Hiking Vacations With Dogs – Because Colorado is such a great place for outdoor activities, my husband and I love to bring our dogs. This is a great way to get our puppy out of the house and exercise and interact with people and other dogs.
Let me introduce our fur baby first. We have two puppies, Juno and Bailey. I know, I know, they are so cute! Juno is 8 and Bailey is a year and a half.
Hiking Vacations With Dogs
Here are some tips we learned from our adventures with Juno and Bailey to help you relax and keep your pup safe if you’re planning your own trip. Although we live in Colorado, these tips will work just about anywhere you decide to take your dog for a walk.
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Let’s start with the basics. Does the dog you want to take with you really want to go for a walk with you? If you’re not sure, it’s best to start with small walks and build up to longer walks. If your dog is aggressive, can’t handle rougher terrain like a large puppy or a small breed that you want to carry around all the time, it’s best to leave Max at home and just go for a walk. District. Also, depending on where you plan to walk or what time of year, the trail can be too hot or the snow too cold on their paws. In general, if you are walking on a dirt path rather than a path, the heat is not much of a problem. You can always do a backhand test to confirm. Like the sound, place the back of your hand on the floor. If it’s too hot for your hands, it’s too hot for their paws.
However, it’s good for puppies to socialize when they’re young, and meeting other people along the way is a great way to do that. However, you have to be careful. If your puppy has not been fully vaccinated, do not allow other dogs near him. At first they may be afraid of other dogs, so the process is slow. Also, puppies cannot walk alone, especially if it is rocky or rough. So plan to bring a few people. When Bailey was a puppy, I had a dog carrier for the first few trips until he was old enough to walk on his own.
Here is a link to the carrier we received for Bailey. I went for Bailey to have a lot of room to grow. In this picture, he is about 2 1/2 months old and almost 10 pounds.
The next important thing is to know the rules of walking. Do they even allow dogs? Does your dog need to be on a leash? If dogs are allowed on leashes, do they need any kind of permit? If there is a river or pond, can your dog go in the water? Learn the rules and follow them, or you could get a ticket or fine.
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One rule that almost all parks have in common is the clean up after your pet rule. First, it is common sense. No one wants to accidentally walk your dog because you’re too lazy or lazy to go up behind him. Also, leaving the door behind can spread the disease to other dogs or even children. Scary, right?! So be sure to bring some trash bags to clean up. Most parks have cleaning stations, but it’s best to be prepared. Like I have to clean it with leaves… It’s not fun! Don’t praise! Many trails have trash cans at the start, but usually not many on the trail, so you may need to bring one for a while. But it’s not bad. Trust me, I’m always there! We usually tie the bags to our backpacks until we find a dumpster. Plus, if you have a dog, picking up their poop on the trail isn’t the worst thing you’ll ever experience. Be kind and take out the trash!
Here we have a pouch tool for Juno from PetSmart. It is attached to the rope, which is convenient.
A harness is one of the best purchases we’ve made since we started taking our puppy for walks. I had no idea until we bought it, but it really makes a difference. We use them not only for walks, but also for simple walks around the community. A game changer! First, the harness is easier to manage than a regular leash, especially if your dog is a puller like my pups. They do not choke themselves and it is easier to hold them if necessary. Another reason we get our dog harnesses is to pull them into places that are harder to reach by walking. That’s why I make sure that the equipment we buy. For example, if they are part of a path that leads to a cliff that is too high to jump, we can use a harness to easily pull them up and bring them down without injury.
We have all types of Juno and Bailey harnesses. Bailey’s harness is the Kong brand and is a bit stronger because he is younger and rough about everything. The Juno we found on Amazon is a bit more basic, but the quality is good and it does the job. And of course Bailey wears the usual purple and Juno is the usual pink.
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Here is the link to the Juno tool. Juno weighs about 35 pounds and is quite large. I would never consider Juno a large dog, any more than a medium dog. But when it comes to measuring things, it seems to fall into that category. Please refer to the size chart to help you determine the best size for your puppy. Fortunately, these devices come in a variety of colors and sizes.
This is Bailey’s harness. It weighs about 45 kilograms. The harness is Kong brand from PetSmart, good quality and durable. Comes in 4 different colors and sizes. I originally bought him a large and an X-Large because he was between sizes. The XL was too big for him so we kept it big. So check the size chart again. Even if it is big, it will be too big for Juno, since Bailey weighs about 10 pounds more than her. Another great feature of this harness is that it comes with multiple zippered pockets and a trash bag holder.
PetSmart also released a line of outdoor dog gear called Arcadia Trail that looks great for walking. The line includes harnesses, life jackets, boots, even a tent for your pup, and more. I haven’t had a chance to check out the trail for myself yet, but it looks like it’s well equipped for your next adventure with your pup.
The next item can be provided, but be sure to bring water for your dog. And bring the right amount for the duration of your intended trip. We like to pack an extra water bottle or two and carry a collapsible container that fits easily in a backpack. If there’s another thirsty dog whose owner accidentally forgot their water, we’re happy to share that too.
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This brings me to my next point. Make sure your little one is up to date on vaccines and get their Bordetella shot! Although Bordetella is mainly used to prevent kennel cough when boarding, dogs in social environments can also contract it. This means dog parks and walks and other places where your puppy can interact with other dogs. Better to be safe than sorry. And usually only $20 per dose. Be sure to talk to your vet about vaccinations if you have any questions, as they are the experts.
And here’s my two cents about careless dogs. Besides making sure it’s allowed and you have the right permission for it, be smart. I know in some counties your dog has to be able to pass a voice test where they just come to your voice. Honestly, this is not a bad rule to follow when you get fired. Do you know your dog will come when you call, or do you think he will? If you want to train your dog to stay on a leash, that’s fine. But don’t forget to stay close. I can’t tell you how annoying it is to have dogs everywhere and nowhere to be seen. For us personally, Bailey is always a connection, except
