9 Tips for Hiking with Dogs

Hiking is great if you want to get some exercise and explore nature at the same time. People thrive in nature, so do dogs.  

If you are a dog person, hiking with dogs is a great way to soak in the beauty and serenity of nature.

Keep in mind that not all dogs do well outdoors. Whether your dog would love to go on a hike would depend on her temperament.

When you do decide to go hiking with your dog, there are certain things that you would need to take care of.

Given below are nine tips for hiking with dogs.                      

1. Check-ups and vaccines.

Hiking is a strenuous activity that requires a dog to have good physical endurance.

So, when planning to go on a hike with your furbaby, the first question you need to ask yourself is, is your dog physically ready?

If she’s too young, then you might have to wait a few months for her bones to get fully developed.

Hiking with dogs that are too young might cause lifelong joint-issues for them. A long walk is somewhat fine. But you should not take a pup on an actual hike before she’s ready.

If you just got a puppy, it is best for you to wait for them to grow up a bit so that they would have bones (read legs) strong enough for long hikes.

Depending on the size, they need to be atleast a year old, give or take a few months.

For the sake of the health and happiness of your dog, give your dog a health check-up before deciding to take them for a dog hiking trip.

Also, if your dog already suffers from some sort of illness, consulting a vet to check if they would be able to walk long distances on a hiking trail is a must.

Another major concern while hiking with dogs is them contracting various diseases that are more easy to contact in the wild than in the city.

So, talk to your pooch’s vet. Mention the destination where you will be hiking with your dog.

Ask the vet if any specific vaccinations or preventive medications are needed to keep your furbaby safe.

During a trip, if your little darling drinks water from a pond or a lake that has been contaminated by infected animals, then she might contract that particular disease.

This can be prevented by the right vaccines and medicines.

Also, as beautiful as nature is, it is also home to ticks and fleas.

There are certain medications that can be administered by the vet which would prevent your dog from getting ticks and fleas.  

2. Gear-up with dog hiking essentials.

Once your dog has been cleared by the vet for hiking, it’s time for you to start preparing for the hike.

And an important part of doing that is to gather all the ‘hiking with a dog essentials’.

i. Leash and Collar- A sturdy leash that is not more than 6 feet long is necessary in order to keep your dog restrained and safe while hiking. When it comes to collars, get a cooling one.

Dogs get overheated way more easily than humans. So, invest in a good soak & wrap cooling collar.

When your dog’s body temperature begins to rise, a cooling collar would assist her in regulating her body heat.

Also, make sure that your dog’s collar has clearly visible ID tags.

ii. Booties- During a hike, you and your dog might have to navigate over thorns, sharp rocks and snow. Your dog might lose a bootie (or two) during that time.

So, it is advisable to pack extra booties for your sidekick.

And if your pooch is not used to wearing booties, you would need to get her used to wearing them before the actual hiking trip.

iii. Towels- Get two towels for your dog. One, as a dedicated ‘hiker towel’ to wipe and clean their muddy paws before entering the tent, while camping.

And another one as a ‘bath towel’ to dry off their fur when they get wet in the rain or take a swim in a pond.

iv. Nail Clippers- Pack a nail clipper as well. Your little darling’s sharp nails can make holes in the tent’s fabric. So, you would need to keep them properly trimmed.

If you are going on a multi-day hiking trip, you would definitely need a tent to set up camp at night.

v. Tent- Speaking of tents, whatever sized tent you generally use, if you are taking your dog with you, you would need to use a tent that accommodates one more ‘person’.

Hence, if you used a two-person tent on humans-only camping trips, then you would need a three-person tent on the camping trip with your dog.

An important thing to remember, make sure that your dog is comfortable sleeping in a tent. Otherwise, they would stay up all night out of stress, even after a long hike.

For your furbaby to get used to sleeping in a tent, you would need to run a few training sessions by camping out in your backyard.

vi- Dog Bed- A piece of foam and a toddler blanket can be used to make a nice and cozy doggie bed.

vii- Safety Light- For keeping your dog easily noticeable after sunset and during nighttime potty breaks, get a portable safety light that can be attached to her collar.

viii- Dog Coat- In case you plan to go hiking with your dog on cooler days where nights can get cold, bring along a good coat for your dog.

