Organizing Your Dog Walking Essentials: A Stress-Free System
Fed up with digging through closets for your dog’s leash every time you want to leave the house?
You grab your keys, unlock the door, throw open the back door to your backyard and… what’s that smell? !
Yep. Every dog owner’s nightmare. Your pup is ready to walk but you can’t find anything.
Sound familiar?
The issue here is that most dog owners lack a system. They spend time searching for their equipment before every.single.walk.
With pets now found in 66% of U.S. households alone, millions of families are wasting valuable time & energy searching for dog accessories every time they need them.
The good news? Creating an efficient dog walking system isn’t as difficult as you might think.
In fact, once you have assigned a permanent home for everything, walking your dog will become something you actually look forward to instead of stressing about before each walk.
Ready to learn how?
In this article, we cover:
- Why you should Organize Dog Accessories
- Building Your Dog Accessories Collection
- How to Set Up Your Walk Station
- How to Rotate Dog Accessories Seasonally
Let’s dive in.
Why you should Organize Dog Accessories
Take a second to think about how many times you walk your dog each week.
Our research shows that the average dog owner walks their pup about 10 walks per week. Ten. Opportunities. To stress yourself out before each walk.
Instead of letting organization slow you down… what if you set yourself up for success every time?
When your dog accessories collection isn’t organized, walking your dog becomes a chore. Whether you realize it or not, your dog can smell your frustration.
But when you have a dedicated space for all your dog walking essentials located right by your door, you’ll eliminate daily struggles and spend more time actually enjoying your walk.
Here are just a few of the ways an organized dog accessory collection can help you…
- Leave your house quicker
- Never forget your dog essentials
- Keep your dog safer during walks
- Look forward to walkies
Need more convincing? Continue reading to learn how to organize everything you need for happy walks with your pup.
Building Your Dog Accessories Collection
Ok. Let’s say you want to get organized for dog walks.
Before you go out and buy every dog accessory you think you could ever need, let’s evaluate your dog’s must-have essentials.
Not all toys & gadgets are created equally. Focus on accessories that will keep your dog safe, happy, and make your life easier.
Sturdy dog leash accessories are the foundation of any good walking kit. Let’s expand from there.
Walking Essentials:
- Leash: The best leash is typically a standard leash that’s between 4-6 feet long. Give your dog some freedom, but you still want to maintain control. Retractable dog leashes are nice to have, but shouldn’t be your primary leash.
- Collar or harness: The age old debate of collar vs harness depends on your dog and how they walk. If you have a dog that pulls a lot on the leash, we recommend using a front-clip harness.
- Poop bags: Grab your poop bags holder and load it up. Don’t forget your poop bags!
- Dog Treats: Having some small dog treats on hand is great for keeping your dog engaged during walks. We like to use treats for training on our daily walks.
- ID tags: Keep your dog ID’d and safe. Keep an ID tag on your dog at all times. Microchips are great… but send your dog off with something visible too.
Don’t feel like you need to stick to only these 5 things. But this is a great place to start when thinking about must-have dog walking accessories.
What other items do you need during your daily walks with your dog? Think about the routes you take and if there are any other things you and your dog could use.
Walking at night? Maybe you need a light-up dog collar.
Live in a hot area? A portable dog bowl will be handy when your pup needs some water.
Only clip what you need for each walk to your leash. Resist the urge to “bulk up” your leash with every toy you own.
How To Set Up Your Walk Station
Now it’s time to create that kick-ass walk station we talked about.
Ideally, you want to dedicate a small area near your exit door that will be home to all your dog walking essentials.
Here’s what you should include in your walk station:
- Primary leash
- Backup leash
- Harness or walking collar
- Poop bag dispenser (Pre-loaded with poop bags)
- Treat pouch filled with training treats
- Any seasonal items you’re currently using
I recommend hanging leashes and harnesses on hooks so they don’t get tangled with other accessories. Small bins or drawers work great for storing everything else.
Hack: Make sure you can grab everything & leave in under 30 seconds.
If you find yourself taking longer than that to gather your dog’s stuff, remove anything that you don’t use for each walk.
Here’s a hack most people forget…
Keep a pair of dedicated walking shoes next to your walk station. Now you never have an excuse to not walk your dog in the morning.
How To Rotate Dog Accessories Seasonally
Depending on where you live, you’ll need to add & swap seasonal gear for your dog.
Remember how we said not to overpack your dog’s leash?-seasonal-change.
Here are some ideas to rotate onto & off of your dog’s leash each season.
Summer Tools:
- Collapsible Dog Bowl
- Cooling Dog Bandana
- Paw Wax to protect your dog’s paws from hot pavement
- Tick prevention
Winter Tools:
- Light-Up Dog Collar
- Dog Coat
- Paw Balm to protect your pup’s paws from salt & ice
- Dog Booties
Swapping seasonal gear takes all of 5 minutes. Spend that time once each season rolls around & you’ll save yourself frustration during daily walks.
Maintenance Ideas That Will Make You Smile
If you don’t maintain your system, it won’t work.
Make sure to schedule a weekly walk gear check. Only takes two minutes. Refill your dog’s poop bag dispenser. Restock your dog treat pouch. Double check everything is in good working condition.
You’d be surprised how often something as simple as a leash or bag clip wears down over time.
Inspecting your gear on a weekly basis will save you from walking your dog without something essential.
Monthly maintenance:
- Wash dog harnesses and collars
- Ensure ID tags are readable
- Replace any worn down gear before it breaks
- Rotate dog treats to ensure freshness
You’re not trying to obsess over your gear. You just don’t want to start a walk and realize your poop bag dispenser is empty.
Remember Why You’re Organizing
When your dog accessories are organized…
You will walk your dog more. I promise you.
Stop making excuses why you don’t have time to walk Fido. You have the time. You’re just not managing it well.
Take back your mornings (or evenings.) Grab 30 minutes and build your dream dog walking system.
Once you eliminate the stress of searching for dog walking essentials, you’ll use that time to actually walk more with your pup.
Final Thoughts
Looking to organize your dog accessories but don’t know where to start?
These 4 simple steps will help you create a stress-free dog walking routine.
- Build your dog accessories collection with only what you need
- Designate a spot near your door for your walk station
- Only hang what you need for each walk on your dog’s leash
- Rotate seasonal gear as needed
Implement this system and every member of your family will thank you.
