Walking is a great exercise for both dogs and their owners — but serious injuries can occur if pet parents don’t take the proper precautions during these strolls.

Dr. Christopher Good, CEO and surgeon at the Virginia Spine Institute, said people can get hurt if their dogs lunge at squirrels.

“The dog sees a squirrel, goes running and there’s a sudden whiplash, a twist or a jerk that happens that injures something in the body,” Good said.

He recommends getting a short leash to prevent some of those injuries.

“If your dog has a tendency to (lunge at squirrels) … (it’s better to be) on a little bit of a shorter leash so you don’t give your dog 20 or 30 feet to run before the slack goes out,” Good said.

Use a flashlight, he advises, when walking at night.

Researchers and experts agree that dog walking comes with a risk of injury risk, and people should take a strategic approach to implement safe dog-walking practices.

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, traumatic brain injuries were the second-most common injury among adults treated in emergency rooms nationwide in connection to walking a leashed dog.

Using data between 2001 and 2020, researchers said the injuries came from people tripping over leashes, falling or getting hit in the face with tree branches.

They estimated that over 400,000 adults sought medical treatment during that time span.

WTOP’s Tadiwos Abedje contributed to this report.