Meeting a stranger for a dog walk, safely
Most people you meet through dogs are lovely. A few simple habits mean you can enjoy the company and still look after yourself.
We are dog owners ourselves, so we know the pull of a new walking friend. We also know that meeting someone you have only chatted to online deserves a little forethought.
None of what follows is about being suspicious of everyone. It is the same common sense you would use meeting anybody new, with a dog or two added. Think of it as a seatbelt: you hope not to need it, and you barely notice it is there.
Start with who you are meeting
On Packmates, everyone is 18 or over, has verified an email and a phone number, and has taken one private Proof of woof photo. That helps, but it is a starting point and not a guarantee. Nobody can promise you a stranger is a good egg, and neither can we.
Read the listing and the profile properly. Does the organiser sound like someone who thought about their walk? Do their dogs sound like a sensible match for yours? If you can, chat in the app first. Time spent talking is the cheapest safety check there is.
Choose the place carefully
A Packmates meeting point is always a named public place, never a home address, and only approved owners see it. Please keep it that way in your own conversations too. Do not offer to pick someone up, and do not accept a lift to the start of the walk.
The best first meeting points are easy to find, easy to leave and not entirely deserted. A car park with other people around, the entrance to a popular park, or the edge of a village green all work well. A remote lay-by or a quiet corner of woodland at dusk does not.
Daylight helps enormously for a first meeting. If you can only manage an evening, read our guide to dark evenings and winter walks and pick a lit, familiar route.
Before you go
A quick pre-walk checklist
- Tell a friend or family member who you are meeting, where and roughly when you will be back.
- Screenshot or note the organiser name, the walk details and the meeting point.
- Charge your phone and check you have signal at the meeting point.
- Bring your own water, poo bags and a lead you trust.
- Decide in advance how long you will stay, and give yourself an easy reason to leave.
- Check your dog is up to the walk. If in doubt, ask your vet.
Arriving a few minutes early lets you see who is around and settle your dog. If you are meeting someone new, it can be reassuring to take a friend along the first time. Just let the organiser know beforehand so there are no surprises.
On the walk itself
Say hello in the open
Meet where other people can see you, and keep the first hello on the pavement or path rather than in a car or a garden.
Keep the chat light
You do not need to share where you live, where you work, your daily routine or when your home is empty. A friendly walk is a fine place to talk about dogs and the weather.
Stay with your dog
Keep hold of your own lead, and do not hand your dog over to someone you have just met. Nobody on a Packmates walk is looking after your dog for you.
Stick to the plan
If the route changes to somewhere remote or less public than you agreed, you are free to say no and go home.
Part ways kindly
End the walk where you started, in the open. If you would like to walk together again, you can arrange it in the app.
Good dog manners are part of staying safe too. A rough introduction can turn a nice morning into a stressful one. Our guide to your first Packmates walk covers calm first hellos in more detail.
Trust your gut
If something feels wrong, that is reason enough. You do not need proof, and you do not owe anyone an explanation. Maybe they are pushing to meet somewhere more private, asking for lots of personal details, or ignoring a boundary you have set. Maybe it is just a feeling.
That is your cue to leave, politely or not. Say you have to go, walk back to the car park or somewhere with other people, and head home. A dog walk is never worth feeling unsafe for. These are the things we would treat as warning signs:
- Pressure to move the meeting somewhere private, or to hurry your decision.
- Requests for your home address, money or financial details.
- Asking you to leave the app very quickly, before you have had a chance to chat.
- Anything that does not match the walk listing or profile they gave.
- Anyone who ignores a no, however friendly they sound.
Report, block and get help
You can report any walk, message or photo in the app, and you can block someone to stop contact. A moderation team reviews reports. We cannot see everything that happens on a walk, so reports from owners like you really do help us look after the community.
Our support page explains how reports work and how to reach us. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999 straight away. A report to us is not a substitute for the emergency services or the police.
Meeting new people for dog walks is one of the nicest things about being a dog owner. With a few habits in your pocket, you can say yes with confidence. If you would like to try it, take a look at the beta or explore nearby walks.
