Where are we up to with walking dogs...?

[TheLadyAnneNeville]

Does anyone know of any official advice/directive for walking a dog? If the virus can live on fur/clothing?

I took my dog out this morning. Kept her on her lead despite her being a dog who’s usually off chasing squirrels/sticks/other dogs/swimming etc etc. However, at one point I saw a family coming toward me. Mum dad and two children. And dog. Off the lead.

As we got closer the dog (lovely friendly lab - I love dogs) ran up to me. I stepped back and it jumped up, all muddy paws and happy waggy tail. Normally, I’d say hello and give it a rub. Not this time...I totally lost my shit. Shouted at the mum/dad to get their dog away from me at which point, my dog wants to join in the fun so I’m practically throttling her on a very short lead and still their dog is all waggy around us. So, I’d spent my entire walk with my dog fully leaded only to be two minutes away from home and in close contact with... who knows what. Can’t people DO THE RIGHT THING? I don’t get it.

I’m stressed because I lost it and also very unhappy about my enforced “contact”. And yesterday at the park a dog walker had 7 dogs off lead 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think there’s going to be a huge increase in stress and “corona-rage”.

It’s a novel pandemic. The answers you want are such a Iow priority in the grand scheme so there isn’t much data out there.

There has been evidence that dogs can catch COVID-19 but the dogs had a “weak positive” test result, it’s symptoms were presumably mild/non existent and the chance of it passing the disease to humans was low. They said it was likely to be initially infected by a human though, so owners probably had it.

There’s no reason to suggest that the virus can’t live on fur? It can live on most surfaces inc skin. Therefore increased washing would protect your household, dog included.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/coronavirus-pet-dog-can-you-catch-it-transmission-a9376926.html

Well, I beg to disagree. The risk is slight but it’s still a risk. I think a direct order to keep your dog on a lead is necessary because even a small risk is still a risk and there are idiots about who may be carrying the virus asymptomatically who are petting their dogs... and their dog is out and about... and can run and jump up at people/children/other dogs and POTENTIALLY pass on something more than mud.

This ...

@browzingss, thank you for that link. I had seen it before. Thing is, it also says stay a metre away from people coughing and sneezing. We know now that that advice is redundant. Coughing and sneezing people are at home, in one room, isolating even from their own family. What we think is a nominal risk may turn out to be more so.

I’m just wanting to make the point that people can take precautions without needing it to be entrenched in law and martial rule! Common sense TELLS ME that u til we know better absolutely, to keep separate. And keep your pets separate from other people too.

Take mine out once as my once per day exercise and go early

I passed by a dog walker today, 4 dogs running all over the place. I think they need to make the advice, whatever it is, a bit more specific.

I take my horse and dog out at the same time. We don't meet many walkers but if we do I have started recalling the dog and holding on to him until we're clear of the people. Just in case.

I agree with you, owners should really keep their dogs on leads. Dogs jumping up on people just shouldn’t happen right now, people will be scared about the invasion of their personal space leading to transmission of the disease. At the very least, it’s hardly enforcing social distancing.

What did the other dog’s owners say to you?

My spaniel goes out once a day with me and is kept on the flexi-lead when out in the fields just in case I do see someone else coming. I can then reel her back in and know that we can keep our proper distance.

It isn't that my dog doesn't have good recall. She used to, but she is nearly 15 now and has gone very deaf (not just selective hearing) and if her attention isn't directly on me then I can't get her back unless I go right up to her.

I think having them on the lead at the moment helps with the social distancing.

Oh, occasionally spaniel gets a second walk if DD3 (21) decides to go on her once daily exercise.

I took mine out at 6.15 this morning and we walked for 3 miles through the woods by our house. I saw more runners than dog walkers and all kept a good distance apart from one dickhead of a runner who would’ve clearly seen me start walking down a narrow path but chose to take that route out of three paths he could’ve taken and came running up behind me without leaving much of a distance.

I found this in The Independent online today:

Can I catch coronavirus from my pet?
The World Health Organisation issued updated information on Thursday 13 March saying "at present there is no evidence that companion animals/pets such as dogs or cats can be infected with the new coronavirus.
Several global health organisations have issued advisories saying there is no any evidence that pet animals can spread coronavirus or indeed be infected with it in the same way as humans.

But it was dated the 13th, and things move so quickly

@browzingss... they said nothing. The man looked at me as if he had no idea what I was on about.

So, today, I broke the rules and drove 10 minutes to one of our usual walks. Saw a few cows. Let dog off lead but she did her usual “stay close but enjoy a good sniff”. Drove very carefully. Feel less stressed than I did yesterday BUT... I know I ought not to have done it.

Oh, and the lake around the corner from where I live? Bloody teaming. But then, it’s a beautiful spring day.