Walking a Dog Safely in Snow and Darkness

For most healthy dogs, the answer is yes: you can and should keep walking in snow, but you change how you do it. The ground under fresh snow is often compacted snow that has turned to ice, and that is where the risk lies, for your dog and for you. The fire and rescue services are blunt about the biggest danger: keep dogs on a lead near frozen water, and never go onto the ice after one¹.

So the practical routine is this. Pick a route you know, favour pavements along main roads and gritted or cleared paths, and wear footwear with good grip³. Keep your dog on a lead anywhere near water, and never throw sticks or balls onto ice⁵. After dark, make sure someone knows your route and when you plan to arrive, and wear clothing that is visible in the dark⁷. Dry your dog off as soon as you are home and make sure they keep warm⁸.

The rest of this page sets out how to handle slippery ground, what to do around frozen ponds and rivers, how to walk safely in the dark, and when the sensible choice is to cut the walk short.

Walk a healthy dog in snow if you can, but take care on slippery ground

Winter walking is normal and good for your dog, provided you adjust to the conditions. The main hazard is not the fresh snow itself but what happens to it: compacted snow presents a more slippery surface than fresh snow, and it may have turned to ice⁹. Black ice is easy to miss, so treat any shiny or polished-looking patch as ice³.

Your own footing matters as much as your dog's. The Met Office advises leaving the house five minutes earlier than usual to avoid rushing, which increases the risk of slips and falls, and wearing footwear with good grip⁴. NHS Tayside gives the same advice for wintry weather: dress warmly, wear sensible shoes with a good grip, and take care on icy surfaces¹¹. The London Fire Brigade's winter guide adds waterproof non-slip shoes¹².

Where you walk changes the risk. Try to use pavements along main roads, which are likely to be less slippery, and walk on gritted or cleared paths if you can³. Be aware that only certain footways and cycle lanes and tracks are salted or cleared of snow, so a route that is usually easy may not be treated¹³. People walking on snow and ice have a responsibility to be careful themselves¹⁴.

If your own path or drive is icy, grit or cat litter lessens the risk of slipping on compacted snow, and sand or salt on icy paths or steps can help prevent slips¹⁵. Sand or ash will not stop a path icing over as well as salt, but it provides good grip under foot¹⁷.

Slippery paths and icy surfaces

Ice, rain, mud and fallen leaves all create slippery conditions in the winter months, so take extra care throughout the season, not only on the coldest days¹⁸. Paths can become very slippery in wet or wintry weather, especially close to water, so watch your footing near riverbanks and canal edges¹⁹.

A dog pulling on the lead can cause you to lose your balance, so take care when walking your dog in icy conditions⁸. A short, fixed lead and a route without steep or cambered sections helps. If your dog pulls hard, consider walking where there is a rail or hedge to steady yourself, and keep both hands free where you can.

Footwear and clothing do a lot of the work. The advice across the UK's health and fire services is consistent: warm clothing, sensible shoes with a good grip, and extra care on icy or wet surfaces¹¹. Pedestrians should also take extra care near roads, because motorists may not stop as quickly as normal in winter conditions¹³.

Frozen ponds, lakes and rivers: keep your dog and yourself off the ice

This is the section to read before you set out. Going onto frozen ponds, reservoirs, lakes and canals in freezing temperatures is dangerous and can have fatal results, and the ice is not always as thick as it may appear and can easily break². The London Fire Brigade's instruction is absolute: never go onto any type of frozen water, and when walking nearby, always keep away from the edge and keep dogs on a lead²⁰.

Do not walk on ice-covered lakes, ponds or rivers when walking your dog or by yourself⁵. Keep your dog on a lead near frozen water, and do not throw sticks or balls onto the ice, because a dog will follow them⁶. Ready Scotland's advice is the same: stay off frozen waterways, make sure children are aware of the dangers, and keep pets off icy water²¹.

If you walk near a river, loch or canal, follow the local water safety guidance for dog walkers²². Near flooded ground, keep dogs on a lead close to water, because a dog running free risks struggling to slow itself on slippery banks and paths and ending up in deep or fast-flowing water²³.

Why people end up in water they never meant to enter

Most people who drown in the UK never intended to get wet. Most people who drown had no intention of entering the water, such as people walking, with causes being slips, trips and falls, so stick to proper pathways and keep clear of the edge²⁴. A dog going through ice is exactly this kind of situation: never enter the water to rescue your dog, because you are likely to end up in danger too. Call 999 and ask for help²⁵.

The fire and rescue services repeat one message in different words. Never enter the water to rescue your dog, who will rescue you? Most dogs manage to scramble out, and some owners are not so lucky¹. Do not get into danger yourself while trying to rescue a dog from water¹⁸. If your dog cannot get out and is in danger, never go into the water, because you are likely to end up in danger too. Call 999 and ask for help².

Walking in the dark

Winter daylight is short, so many walks happen after dark. Ready Scotland's advice for walking in snow and ice is to make sure someone knows your route and when you plan to arrive, and to wear clothing that is visible in the dark⁷. That single habit covers most of the risk: if something happens, someone knows where to look and roughly when.

Keep your dog on a lead near roads and water after dark. Motorists may not stop as quickly as normal in winter conditions, so take extra care near roads¹³. Keep an eye on the forecast, and if you need to take your dog outside in poor conditions, keep it on a lead²⁵.

Stick to routes you know. Familiar ground means you know where the slippery corners, the water edges and the busy junctions are, and you are less likely to be surprised by an untreated stretch. If you are walking in a storm rather than snow, the same lead advice applies; our page on whether to walk your dog in a storm covers that separately.

Short walks for older dogs, and when to skip a walk

Older pets, flat-faced breeds and dogs with known heart or lung problems need particular care in extreme temperatures²⁶. In hot weather the advice is to avoid the hottest parts of the day and walk early or late²⁶. In cold weather the equivalent is to shorten the walk, avoid the worst of the cold, and get home to warmth.

After a walk in snowy, icy or wet conditions, dry your pet off as quickly as possible and make sure they keep warm⁸. Do not leave your dog outside a shop in extremely cold weather, as it can be stressful for them²⁷.

Skip or shorten the walk when:

• the ground is genuinely icy and your route has no treated alternative;
• a weather warning is in force for your area;
• your dog is very old, unwell, or a breed that struggles in extreme cold;
• it is dark and you cannot make yourself visible.

A short lead walk for toileting is better than a long route on ice. If your dog seems unwell after a cold walk, our page on hypothermia in dogs and cats explains the signs. For the wider picture on keeping animals safe through winter, see pets in cold weather, snow and ice, and for the household side of a cold snap, storms, snow and ice.