the most dangerous injury when people are walking their dogs.”
In areas like yours, there are many roads without sidewalks or medians. This is especially dangerous when people are dressed in dark clothing and do not have reflectors or lights on their clothing or pets.
“It’s something we see a lot,” Haywood said.
Appropriate shoes and belt
In addition to lights and reflectors, there are other types of equipment that can reduce the risks when walking a dog:
In snowy or icy conditions, wear appropriate footwear with sufficient grip. Consider wearing shoes with spikes or studs.
Maxson recommends using 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters). “It’s easier for longer leashes to wrap around the legs and cause them to fall off. “Sometimes it’s harder to control a dog on a leash.”
San Francisco-based dog trainer Shoshi Parks recommends a harness that attaches to the dog’s chest rather than its back. This gives the walker more control and less pressure on the dog.
Parks recommends keeping the strap away from your center of gravity, close to your torso, hip or thigh.
Indicates that cords should not be used for pulling. Period. If they are stretched or pulled too quickly, they can cause burns when held close to the body.
18/”>Dog trainers and coaches
For people with mobility or balance issues, experts recommend seeking help to walk the dog, especially if the weather is bad. For example, a neighbor or a professional traveler.
Johnston, Haywood and Maxson agreed that balance and strength training, especially among older adults, can help reduce the risk of falls and fractures.
They also said that working with a dog trainer helps not only the dog, but also the traveler, who can better interpret their pet’s body language.
“Even young, healthy, strong people can have a hard time handling large breed dogs that aren’t used to being walked. Any exercise will go a long way to building strength and balance,” Haywood said. “Make sure you can control the dog you’re walking.”
