Dog Walking at Night: See and Be Seen

Safety Gear for dog walking in the dark

Dog walking at night presents safety challenges you don’t have to consider during daylight hours. There are three key items I rely on for nighttime walking safety.

Make Yourself Easily seen

Wear a reflective safety vest or other highly reflective gear. Don’t go dinky. You want to appear REALLY obvious to that distracted driver coming up the road.

Make your dog easily seen

I’ve used a lot of items over the years to make sure my dogs could be seen, and by far my favorite is the BSEEN LED Dog Collar. All of the girls have a neon green collar. It’s rechargeable, and has three light settings. So many people have stopped just to tell me how well they could see us as approaching.

See where you are going

Once you’re certain others can see you, you need to make sure you can see what’s in front of you when dog walking at night. I used to walk with a flashlight. It was just one more thing I had to juggle in my hands, along with leashes and poop bags. Then I read about the clip on Nathan Sports Orion Strobe light in a running safety post over on Run Like a Kenyon, and it changed everything!

Don’t let the word ‘strobe’ fool you. While this USB rechargeable light does have a flashing option, I keep mine set to a steady light. It came with an adjustable waist strap, and it illuminates the ground just in front of my feet. With my path clearly visible, it’s easy to keep an eye out for trip hazards. Best of all, I can see exactly what I’m doing when picking up after my dogs.

Alternatives

Now for the bad news. It appears this amazing light has been discontinued. Perhaps waist lamps are a dime a dozen, but I’m inclined to stick with the same brand since I love the one I have so much. For the sake of research, I’ve ordered the Nathan Sports Clip On LED Strobe Light. It does not come with a waist strap, but the price is lower to accommodate for this difference. If the light shines slightly downward in order to light your path, it may be a fine replacement.

I’ve also found the Panasonic Hands Free LED Neck Light works well, as it shines down to the path at my feet. Placed around the neck, it does a great job of moving with you when it’s time to pick up after your dog’s business.