Can it be dangerous to walk your dog during pregnancy?

Question

I feel very silly asking, but I am very early in my pregnancy. I have a large dog that can often pull me or jerk me when I'm walking him...or when he walks me! I am wondering if this can be dangerous at this point, as I am only 5 weeks pregnant.

Answer 1

If you are 5 weeks then the baby is still behind your pelvic bone and the uterus won't come up from their until you are 12 weeks. I would use this time to teach your dog not to pull. If f your dog pulls you down in your third trimester.. when you fall you could hit the baby's head on the sidewalk.. but even in the second trimester the baby just sloshes aroudn in the water of the sac if you fall. I fell bad at 16 weeks and he was fine.

Answer 2

You can definately walk your dog during pregnancy but, don't let him walk you. It may be late to do this but, you need to let him know who is in charge. When walking him, keep the leash very short until he learns to slow to your pace. your dog should not be leading you during a walk. If he is in front he thinks he's in charge. He should walk beside you or slightly behind you. This will keep you as the dominant one in his eyes. If he tries to run during the walk, do not just let him go. This will teach him that he can get away and he will do it more often. Obedience school would be a good thing for both of you to attend. A dog is a wonderful friend and guardian for you and your family but they need to know the rules and what is expected of them. Good luck.

Answer 3

I'd say kind of yes... and kind of no. You're balance will be off as you progress in your pregnancy. On the other hand, the baby is VERY protected in your belly. I fell a few times while I was pregnant. Once down the last couple stairs at 9 months cuz I didn't see the last couple steps and took too large a step and once I simply tripped and fell on the sidewalk. I had a very healthy baby boy and the falls had no impact on him.

That being said, in determining which activities to continue and which to quit while pregnant, my doctor told me to basically determine the potential risk. Falling down while walking is going to pose less of a threat than falling off of a bike, or falling off a ladder.

I had two large dogs years before I was pregnant, and if the dog pulls you too hard and you think you may get dragged or something, simply let go of the leash. You are likely to be able to retreive the dog afterward... if the worst should happen to the baby, you can't get him back.

Just weigh the risks..

Answer 4

You should be fine as long as the dog isn't knocking you over. Walking is a good way to stay fit during pregnancy.

Answer 5

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/eh4rl

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 6

I not only got walked by my 100 pound dog but we hiked. Seriously, every day up 178 steps then two miles through the forest. I did that until about 7 months then started walking on flat land. I did that less and less as I got bigger and bigger-my dog pulling the whole time. My biggest issue was picking up poop-so I brought wipes for my hands. Check with your doc because at some point mine wanted me to keep my heart rate in the moderate level of course, I was 40 at the time.... Enjoy it now!!!

Answer 7

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/trainanydog

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 8

i have a great dane who likes to lead me everywhere. if he likes to go after loose neighborhood pets then make sure you know where they are. for example, theres these 2 small dogs that are usually loose in a neighbors front yard and my dog likes to lunge for them.

if you've been walking your dog i don't see it as a problem. and when you get bigger, as long as you don't fall when he pulls then i don't see why it should be a problem to continue walking. since you know his personality just be aware to how he changes when your walking. sometimes you can tell if hes about to get excited and jerk forward.

have your husband/partner/friend walk the dog for you later on if you are still worried.

Answer 9

You can certainly walk your dog, interact with him etc. If you have a cat though - DON'T change the litter etc. Can get bad bacteria from that. While walking your dog though be careful not to have him pull you over. If he does pull then I suggest getting an extendable leech.

Answer 10

I had the same concern as my 11 month old "puppy" weighs 140 lbs and could easily take me for a tumble. I got him a gentle leader chest harness that does not allow him to pull. He loves his walks and I feel completly safe walking him with this harness.