How to Walk a Dog on Ice

No matter how cold it is outside, your dog still needs to take care of business, and probably needs some exercise, too! However, walking a dog in the winter—and especially on ice—creates unique problems that don’t exist in the summer. Your dog’s paws can be damaged by rough ice, and many dogs are not able to take long winter walks. You can safely walk your dog by caring properly for their paws, and making sure both you and your dog are ready for the cold weather.

Part1

Preparing Your Dog to Walk in Cold Conditions

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   Trim the hair on your dog’s paws. This is especially relevant if your dog has longer hair. Excess hair on a dog’s paws—especially between the pads on its feet—will freeze and become clogged with ice. This is painful for your dog, and will take away much of their traction when walking on ice.^[1]

   • Once you have trimmed the hair, you can apply a thin layer of protective balm to your dog’s feet. This will protect your dog’s paws and prevent the fur from freezing. Protective balms are available from all pet retail stores.
   • If you can’t find a protective balm, Vaseline is an acceptable substitute.^[2]
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   Buy a set of booties for your dog. There are many retailers which sell dog booties; a reliable set can be found inexpensively. Dog booties will prevent your dog’s sensitive paws from being cut or scratched, which can easily happen when your dog is walking on top of coarse ice.^[3]

   • A good set of booties will also improve your dog’s traction on ice and give them better traction in slick areas.
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   Consider buying a sweater or coat for your dog. Although this will not help protect their feet, it will keep them from getting cold or, worse, experiencing hypothermia.^[4]Certain breeds of dogs are more adapted to live in the snow (e.g. huskies and other long-haired breeds); these breeds are less likely to need a coat.

   • Buy your dog a coat especially if they are going to run through snow (which will get on their fur and then melt, leaving them wet) or if they will walk through a stream or puddle.
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   Put a brightly colored vest on the dog. Just as it’s important for you to be easily visible to passing cars, your dog should be too. Many dog vests are sold with reflective material

   • Alternately, you could buy a dog collar with reflective material. This will also improve your dog’s visibility, and is less cumbersome than a vest.
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   Train your dog not to pull. This will reduce the likelihood of a fall, as your dog will be less likely to jerk the leash in your hand and pull you off balance.

   • If your dog pulls on the leash consistently, consider buying an extendable/retractable leash. This will allow your dog to run ahead on ice without pulling you to the ground.

Part2

Walking your Dog on Ice

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   Shorten your walk. Many dogs—especially those with shorter hair—do not have the endurance to take as long of a walk as they would in summer.^[5] Over time, you’ll get to learn your dog’s limits—while a 30-minute walk may be fine for some dogs, for others, it will be difficult and cold.

   • If your dog has long hair or has been bred for cold temperatures, this may not be an issue. In fact, they may prefer walks in the winter, because they are less likely to become overheated!
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   Avoid chemicals on the ice. If you’re walking your dog on a road (even in a rural location) or sidewalk, there will likely be chemicals on the path. These are sprayed to melt the ice more quickly, but are poisonous to your dog.^[6]

   • These chemicals can harm the pads on your dog’s paws and, more seriously, cause severe medical problems if ingested.
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   Walk in places where you and your dog can find traction. In addition to having the potential to cut or freeze the pads of your dog’s feet, ice is also slippery. To decrease the risk of falling for both you and your dog, walk on areas with higher traction.

   • Snow can also provide some traction; it’s much less slippery than ice. If you have a choice between walking on ice and walking on 1-2 inches of snow, always choose snow.
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   Clean your dog’s paws after the walk. If you applied any substances to your dog’s feet, you’ll need to wash the paws off after the walk.

   • Dogs often lick their feet after a walk, and the substances you’ve put on the feet may not be healthy when ingested.
   • Even if you didn’t apply anything to the paws directly, they could still use a cleaning. The salt and chemicals commonly sprayed on sidewalks and roads are harmful to dogs’ feet, and need to be cleaned off.^[7]
   • If you put booties on your dog’s feet, you’ll simply need to remove the booties; no cleanup required.

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   Get a good pair of winter boots. These are different from hiking boots: winter boots have thick soles (for traction) and provide insulation to keep your feet warm. A good pair of winter boots should cover your ankle; some come partway up your calf.

   • Instead of winter boots, you can also buy shoe attachments that provide traction on ice. These come in various forms (some have small ice spikes on the bottom), but they strap on to the bottom of your hiking boots.
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   Wear several layers. In winter settings, it’s important to keep your body warm by wearing warm winter clothing. Focus on layering, rather than wearing a single coat—with layers, if you get too hot, you can take off one layer at a time. You should wear:

   • A warm winter coat.
   • A sweater or light jacket under your coat.
   • Gloves.
   • Long underwear or snow pants.
   • A warm winter hat.
   • Even if you are already wearing warm hiking boots, you should also wear a pair of wool socks. Wool will keep you warm even if it’s wet, so wool socks are much better than cotton in winter.
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   Walk safely. Since you will be walking on ice, there are certain tips you can follow to walk safely and without risk of falling. The primary concern is adjusting your center of gravity and weight, to avoid the risk of slipping on ice.^[8]

   • When on ice, lean slightly forward. This will keep your feet from flying out from under you.
   • Walk flat-footed to give yourself as much traction on the ice as possible.
   • Your arms are helpful in adjusting your balance. When on ice, keep your arms out of your pockets so you can flail them if necessary.^[9]
   • You can even walk with your arms extended to your sides; this will maximize your balance.
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   Wear a bright color at night so cars can see you. Walking at night can be dangerous if you are not wearing bright or, ideally, reflective clothing. It’s important to consider your dog’s safety before starting a nighttime winter walk.

   • Many different clothing brands sell reflective clothing; look especially for a jacket with reflective stripes on the back.