Is walking your dog risking your health?

“It progressively got sorer. I went to my GP and then I had a scan, so they sent me off for some cortisone,” she says.

Charley, now 4½, is better trained, and Goddard carries treats to help with control.

She says her GP told her such injuries were quite common.

“I’ve heard a lot of horror stories. Dogs walking under the feet of their owners and a lot of people running with their dogs getting tripped over,” she says.

Lort Smith Animal Hospital, in Melbourne, says it’s important for people to make the right choice of breed for their age and stage of life.

“An elderly person probably should not have a big, boisterous active dog unless they are going to be able to be active with it,” vet Tina Chen says.

“It depends on the person, but a young, large active breed like a big staffy or German shepherd, may not suit someone frail who could easily get pulled over if it suddenly pulled.”

Sybil’s owners, Chris Kabay and Bruce Facey, researched before they landed on the schnauzer, now eight years old, to ensure they could cope with the breed.

Living in inner Melbourne, they take Sybil to a popular Richmond off-leash area.

“We go to the dog park and there are people with big dogs they can’t control. If you can’t control the dog, it is the wrong dog for you,” Kabay says.

“People are often not present and on their phones, which is when accidents can happen to their dogs, someone else’s dog or an owner.”

Kabay says Sybil used to pull on the leash, until they experimented with different leashes and harnesses.

“Sybil is banned from the kitchen when we are cooking because we don’t want to be tripping over her,” he says.

Chen recommends avoiding retractable leads as they are potential trip hazards.

“They are terrible because you don’t have control over your dog. You want the leash to be comfortable in your hand. I avoid ones that have a chain as you need to be able to grip it,” she says.

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She suggests a leash of two to three metres. She also recommends a comfortable, non-restrictive harness to attach the lead and a clip at the front is useful if the dog tends to pull.

“Don’t wrap it around your wrist. Hold it in your palm and fold it in your hand to let the dog go in and out.”

Melbourne Hand Rehab says dogs are a tripping hazard for people who are multitasking on phones and not concentrating.

“We’ve all been in a park and watched two massive dogs running around like crazy with no regard for their surroundings. Unfortunately, many people and particularly those in the older age brackets, are hospitalised because a large dog has bowled them over,” it says.

Corey Irlam, acting chief executive of the Council on the Ageing Australia, says while walking the dog is a great away to stay active at any age, it’s important to make sure you are walking safely.

“It’s all about staying active, independent, and connected to the things we love,” he says.

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