Especially if your girl is of a breed with thin fur.

ix- Other essentials- A portable water bowl, fresh drinking water, dog food & treats, poop bags and pet-safe insect repellent are other essentials that you would need to carry while hiking with a dog.

What else?

x. Pet First-aid kit- It is always good to stay prepared for unforeseen circumstances or emergencies that may occur while on a hiking trip with a dog.

You can brush-up on your knowledge on pet-related medical emergencies from websites of well-known organisations like the ‘Blue Cross’.

Another important part of staying prepared is to carry a pet first-aid kit.

Items to be included in a pet first-aid kit:

a. Cotton pads and sterile water to clean wounds.

b. Non-adhesive absorbent dressings.

c. Blunt ended scissors (curved ones if possible).

d. A thick towel.

e. A box of sterile absorbent gauze.

f. An Elizabethan collar.

g. A tube or bottle of betadine to clean any wounds, cuts or minor burns.

h. A pen and paper.

i. Your vet’s contact details.

j. Any other medication that your dog may need.        

3. Use a leash at all times.

One of the most important dog hiking tips is that you need to use a leash at all times, while hiking and camping with your dog.

No matter how good your dog’s recall is, no matter how well she did in obedience class with other commands, you must keep your dog on a leash at all times.

It is vital for their safety as they can catch a scent of some wildlife and start chasing them. This way, they can run off the trail and get lost in the wilderness.

There’s even a chance that the wild animal would fight back when confronted by your dog.

Keeping your dog on a leash would make sure that other hikers on the trail would feel comfortable when they pass by you.

4. Stay on the trail.

A lot of people forget to follow this rule but when it comes to tips for hiking with dogs, it is a very important one.

You and your dog always need to stay on the trail. This is for the safety of the plants and animals living near the trail and the woods.

It is also for your and your pupper's own safety. As wild animals can get aggressive when confronted by unknown people.

The only time it is acceptable for you to step a few feet off trail is if you come across hikers who are not comfortable around dogs.

If you have a friendly dog, it is always nice to say hello to other people on the trail to let them know that it's ok for them to walk by you and your pooch.

5. Adopt a ‘leave no trash’ rule.

Nature is beautiful. And to keep it beautiful, you need to keep it clean as well. The motto is “leave no trash behind”.

Hence, have a designated bag or container to store any trash that might get created during the course of the dog hiking trip.

Carry plenty of dog poop bags with you. Pick-up and double-bag (to prevent leakage) your dog’s poop the moment she is done pooping.

Take the waste with you. Never leave any dog poop behind; unless you are camping. While camping, this rule changes a bit.

Because the duration of camping tends to be longer than hiking and involves setting up camp at one or two locations, the ‘leave no trash’ rule changes a bit.

While camping, you can bury pet waste by making holes in the ground. You just need to make sure that these holes are atleast 6 inches deep.

You would also need to ensure that the waste-disposal holes are about 200 feet away from hiking trails, campgrounds and water sources.

Also, do not let your pupper pee or poop near a water source (lake, river, stream, pond).

6. Train your dog well.

Just like humans, dogs need to be trained adequately whenever they are to undertake a new activity.    

If your dog is new to hiking, then you would need to ease her into it. Plan a proper trail-training regimen that is level-appropriate.

Start with hikes of a short duration. Then extend the hiking-time to about an hour. Keep a track of your dog’s energy levels after each hike.

When they seem ready, extend the time of the hike you go on everyday.

Slowly, make the duration of the training-hike equal to the duration of the hike you plan to cover in a day, in the actual hiking trip with your dog.

Doing this would help in improving your dog’s stamina.

It would also help in toughening-up your pupper’s paws that might have been soft due to living a pampered life in the city.

Another important part of training your dog for a hiking trip or a dog camping trip, is to be obedient. They need to listen and obey all your commands.

It is vital to keep them safe from hostile wild animals and other pets you meet on the hiking trail; as not all pets are friendly.

