Dog owners across the UK are being advised to adjust their evening walk routines ahead of tonight's solar eclipse, which will obscure approximately 90-96% of the sun, making it the most significant eclipse visible from Britain and Ireland since 1999.
Expert advice for anxious dogs
Scott Cieslar, animal nutrition expert at Mad Barn, is encouraging owners of anxious, reactive or readily startled dogs to take their walk earlier in the evening. This is due to the solar eclipse, when large numbers of people are expected to gather in popular parks and open spaces to observe it.
He said: "Tonight is going to look and feel different from an ordinary summer evening. The light will noticeably fade, the temperature may dip, and there could suddenly be groups of people stopping in parks, cheering, pointing at the sky, or behaving in ways a dog normally expects on its evening walk."
"For many dogs, that will mean absolutely nothing. They will sniff the same lamppost they sniff every evening and carry on with their lives. But an anxious or easily startled dog may react to the change in atmosphere, particularly if their normal quiet walking route suddenly becomes crowded."
Timing and safety precautions
According to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the eclipse is due to commence at 6.08pm in Edinburgh and Glasgow, around 6.13pm in Manchester and Liverpool, and approximately 6.17pm in London, Bristol and Cardiff. Peak coverage will occur shortly after 7pm, before the phenomenon concludes between 8pm and 8.10pm.
Scott further noted that shifts in light levels during the eclipse can trigger unusual behaviour in certain animals. Dogs that associate sudden darkening skies with thunderstorms may grow unsettled, while excitement and atypical behaviour in owners can also contribute to anxiety.
The expert added: "This is why I would be especially careful about letting dogs off the lead tonight. Even if your dog usually has excellent recall, this is not an ordinary evening. A sudden cheer from a crowd, somebody setting up unusual equipment, children running around, or the environment becoming unexpectedly dim could be enough to startle a sensitive dog. Keeping them on a secure lead for one evening is a very simple precaution. The last thing anyone wants is to spend the eclipse searching a park for a frightened dog that has bolted."
