The DC metro area gets, on average, over 100 days of measurable precipitation each year. If your dog is scheduled for a walk with a dog walker on one of these days, you might be wondering if your dog is going to get their full walk that day or if your dog walker is coming at all.
Most people still have to go to work when it’s raining or when there’s a little bit of snow which means their dogs still need their exercise and mid-day potty breaks, but sometimes the weather makes it unsafe for people or dogs to be outside for very long, and some dogs really do not like getting wet.
At Ready Pet Go, the safety of our dog walkers and our clients’ dogs is our number one concern, so if the weather is severe enough to close the local government offices in Montgomery County, we cancel our dog walks for that day (we never cancel pet sitting visits for clients who are out of town, though). If the bad weather is mild to moderate than we have a number of different options to make sure your dog gets a potty break and sufficient exercise:
Adjust Visit Time
If the bad weather is only forecasted for small portion of the day (an afternoon thunderstorm, for example), then your dog walker can come a little earlier or later than usual to avoid the storm, and your dog still gets their full walk.
Towel the Dog Off
If your dog isn’t bothered by wet weather, in rain or snow your dog walker can take your dog for their regular walk and dry them off afterwards. Our dog walkers always bring a few towels along just for this purpose.
Dress for the Weather
If you have a raincoat, winter coat, or booties for your dog, we’re happy to put them on your dog in the appropriate weather. We recommend that all clients provide a coat for small dogs and short-coated dogs in winter.
Shorter Walk with Indoor Playtime
When the weather poses a health or safety hazard such as thunderstorms, strong winds, severe heat, or severe cold, we limit the outdoor portion of our dog walks to a short potty break and play games with your dog indoors to give them their exercise.
We know that each dog is unique, some are indifferent to rain, others love it, others hate it, so we encourage all of our clients to let us know which of these options will work best for their dogs in bad weather.
If you have more questions about our dog walking service or would like to schedule a Meet & Greet with one of our dog walkers, please contact us or give us a call at 240-221-5335.