Remember that not all people love dogs. Having a dog that follows your command is useful in making other people on the trail comfortable around your dog.      

7. Watch out for hazards.

As soothing as nature is, there can be many hazards that put your and your pooch’s life in danger.

But your dog won’t be able to recognise most of those hazards or dangers. Nor would she be able to inform you when something goes wrong or she falls ill.

So, you would need to stay vigilant while hiking with your dog.

Here are a few hazards that you would need to keep an eye out for—    

i. Don’t push too hard- We understand, you are on a schedule and you want to stick to it.

However, you need to stop yourself from overdoing it. Don’t force your dog to keep going if she finds it tough to keep up with you.

Take heed of the pooch’s breathing and heart rate. See how long it takes for those to normalise when you take breaks.

If it seems like it’s taking too long for the pooch’s breathing to normalise, then you need to take breaks more frequently.

Keep her hydrated so that it’s easier for her body heat to get regulated.

Also, assess the situation carefully. Check out your pupper’s energy levels. If it does not feel right, you might need to stop hiking for the day earlier than planned.

In case your dog is limping, it is another sign that you need to finish the hike earlier.

In other words, make sure that your dog doesn’t get overstrained.

ii. Wild plants- There are many plant species that can cause irritation and allergic breakouts when they come into contact with your or your pupper’s skin or fur.

Irritation-causing plants include poison ivy, poison oak, sumac and certain nettles.

There are some plants that are poisonous to your dog, and others that are poisonous to the both of you.

It is best to stop your dog from chewing immediately if she bites off a leaf, branch or stem of an unknown plant.

There are many plants in the wild with foxtails. It can be found in great quantities in the spring and summer seasons.

Foxtails are barbed seedpods that can get stuck on fur and eventually end up in sensitive areas like between the toes, inside ears, nasal passages, genitals and eyes of your pup.

This can cause a lot of irritation and itching. Itching can make matters worse and your pup might end up getting injured.

So, it is best to avoid places with foxtail-plants.

In case you see foxtails on your dog’s fur, remove them immediately with tweezers.

Foxtails can be quite sneaky. It can create havoc without getting noticed.

If your dog is sneezing excessively, getting discharge from her eyes, or an abscess appears, it could be a sign of a foxtail being on their fur or their body’s passages.

In such a situation, it is best to end the dog hiking trip and head back.

You would need to visit a vet the moment you get back to the city as foxtails are notorious for reaching a vital organ and creating major health complications.

In some cases, foxtails have even caused a pet’s death as the treatment couldn’t be given on time or the damage was already too much.

iii. Wild animals- The best way to keep your dog safe from wild animals is to keep her on a leash at all times.

Another big concern is ticks. There are many varieties of ticks present in the woods or any place where wild animals live.

So, after a day of hiking, make sure that you examine your dog’s fur, ears, nostrils and genitals carefully to check for any ticks & fleas that might have gotten attached.

iv. Water safety- If you have a dog that can’t swim, then it is advisable for you to carry a personal floatation device for your dog.

This would enable your furbaby to enjoy her time in a lake or a pond, if you decide to go for a swim.

Even if your dog can swim well, never let your dog swim in a creek, river or stream, whether with you or by herself.

These water bodies can have strong currents and undercurrents that would make your pupper float away from reach. It could also make your dog drown and lose her life.

If you must cross a flowing water body, it is best to lift and carry your dog to make sure that they remain safe.

Also, pay attention to the weather. On days where the sun is shining but the weather is cool, a dog’s wet fur can start getting too cold for comfort.

So, just because the sun is out doesn’t mean that it's a green signal for some doggie paddling.

And on warm days, it is ok to go for a swim as long as there are no hostile wildlife species living in the waters.

You would need to ensure that you dry-off your pet’s fur properly after a swim.

Leaving any moisture on your dog’s skin might cause bacterial infections that irritate the skin to no end.

v. Waterborne pathogens- Dogs are vulnerable to almost the same waterborne pathogens that humans are.

So, if you decide to drink water from natural sources, it is best to sterilise or disinfect it first.

Water can be sterilised by boiling it and cooling it down before you and your dog drink it.

