5 Tips For Hiking with Dogs
When I lived in Denver, I didn’t have many opportunities to go hiking, let alone take my dog with me hiking. So, when I moved to Durango, I had many more hiking opportunities. I wanted a good hiking buddy, so I got a dog. Also, I am an animal lover, so adding a dog to my home was more of a companionship than a hiking buddy; that was just a bonus.
Taking your dog on a hike is an excellent way for you and your dog to get some activity in. Most dogs love being outside; I know my dog does. Miss Lyla LOVES being outside. I do not have a yard to run around in, but we go on walks and lots of hikes to allow her to get her exercise in.
Lyla was a shelter dog and underweight when I got her, so I waited to take her hiking until after she was healthy. After several hiking trips, I learned many things about taking her with me. Some of these will be general tips for dogs, and some are tips specific to Lyla but are still good if your dog behaves similarly to Lyla.
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Start Small and Take Breaks OFTEN
Start with a short, easy hike. This will allow you to see your dog's fitness level. When I took Lyla on her first big hike, not only was it a scorching day, the terrain was a little tricky. It was sandy, and it had a decent elevation gain. She wanted to stop in shady spots and take breaks OFTEN. She is an intelligent dog, so we stopped when she stopped.
Now, she doesn’t need as many breaks as our first hike, BUT she does need breaks. It is said that you do not hike your hike when hiking with dogs; you walk YOUR DOG’s hike. Lyla likes to go, go, go. Then she gets tired way too quickly, so I try to pace her to my own pace, since I am a slow hiker, to preserve her energy. I need breaks quite often than my boyfriend does, but that’s ok. So whenever I take a break, I want water, so I also ALWAYS offer water to Lyla, which leads me to my next tip.
Bring LOTS of Water
Every time I stop for a break, I give Lyla water. I almost always have roughly the same amount of water for Lyla as I bring for myself. So if I get a liter for me, she also has a liter of water. Lyla will have a collapsible bowl for Lyla’s water. To conserve water, since I never know how much she wants at one time, I’ll fill the bowl about halfway and see how much she drinks. If she finishes it quickly, I add more water to her bowl. If she spends, I’ll offer her more water until she no longer drinks. Sometimes, I must pour some of her water, but that’s ok. I want to make sure she is well-hydrated.
In addition to bringing water, bringing your dog a snack may be beneficial. Maybe you get an extra treat that they wouldn’t usually have daily. Not only does hiking burn additional calories for YOU and your dog, but Depending on the length of the trail, I will determine if Lyla needs an extra treat. Do I feel the need to bring a snack for myself? If the answer is yes, then she needs one too.
Lyla doesn’t get too many extra treats at home. I am not a big proponent of treat training, though she does have to sit and wait for me to say “ok” before she is allowed any treats or food. Instead of treats, she gets TONS of praise for good behavior. If she is doing something wrong, I will tell her “No” and provide an alternate positive solution. For example, if she is chewing on something she shouldn’t, after telling her “no,” I will offer her a toy or her bone. Once she takes it, I will say, “Good girl,” and give her many pets. But that is a story for another time, lol.
So when we are hiking, I like to bring an extra particular bone or treat that she would only get hiking. Dogs can associate food with activities, so she will eventually know she will receive a yummy treat while hiking a long hike! Many of the goodies I bring with her are from Kong Box, a monthly subscription box filled with all things Kong Brand. Please read my post about Kong Box to learn more about the subscription service.
Leash or No Leash?
I remarkably advocate keeping your dog on a leash on the trail. Don’t get me wrong, Lyla LOVES being off the leash and is well-trained to come to me when called. But more often than not, I keep her on her leash to be safe for numerous reasons.
She was a shelter dog and can be reactive (she has come A LONG WAY since I got her a year ago, though), and I don’t want her to react poorly to another dog or person on the trail. So, I keep her leashed and close to me when we pass by other dogs and people.
I know many people think their dog, Lyla, is friendly. But I never know what event may trigger her to react. If another dog shows little teeth, she barks and growls even if she doesn’t respond; I would still keep her on the leash when passing other dogs and people out of respect for their dogs AND MY OWN. I don’t know the past of other dogs or how they may react to Lyla. It is just safer for everyone.
I will let her off the leash when hiking on a more secluded trail. She does so well at ensuring she can see us and never wander too far. Sometimes, she will walk right next to us. But I remain aware of my surroundings, and if I see any other hikers or dogs, I put her on the leash until the other hikers are out of sight.
Harness Recommendation
As for the harness I use for Lyla, I like using a lead harness where the leash clips in the front. She pulled hard since she was never well-trained in being on a leash. Lyla is a 50lb dog, so I don’t want her pulling me down a mountain! So, since a lead harness clips in the front, on her chest, she gets turned to the side when she tries to pull too much. This then causes her to stop hurting. If I bring the leash down under one of her front legs, I've found that she pulls even less.
Note that this is a different harness than what I use now for Lyla. This was also taken last fall, after I had lyla for only a few months.For longer hikes or backpacking trips, Lyla has a little backpack around her where her harness would typically go. So the collar I use for her is almost a choker collar, but it’s not one of those metal chain ones. It is nylon like a regular collar but’ll tighten around her neck when she pulls. She then immediately stops pulling. I know this type of collar may be controversial, but in terms of training, it is beneficial, and I do not rely solely on this type of collar. Most of the time, I will have her on the harness or behind me on the trail. This leads me to my next tip.
Hiking the Trail
I often like to keep her behind me on the trail when hiking. This keeps her pace with mine and saves her from pulling while on the leash. I feel like this is a good training tip for all dogs, not just ones that remove while on the leash because, after a while of training your dog to stay behind (or even next to you) on the trail, your dog will remember these habits and potentially remain next to you even when off the leash.
We are still working with this skill, so I use a short 3 ft leash and put Lyla behind me, holding the leash to my side. This allows me to hold her back if she tries to pass me. When she does attempt to pass me, I use commands like “No” to let her know that that behavior is unacceptable. I make her stop and command, “Wait,” I take a step forward and tell her “ok” to let her know this is the behavior I am looking for. When she remains behind me, I stop and tell her, “Good girl,” and give her praise. This reinforces the behavior with positive feedback.
I hope you found these tips helpful for hiking with your dogs. I hope you enjoyed my random training tips as well tossed in there. If you need more tips on training and hiking with your dog, message me on Instagram. Also, the items I’ve linked above are from Amazon, but you can also get them from Chewy, which I also LOVE as an auto-ship service so that my pets never run out of food. Or when I need some extra treats or a bone for Lyla.
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