Clocks Go Back on 25 October: Keeping Your Dog's Walks Safe in Essex

On Sunday 25 October the clocks go back an hour, and the after work walk changes overnight. On the Saturday before, the sun sets in Essex at around quarter to six. By the Monday it is down by twenty to five.

If your dog is reactive, nervous or still learning recall, that lost hour of light is more than an inconvenience. It is the difference between a walk you can read and one you can't. You see less, you react later, and so does your dog.

Here is what changes, what you can do about it, and how to keep your dog properly exercised right through the winter.

Why Darker Evenings Make Dog Walks Harder

In daylight you get an early warning. The loose dog at the far end of the park, the jogger coming round the corner, the fox in the hedge. You usually spot them first and give yourself time to move away. After dusk, you often don't see them until they are close.

For a reactive dog, close is the problem. Fewer chances to create distance means more lunging, more barking and more walks that end with both of you wound up.

Being seen matters too. Drivers on unlit Essex lanes spot a dark coated dog late. The Highway Code (Rule 56) says dogs should be kept on a short lead when walking on the pavement, the road or a path shared with cyclists or horse riders.

Then there are fireworks. They usually start well before Bonfire Night, which falls on Thursday 5 November this year. Fireworks can legally be set off until 11pm on most nights and until midnight on Bonfire Night, which is exactly when many of us now walk our dogs.

None of this is your fault. And it shouldn't mean your dog spends the next five months on a short lead around the block.

How to Keep Autumn Dog Walks Safe

• Move the main walk into daylight. A lunchtime walk, a morning before work or a longer weekend session gives your dog the run they need while you can still see what is coming.
• Be seen. A light up collar or lead for your dog and a reflective jacket for you make a real difference on lanes and pavements.
• Keep the lead on after dark. If you can't see far enough to recall your dog reliably, keep them close, especially near roads and shared paths.
• Watch for local fireworks. Displays are often advertised in advance. On those nights, walk earlier and be home before it gets dark.
• Carry a torch. A head torch keeps your hands free for the lead and makes picking up and checking paws far easier.
• Check your dog after every walk. Wet autumn ground means mud, burrs and ticks. A quick check of paws, ears and belly takes a minute.
• Ease into the new routine. If you can, shift walk and feeding times a little each day in the week before 25 October so the change feels smaller to your dog.

What Happens If Nothing Changes

For a lot of dogs, winter quietly becomes a season of short lead walks in the dark. Their energy has nowhere to go. Reactive dogs get fewer good experiences and more bad ones, and the progress you made over the summer can slip. Before long, you are dreading a walk you used to enjoy.