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Dog Walking Essentials: 14 Items You Need in Your Bag!

By: Author Paris Permenter

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dog walking bag

Walking your dog twice a day means establishing a routine–not only for when and how long you walk but also for what you’ll carry with you. Sure you’ll grab the leash but what other dog walking essentials should you always take with you?

On our dog walks and day trips, I always carry our YUCKY PUPPY Dog Walking Bag with everything I’ll need for me and for the dogs. I like having a bag pre-loaded with items so I’m not stuffing my pockets on the way out the door–and not thinking that I have everything when actually it’s back at home in the jacket I wore yesterday!

dog walking bag

The items you carry on your dog walk depends on where you’re walking, the time of year, and the weather–but some essentials such as an “in case of emergency” card (see below for our download) should ALWAYS be with you.

dog walking essentials

Emergency Card for Your Dog Walking Bag

in case of emergency dog walking card

I keep this card in the clear sleeve of my dog walking bag–and a version on card stock ships with every one of our new bags.

But we’d like everyone to have the card with them when dog walking!

To download a printable PDF, click here.

When you click the link, the PDF will download to your computer. It will be in the portion of your computer where your downloads go. Search for in_case_of_emergency.pdf if you are having any trouble finding the file…that’s it!

Set Up Your In Case of Emergency (ICE) Contact Info on Your Phone

In case of an emergency, EMS can’t unlock your cell phone–but they can access the emergency contact information that you have set up.

I have an iPhone so emergency contact info is in the “Health” section; it includes drug allergies and John’s name and his cell phone number.

Emergency personnel could reach this information even if I were found unconscious and unable to unlock my phone.

To set up your ICE contact information on your phone, here are instructions for setting up both iPhone and Android devices. It only takes a minute and it literally could be a life saver!

What to Carry In Your Dog Walking Bag

Here’s a list of some dog walking essentials to consider for your dog walking dog:

  1. a spare leash/collar in case yours breaks. (I’ve also put my spare leash to work a time or two when I found a lost dog!)
  2. your cell phone preloaded with emergency numbers including an emergency contact for you and including your vet.
  3. dog treats broken into training treat size.
  4. dog waste bags. Our YUCKY PUPPY biodegradable poop bags are larger than average and fully degrade in about 180 days!
  5. YUCKY PUPPY poop bag carrier. I clip our machine washable wet bag for dogs on my dog walking bag and use it to tote the full poop bag–so I’m no longer waving at neighbors with a full bag of poop dangling from my wrist or from the leash.
  6. hand wipes or tissue — for use after #4 above!
  7. clicker if your dog is clicker trained.
  8. photo of your dog (which you have on your phone, no doubt!) to show others in the immediate area if your dog gets away from you.
  9. your dog’s rabies certificate loaded on your phone. I keep our dogs’ immunization records on my phone in case of an incident–and they’re also needed for the occasional hotel check-in or event check-in with your dog.
  10. collapsible water bowl and water for your dog.
  11. flashlight, reflectors if you’re walking at night. I also like small lights that clip on your bag (or your dog’s harness). They’re great to use in addition to lighted dog collars and leashes.
  12. citronella spray. I recently added citronella spray to my dog walking bag; it’s used for preventing a dog fight and is far kinder than pepper spray. It’s basically just a deterrent, a scent that dogs don’t like but doesn’t cause harm.
  13. pepper spray, if permitted in your state.
  14. emergency card with an indication of how many dogs should be with you and their descriptions along with a person to contact if you are incapacitated. We include one of these cards in each of our YUCKY PUPPY dog walking bags but you can also download a free card here. (When you click, the in_case_of_emergency.pdf will download to your computer.)
 
What other items do you always carry with you on the walk?
Paris Permenter
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This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.