Hiking with dogs can be a fun and rewarding experience for you and your furry friend. With a little bit of fun comes with some responsibilities.

In this article, I will introduce to you some simple concepts to follow so that you and your best friend will do this safely and responsibly.

I will have more in depth articles on the specifics with hiking with dogs in the future. But I firmly believe we should know what the basics are first before we add in the layers.

Without further ado, let’s jump into the article.

 

 

For more information on hiking with dogs, American Hiking has some great advice for beginners or veteran hikers. You can check them out here.

 

 

 

Safety Tips for Hiking with Dogs

 

For the record, I wouldn’t make the claim that I’m an expert hiker when it comes to bringing their dog. But I have done several dog hikes with my ride and die whose name is Wednesday.

Recently, I have found this an enjoyable event for my dog and me. I believe in safety first when it comes to hiking, and I also think it goes up a couple of notches when I bring my dog along.

So, in that, I want to bring to the table a few concepts that will help us reestablish what we should be putting into practice if we haven’t already.

 

Understand your dog’s fitness level.

 

 

Before I decide to embark on a trail with my dog, I first must address a few things.

What are the trails difficulty ratings?

What is the weather going to do?

What kind of shape is my dog currently?

 

These need to be addressed before you decide to do anything in my humble opinion.

Let’s start with the first one. The All-Trails app is one of the best hiking apps around. They will give you accurate difficulty ratings for the kind of trail that you know that you and your dog feel comfortable with.

The best advice I can give you, is start small and gradually build up your hikes. Also, hiking in the summer presents different challenges as well. If the weather is really bad, it’s time for a rain check.

And finally, what kind of shape is my dog currently at the moment? Age, energy levels, diet, rest, and exercise routines need to be addressed.

 

Make Sure the Park will allow Dogs.

 

America has no shortage of dog friendly trails. But not all of them allow dogs to go hiking with you.

I like to keep things simple and follow the restrictions and rules that are in place beforehand before I take a trip with my dog.

But before that trip is ever planned, I make sure the park will allow dogs in the first place. Sometimes, I have had to change my territory preference, but it’s better to know this upfront.

 

Plan for your dog’s needs beforehand

This goes back to planning for the trip again. I hate hearing stories about dog owners not being more responsible when it comes to hiking with dogs.

Knowing the amount of food and water that you will need on your trip is helpful information. Your dog will drink up to 8 fluid ounces of water every 30 minutes in the summertime.

Carrying plenty of snacks for energy is never a bad idea either. Your dog will appreciate this and in return, their energy level will be up to complete the hike.

 

And finally, leave no trace.

Practice the no trace principles, and you’ll never go wrong. Bury it. Bring a plastic bag. But by all means, leave no trace.

Dog waste contains bacteria that is harmful. Dogs also have been known to carry salmonella and giardia. This also goes for us humans too.

We can’t control the weather, but we can control what we pack in and pack out. This is common sense hiking etiquette everyone should follow.

 

 

Use the Leash

There is a time and place for not having a leash and a hiking trail isn’t one of them.

This one important guideline helps put other hikers at ease. For one, they do not know your dog and may not like your dog.

Two, Dogs can leave off a scent that may attract predators while on the trail. Negatively speaking, this disrupts wildlife and might hinder feeding activities with other groups of species.

 

Thoughts & Takeaways

And that wraps things up for today. Hiking with dogs can be a rewarding experience if we put these simple concepts into play. Hiking with dogs takes a lot of preparation and etiquette to make this a fun activity. I hope you found this article to be helpful. Please share some of your favorite experiences with hiking with your dog in the comment section below.

 

 

-CT