Safety Tips for Hiking with Your Dog

A lot of larger dog breeds absolutely love heading out on a hike with you! It’s a great way for you both to exercise and give your dog some extra mental stimulation. Of course there are a few tricks to keeping your dog safe on the trails that you’ll need to take into consideration before packing up and hitting the mountains.

First of all, make sure your dog has solid basic training. This means, sit, stay, leave it, and flawless recall. Be realistic about the type of training your dog has or needs, as well as their age. It’s not the best idea to take a tiny, clumsy puppy out on a backpacking trip or an untrained dog on a busy hiking trail. This can cause issues, possibly dangerous ones, to you, your dog, and other hikers. Basic commands can mean the difference between life and death for your pup, you can’t have them running off trail or investigating dangerous flora or animals. 

Before you take them out, aside from basic commands, make sure they are properly leash trained and are perhaps able to carry their own doggy-backpack depending on your activity and hiking duration. 

Keep Tags and Licenses Up to Date

Make sure your dog’s ID is current in case you get separated. The requirements of how often your tags need to be renewed will depend on your location. For example in Alberta, you are required to update pet licenses annually for dogs 3 months of age and older. 

These days it’s also recommended to not have your dog’s name on their tags. While it can be helpful, someone with less than pure intentions can use this info to entice your fur baby away or claim them as their own. 

Keep Vaccines Current

You never know what you’ll encounter on a trail so keep their vaccines current, particularly rabies. No one wants to live out Cujo.

Know Trail Regulations

It is the dog owner’s responsibility to know all trail regulations for humans and pets before heading out. This will include if the trails are pet friendly and any leash requirements. 

Have the Right Stuff

Sometimes a good hike can depend on the gear you’ve got. Simple things like a leash and harness, collapsible water dish, and booties (to protect from rocky terrain) can keep your furry friend a lot happier. 

If you plan on a longer hike, consider getting a doggy backpack and training your pup to carry it. This will allow them to carry their own food and water. Try for packs and harnesses in bright colors (possibly with reflective markers) so you’ll be able to spot them more easily if you are separated. 

It should also be noted that many animal professionals such as vets are recommending against retractable leashes as they are more likely to snap and allow your animal to run away or cause injury to both owner and dog. Broken noses, cuts, and bruises to the face, arms, and hands have been recorded on humans, with neck injuries on dogs. If you want to give your dog more leniency, get a longer leash that you can coil in your hand or a ‘roaming leash,’ these are made from stretchy webbing to give your dog more freedom of movement. 

Safety Considerations

Think about how you prep yourself for a hike, are you wearing layers or shorts, will you need extra water on a hotter day? Make sure you take weather considerations into account for your pet and have them properly outfitted. Know the signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration and stay aware of places to stop and sit in the shade or walk through a body of water to cool off. 

Along with weather, there are those tiny little annoyances in the woods known as bugs. Bees, ticks, and mosquitos are the most common nuisances you’ll both have to face. Typically, bee stings aren’t overly harmful unless your dog has an allergy (ask your vet about allergy medication you can keep on hand for emergencies) but there are certain diseases that your dog can get from ticks that can be deadly. In areas where they are common, look into dog-specific insect repellents. 

After a hike, you should always give your dog a thorough tick search. If you do find a tick do NOT just grab some tweezers and yank it off! This can cause the body and head of the tick to come apart, leaving the head behind and buried under your pet’s skin. Instead, make sure you have a specific tick removal tool (they’re usually inexpensive and can be found online or in pet stores.) 

You’ll also need to consider larger animals such as snakes, rodents, or bigger woodland residents. Keep your dog away from any areas where those smaller animals could hide, like high, thick grass where burrows could be hidden. In areas where snakes are common (remember, Alberta does have rattlesnakes!) look into rattlesnake avoidance training so your dog knows how to behave should you encounter one. 

In the cases of smaller creatures like porcupines, bats, or rodents this is where it is important to keep that rabies vaccine up to date. Many curious pups have been bitten or scratched when investigating these animals who will most likely see your dog as a threat. 

Basic Pet First Aid

Certain knowledge like dog CPR can save your pet, as well as vigilance about what they might be getting into on a hike. Be aware of dangerous or poisonous plants in your area and if you are unsure, get a light muzzle to keep them from chewing on things on the trail. Muzzles are usually included in dog specific first-aid kits along with bandages and sometimes a tick removal tool. It wouldn’t be amiss to also keep cotton swabs and hydrogen peroxide on hand. 

Conclusion

Hiking with Air-Bud can be fulfilling for both of you, getting out in the fresh air and seeing new sights and smells. There are so many health benefits both physical and mental, so make sure you have properly prepared to ensure a positive experience for everyone!

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