If you are someone who loves hiking and backpacking, there’s no doubt your four-legged companion would love to join you on this journey, too. While this can be great fun for you and your dog, it’s important to consider how to do this safely, so here are nine tips to make sure your and your furry companion remain safe on the trails.
Dog Friendly Trail
First things first, do research ahead of time and scope out a trail that will be dog friendly. Read up on the trail to ensure that it is indeed ok with you bringing your dog along and if there are any rules or regulations that will apply. Make sure that the trail is suitable for both you and your dog’s abilities and make sure to leash your dog where required and/or sensible.
Work on Manners Training and Trail Etiquette
While you may know the ins and outs of trail etiquette your dog probably doesn’t. Before you even step foot on a trail take time to build up cue training with your dog, and advanced manners training so they’ll be able to hike with you safely. It’s also a good idea to have an emergency recall cue that will be different to other dog owners on the trail, as a backup.
Working on recall (recall = coming when called) is the best training you can do with your dog before going hiking, as that allows you to let your dog explore, but makes it easy to call them back to you when needed.
Keep Your Dog Hydrated
On a hike, you keep yourself hydrated and refuel with snacks, your dog needs this too. It may seem like common sense but it’s possible to not think too hard about when your dog needs to rehydrate. Factor in the heat of the day, the amount of effort the trail is taking, and your dog’s behavior.
Remember that dogs are just as likely to suffer heatstroke as you are, too. When you take breaks, ensure that you’re finding shade and offering your dog clean water. Dog friendly drinking bottles are easily available from stores, and work really well for hikes.
Take Regular Breaks
As part of this previous point, if you see your dog panting a lot or starting to lag then it’s absolutely time to stop and have a break. Try and build these breaks regularly into your hike, it can be very tempting to try and push through but it’s not just your needs you need to consider here. If you’re tired. your dog likely is, too.
Bring a First Aid Kit
If you are an experienced hiker you know that you should never hit the trail without at least a basic first aid kit. However, you should also ensure you have a dog specific first aid kit to help treat your dog if they get injured on the trail. Keep your vets number and/or a local emergency vet number saved in your phone just in case.
Leave No Trace
Pick up after your dog. Bring along poop bags and dispose of the waste in the appropriate receptacle. That helps protect the environment, wild animals, and any other dogs that use the trail. If there are no waste bins available, you can bury poop instead. Ensure you do this at least 600 feet away from water sources and campsites.
Make Sure Your Dog Has the Right Equipment
Building on from the first aid kit, you also need to make sure your dog has all the right equipment to get through the hike:
Ensure your dog is microchipped and wearing a collar with tags. Investing in a GPS tracking collar might be a good idea! Also, choosing a collar that is light reflective or that has an LED feature makes it easy to spot your dog when it gets dark.
You may also consider bringing dog booties to help protect their paw pads from rugged terrain or the ground heating up on hot days.
Bring enough water for you and your dog along with with a water bowl or water dispensing bottle for dogs to make it easy for them to rehydrate.
If you have a short haired dog, bring an insulated jacket to keep them warm should the temperature suddenly drop.
Bring along enough food and treats that your dog can refuel when necessary, and think about getting your dog a backpacking harness to help balance the load. Break it in with them ahead of time so they are accustomed to it before your hike begins.
Train Before You Hike
Other than training your dog to see the backpack positively, you should also train in terms of stamina and endurance by taking extra walks and short hikes to help build up muscle strength and allow their lungs to adjust to the higher elevation.
Take your dog’s breed, size and age into account when you’re training for hikes. Some dogs just won’t be able to handle strenuous hiking, and therefore they won’t be good hiking companions.
Don’t Let Your Dog Eat the Plants
There are some incredibly dangerous plants for your dog to ingest, so keep control of them and phone a vet immediately if your dog ingests anything. For example, bluebells, crocuses, daffodils and foxgloves are all toxic to dogs, so you need to be aware if they grow on the trail you’ll be taking. Try and work on your own plant identification and how they can affect the dog to get them the best care as quick as possible.
Overall, going a hike with your dog is a fabulous idea and one that is sure to bring you and your canine companion closer than ever. Just make sure you prepare before you go, have all the right equipment and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Happy hiking!
Marketing strategist Rebecca Leigh also writes for Academized writing service.