How to Exercise Your Dog

Step 5 Hiking with your dog

Hiking with your dog, is very similar to urban walks with dogs with a few notable exceptions. So pick a fun trail and plan a good morning/afternoon for the activity. Unfortunately many trails are off-limits to dogs due to varying reasons like wild animals, dangerous trails, or general bigotry against dogs. Despite such signs, many people bring their dogs anyway. Make sure you know the trails and the area.

If your dog is well trained, it is generally acceptable to allow your dog to walk without a leash (rules vary per location). Generally they stay on the trail and within view. Most dogs love to wander ahead and then check back to make sure the owner is within sight, then run ahead again. Others will run down the trail, then back up, then back down. Typically the outdoors hike (is there any other kind) is good exercise, but is also very tiring. Begin with shorter hikes like a few miles, and build up.

The key point on outdoor hikes is to bring more water than you'd think you would need. The last thing you want is to run out of water a few miles from your car, and your dog dehydrating and overheating. Its difficult to know how much water your dog needs and since their internal cooling system is linked to water consumption its best to err to your dogs benefit. My suggestion is to bring a lot in the beginning (at least a gallon) and let your dog drink all he/she can. Eventually you will get an idea of how much is enough. Debate is still out regarding drinking creek or lake water for dogs. They contain harmful organisms and bacteria, the worst of which is giardia or e coli (think terrible diarrhea) , but the dog has a much better system for all that (they eat other animals' poop!).

Comments

[mammasass]

Yeah true. I like to use Sasquatch Itch Cream for my poison oak flares. But what's funny is that my golden retriever (God bless him) tries to lick it off! :o

[saucepan]

Hi,

Please be aware that if a dog eats or drinks water before doing any physical activity, then it may bloat. That is the stomach can twist around its longitudinal axis and is very serious and life threatening. Dogs with a deep chest are more prone. Waiting 2 hours after eating/drinking water is highly recommended to avoid this. Ask your vet for advice on this particular issue. Thanks for the instructable though.

[flamekiller]

Regardless of whether the law says you can let Fido run off leash, keeping him on leash is also a best practice. This is especially true in high traffic areas, areas where motor vehicles are allowed, and trails with horses. The chasing of wildlife by dogs is often frowned upon by trail goers, including those that bring their dogs along. In areas with predatory animals, particularly cougars, keeping your dog close at hand makes him look much less like prey. Giardia and cryptosporidium can wreak as much havoc on your dog's intestinal tract as it can yours. Best policy is to discourage the drinking of water, even in clear, fast-moving streams. If your pup drinks a little bit here and there, it's probably of little concern as the incidence of contracting giardia or crypto from a sip here and there is pretty rare unless the water is heavily contaminated. Carrying a purifying filter will eliminate any nasties that might be floating in your drink. Avoid iodine or other chemical treatments as you have to let the water sit for some time, and most dogs will turn their noses up at the taste.

[jsummerlin]

All those control measures have their place. To me it's best to let my Golden Retriever stretch out and hit the water. These dogs are bred for the muck, cold, ice, swamps. They come under 2 categories, retriever and hunts on his own. My dog hunts on his own. I say take your dog to a remote area and let them run free, remember they have been on this earth for thousands of years also. A happy golden is wet, muddy, covered in stick tights.