How do you share your live location while dog walking?
To share your live location while dog walking, start a share as you clip on the leash, send the link to someone at home, and keep the phone in a pocket or leash pouch you can reach one-handed. Holler's link opens in any browser, no app or account needed. For routine walks, a return time is often more useful than someone watching: if you're not back when expected, your Guardian gets an overdue alert. End the share when you're through the door.
Sharing a walk with your dog
01Make it part of the leash routine
Habits beat good intentions. Start the Holler share at the same moment you grab the leash and bags, so it becomes as automatic as locking the door. It takes a few seconds and costs nothing to skip on the quick backyard trip.
02Share the longer and later walks
The walks where sharing helps most are the long weekend hike with the dog, a walk in a park you don't know, and the last walk of the night. A slip on ice or a fall while a dog pulls can leave you on the ground with the leash in one hand and no phone.
03Keep the phone reachable with one hand
With the leash in one hand, a phone zipped deep in a bag is hard to reach. A chest pocket, waist belt or leash pouch works better. If you share from a phone browser, keep the Holler page open, because updates can pause when the screen locks.
04Set a return time a little past your usual loop
If the evening walk takes 30 minutes, set the return time for 45. If you haven't checked in five minutes after it, Holler's server sends your Guardian an overdue alert, even if your phone ended up in a ditch.
05Tune a stationary alert for sniffing stops
Holler's optional stationary alert asks "Are you OK?" when you haven't moved for the time you choose, then alerts Guardians if you don't answer. Dogs stop constantly, so set it longer than your dog's longest sniff so it fires only when something is wrong.
06Tell your Guardian about the dog
If the dog comes home without you, or a neighbor finds the dog loose, that's an important clue. Make sure your Guardian knows your usual routes and your dog's name and description, and that the dog wears a tag with your number.
Related questions
Is sharing my location on every walk a privacy risk?
A Holler link only shares while the walk is active and only with the Guardians you choose. Ending it when you get home stops sharing. The page on sharing your location without being tracked all the time explains the difference from always-on sharing.
What should my Guardian do if I don't come back?
Check the live page for your last known location and how long ago it updated, then call you. If you don't answer, they should go there or call 911 with that location. Guardians can tap to acknowledge an alert so others see someone is on it; that doesn't send help by itself.
What if I fall while my dog is on the leash?
Hold onto the leash or loop it on your wrist so the dog doesn't run into the road, and check yourself before getting up. Call 911 if you're badly hurt. The page on what to do if you fall while dog walking alone covers the next steps, and stationary alerts explains the backstop.
Does sharing drain the battery on a short walk?
Very little on a 20 or 30 minute walk, especially with good signal. On longer walks, start with a decent charge and dim the screen.
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