Last edited Sat Mar 14, 2020, 06:12 PM - Edit history (1)

Dogs cannot catch it so far (on edit: I guess that is up for debate). You'll be outside. Wear gloves if you must. Wash your hands after. Don't touch your face. Ask people not to pet your dog.

I don't want to even get near people, much less speak to them.

Everyone else at the dog park is in the same boat; one imagines they'd understand a request not to pet.

He's actually the one who makes everybody pet him.

Err on the side of safety. Walk the dog around the block or something for the next few weeks.

The guidelines are really simple. Stay home, keep your distance from others. I don't see why people are always trying to find loopholes.

"Question: Although pets cannot become sick from COVID-19, could they serve as a conduit of infection between people?

Answer: Yes. It is possible that a person with COVID-19 could sneeze or otherwise contaminate their pet, and then another individual could touch that animal and contract the disease. Veterinary experts believe the risk for transmission would be low. However, animals living with sick individuals should be kept away from other people and animals (quarantined at home), just as people who live with sick individuals must avoid contact with others."

More information here:
https://vetmed.illinois.edu/pet_column/coronavirus-pets/

Fact is, what we know is still developing and the owner is right to be wary of going. And telling people to "get a grip" when neither you nor anyone else knows for sure all the ramifications is the wrong advice.

but it still applies. human-to-dog-to-human transmission is not as high a risk as human-to-human.

take precautions but don't panic.

there are always empty soccer fields to use.

How do you know there "are plenty of soccer fields." Answer is you don't. People's optiuons are often limited, such as my own. No, there aren't empty soccer or baseball fields in my town. They are under lock and chain. Belive me I have looked all over my area for an empty field to use. You said there wasn't dog to human transmission. That was wrong. So your advice was wrong which means telling them how to act was even less justified. Less advice and more listening and reading and empathy is in order.

I am an accredited soccer field spotter, and I have been outdoors in many parts of America before. There are always soccer fields. Or baseball fields. Or some sort of useable open space.

If there is a freaking DOG PARK near the OP, there is a Soccer Field near the OP.

There is SOMEWHERE to take your dog and let them run around that you probably will survive being in for a half hour, given normal precautions that everyone is taking.

IN GENERAL, this toilet-paper hoarding nation needs to get a grip, and not just about CV-19. But thanks for the scolding.

I take no chances that he can escape, being a responsible dog owner.

He only gets off-leash in a contained area. Period.

Confirmed yesterday

and that safe stuff to wipe the dog with is Everclear. Personally I would use it myself internally, a shot ... er ... a therapeutic dose whenever I feel using commonsense measures during this emergency would exclude me from allowing my dog exercise.

But I wouldn't advise others to use it likewise, as it could be dangerous to animals.

Because, who knows?

It won't hurt him if it's diluted properly.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/make-your-own-disinfectant-solution-998274

This formula is on the high side, imo.

If you have it at 100-200 ppm it should have a nice clean smell of bleach without being overpowering.

Restaurants use bleach buckets with towels in them. Just squeeze out the extra liquid and go to town.

Eta the bleach will break down over 3-4 days, don't need new solution every day.