Clever K9s

Adverse weather is a danger to you and your dog’s safety. Such as heavy rain, snow, high winds, flooding, storms or extreme temperatures that can disrupt normal activities and pose risks to health and safety. The best place for you and your dog is at home.

Adverse Weather Conditions

If the weather forecast is predicting adverse conditions our training and walking services may have to be modified to ensure the safety of the dogs. Although less likely, the same can be true for our motor transport and our staff safety.

Modifications to our services can be:-

• Either party can request that your dog stays at home with if there are any concerns about the weather – No fees for cancelled sessions.
• You can request a welfare visit instead of a walk – A reduced fee will apply.
• “Home Alone” Dogs that are normally with us for extended walks will be suitably exercised in sheltered conditions near home – A reduced fee will apply.
• Reduced length of walks and use of sheltered, less exposed, walking venues.
• Reduced level of exercise and excitement.
• Keeping away from woodland and difficult ground when there are high winds or use the lead if it can’t be avoided.
• Avoiding rivers and bodies of water that may be in flood or iced over and use the lead if they can’t be avoided.
• Our dog walking van is equipped with Bluetooth thermometers to allow the dogs travelling space to be constantly monitored and appropriate action taken in the case of dangerous extremes.
• We carry an infra-red thermometer for checking each dog’s temperature in both hot & cold conditions. We can also check the temperature of any surface that the dogs are to be walked on.

Strong Winds

Strong winds can cause serious safety issues. Walking near steep ground, bodies of water, and woodland can prove fatal if care isn’t taken. Avoid such areas. Keep away from trees as they may have large branches blown from them or even fall over.

The strong wind can confuse and overexcite your dogs. They may be flooded with scents, not be able to hear you and have their focus disrupted. They may not be able to rely on their nose to find you. The ensuing confusion could cause a well focused dog to lose their handler – make use of your lead and keep your dog with you and safe.

Flooding

Even the smallest stream can become a river of rapids following heavy rain. The rain could fall well aware from your area but still flood waterways miles down stream. In these circumstances the wonderful stream/river you walk along with your dog could become a death trap – Stay away and never walk, or let your dog swim, through flood waters in case there are hidden ditches, holes, or culverts, etc.

Floods often bring contaminated water that has scoured hazardous materials on it flood path.

Some streams flow through culverts, the large pipes under roads, trackways, footpaths and at fords. When flooding the suction from the culvert pipes can draw a dog in and hold them fast under water and drown them. Weirs can cause a similar tragedy by water pressure holding dogs (and humans) under water at the downstream end.

Be aware of the potential for flooding on your walking route. Avoid and walk elsewhere.

Thunder & Lightening…

…Very, very, frightening… Also dangerous due to lightening strikes. The sound and sight of a thunder storm can induce uncontrollable fear in your dog. This fear could be strong enough to overcome a dog’s to stay with their handler. This could cause them to run off independently to seek safety. Always at least keep your dog on a lead in these circumstance and et them home safe as soon as you can. Don’t take shelter under trees, in caves, or next to walls and fences to avoid the electrical discharges and the high, or linear features that they often follow.

Firework celebrations can have a similar effect and the best place for your dog is at home with you.

Impassable Roads

Heavy snow can make the higher level roads in our area impassible. It could fall during the working day and this could cause problems for our services. The snow may linger as a problem for days due to difficulties in clearing the roads, etc.

If you are going to be at home because of the snow please let me know. This is to allow us to attend to any dogs that are home alone. Its important to minimise travel in these conditions and this will lead to discussions with customers about how best to service their needs.

Flooding can also make certain roads impassible, also forcing more traffic onto the unaffected roads. Again our working day can be badly affected and we will discuss our service options with you to provide the best service we can.