Feel that nip in the Phoenix air? Now that the rains are over (at least for a while), it’s a perfect time to take the dog for a walk at night. As it gets cooler, though, it also is getting darker earlier. How do you keep the dog safe when you are walking at night?

And not to sound too grandmotherly but… traffic in my area has really picked up. I live in central Phoenix where there is about a jillion condos being built, creating more traffic all the time. And some of our new neighbors drive really fast. (Wow, that was the most grandmotherly paragraph I have ever written!)

Equipment for a safe walk

So being the loving pet person that I am, I decided I am going to be a little safer when it comes to walking the dog. I always have her on a leash – she’s a Beagle, for goodness sake!

I bought this leash because it was supposed to be reflective. But really, I am not sure how you are supposed to check there in the store. But I suppose you could go shopping at night, buy the “reflective’’  item, take it to a dark corner of the parking lot and see how truly glow-in-the-dark it really is. But I didn’t. And now I have a leash that is so-so when it comes to being seen at night. I do like the leash, though, it is nice and study but it seems to blend in with the night as much as the last one did.

I’m not really crazy about having a light attached to the dog because I worry that it will bother her eyes.

As it gets cooler, I guess I can start wearing a neon-colored light jacket to wear while I walk the dog. The neighbors, the ones who are driving slowly enough, will appreciate me wearing something other than grungy grey! Or  I could outline the dog’s bones in nontoxic glow-in-the-dark paint and get a jump on Halloween.

I’m still on the hunt for a leash that is more reflective and will keep you updated on that. But in the meantime, here are some other things to keep in mind as you and Poochie take a stroll:

• Walk against traffic so you can see what’s coming.
• Ditch the headphones when walking your dog at night. You need to be able to hear what’s going on around you!
• Stay on the sidewalk along well-lit roads, and avoid shortcuts through dark lots or alleyways.
• Take the cellphone with you: You never know when you will need to call home and the built-in flashlight can be used as a backup light source.

Let’s be careful out there!

Signed, Grandma