Fall Walk Hazards Every Westchester & Fairfield Dog Owner Should Know

Fall is my favorite season to walk dogs here. The heat breaks, the light turns golden, and dogs seem to move with a little more spring in their step. But autumn brings a specific set of risks that are easy to miss, and after seven years and 550+ families served across Westchester and Fairfield County, I’ve learned exactly where to keep my eyes.

Here’s what I watch for on every fall walk, and what I want you watching for too. Our walkers stay alert to each of these hazards on every outing and note anything worth flagging in your GPS-tracked photo updates, so you’re never guessing about what your dog encountered while you were away.

This is the one that surprises people most. A lot of dog owners assume that once we get a cold snap, tick season is over. It isn’t.

Blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, are not killed by the first frost. Adult deer ticks stay active on any day the temperature climbs above freezing, roughly 32°F. And fall is actually a peak activity time for adult deer ticks. That means tick prevention matters right through late fall and into winter thaws, not just in the summer months.

The habit that protects your dog most is simple: do a full tick check after every single walk. Run your hands over the ears, under the collar, between the toes, around the tail, and along the belly. Ticks like warm, hidden spots.

Our oak-lined streets in Scarsdale, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and across Greenwich carpet themselves in acorns this time of year, and plenty of dogs treat them like little snacks.

Acorns contain tannins, which can cause stomach upset. Worse, if a dog eats them in quantity, they can risk an intestinal blockage. Neither is worth it. If your dog is an enthusiastic ground-grazer, keep them moving and discourage the gobbling. A well-timed “leave it” and a steady pace do a lot of the work here.

Fall dampness brings mushrooms up all over lawns, mulch beds, and wooded edges. Some are harmless. Some are toxic, and they can be very hard to tell apart even for experts.

My rule is absolute: don’t let your dog sample any mushroom on a walk. It isn’t worth trying to identify one on the fly. If your dog does eat a mushroom, don’t wait to see what happens. Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 right away.

Antifreeze, specifically ethylene glycol, is one of the most dangerous things your dog can encounter this time of year. It tastes sweet, which makes it tempting, and it’s highly toxic even in small amounts. It also shows up more in fall and winter as people top off their cars for the cold.

Clean up any garage or driveway spills immediately, and keep your dog away from puddles pooling near parked cars. If you suspect your dog has licked up antifreeze, treat it as an emergency and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 right away. With antifreeze, minutes matter.

Leaf piles are one of the great joys of fall, and I’m not going to tell you to keep your dog out of them entirely. But do supervise.

As leaves decay, piles can harbor mold and bacteria. They also hide sharp objects, and they make cozy shelter for ticks. Let your dog enjoy the crunch, but keep an eye on what’s underneath, and steer clear of old, wet, matted piles that have been sitting for weeks.

Some gardens use cocoa mulch, which smells wonderful and, unfortunately, can be toxic to dogs if eaten. If your own beds use it, consider a switch, and stay aware of it on walks past landscaped yards. As with everything on this list, discouraging your dog from snacking off the ground is the single best habit you can build.