If it’s not possible to boil the water every time, you can simply use chlorine or iodine drops to disinfect your drinking water.

vi. Heat stroke- A heat stroke is not something that only occurs in closed vehicles. It can also happen in open and well-ventilated spaces.

Dogs sweat very less. They can only pant to cool themselves down. Hence, they tend to get overheated way sooner than humans.

So, you need to make sure that their body temperature does not rise to dangerous levels.

In order to do that, take frequent breaks while hiking. Give plenty of cool water for her to drink.

Make her wear the cooling collar if it seems like she’s getting too hot for comfort and keeps lying down in shaded places.  

8. Familiarise yourself with trail regulations.

Depending on the place (country and city), the trail-regulations would defer.

Before a dog hiking trip or dog camping trip, make sure that you are familiar with the rules and regulations pertaining to your chosen hiking trail or camping ground.

In the U.S., most national parks do not even allow leashed dogs on their hiking trails.

The national forests and state & local parks allow dogs on the hiking trails and pet-specific campgrounds.

You would need to remember that it is mandatory to keep dogs on a leash at almost all these locations.

If you violate the rules and regulations of a hiking trail or a campground, you would not only have to pay a fine but also might be putting yourself, your dog and others in the trail, in danger.        

9. Do not leave the dog alone in your car.

Amongst tips for hiking with dogs, this is a major one. Under no circumstance should you leave your dog alone in a closed vehicle, even for a few minutes.

Even on days that are not too hot, the temperature in a closed car can rise and create an oven-like situation.

This is when the dog’s body temperature can rise to dangerous levels and cause her to face life-threatening consequences.

A dog trapped in a closed vehicle can suffer from heat-stress, heat-stroke, heart attack, an actual stroke and even sudden death.

So, make sure that you do not leave your furbaby in the car at any point during a hiking or a camping trip.        

Hiking with a dog can be a fun and soul-enriching experience. However, not all dogs are built for hiking.

Even the ones that are physically fine, might not enjoy spending time outdoors; though it is rare for dogs not to like the woods or hiking trails.

If they don’t seem to enjoy exploring the great outdoors, then it is best to cut the trip short. Your pup would silently thank you for it.                    
 

Hiking with Dogs FAQs

Is hiking good for a dog?

Hiking with dogs is great for the dog as well as their owners. It has a positive effect on their mind, body and soul.

It also helps in deepening the bond between a human and a canine.    

What is the best dog for hiking?

Though almost all dogs love hiking, there are certain breeds which are more apt for hiking due to its physical demands.

Labrador Retriever, Vizsla, Golden Retriever, Australian Shepherd, Jack Russell Terrier, Siberian Husky, Border Collie and Bernese Mountain Dog are considered to be the best dog breeds for hiking and camping.    

How to carry your dog when hiking?

Your dog might get too tired while hiking. In such instances, you might have to carry them to your car. These are the various ways that you can carry them—

i. All- terrain dog stroller.

ii. In your arms or over your shoulders.

iii. Dog carrier backpack.

iv. Emergency Dog Harness / Rescue Dog Harness.      

How to hike with a small dog?

If you are taking your dog hiking for the first time, it is best to consult your vet before the trip. A general checkup should be fine to determine if your dog is cleared for a hike.

Also, make sure that the first hike is not too long. If there’s any sign of trouble (hyperventilation, limping etc.), end the hike then and there.

Carry your dog back to the car. This will save the pooch from further exertion.

Visit the vet if your dog’s behaviour does not return to normal even after some time.    

Do dogs get sore from hiking?

Much like us humans do, canines need to build strength over time.

If they are taken on long and exhausting hikes from day 1, there’s a chance that they would feel soreness in their muscles and joints.

There’s even a risk of injury.

What is the best time to go hiking with a dog?

Early morning is the best time to go hiking with dogs. Later in the day, when the sun shines too strongly, temperatures may soar and make it hard for the dog to continue walking.

It is best to avoid hiking or spending too much time outdoors when the weather is too hot.

Walking outside during such time can pose serious health risks to dogs as well as humans; including heat stress and heat stroke.