Hiking with a dog is an amazing experience! It is completely normal to want to take your friend with you as soon as possible. The problem is, you might end up hurting your puppy if you take him with you at a really young age.
A good paw rub or wax is a must have for hiking with your dog. Musher's Secret is a great and popular option, although there are several alternatives. Some sort of paw protectant will help keep your dog's paw pads healthy with high mileage. Musher's Secret protects dog pads across all 4 seasons.
An important part of camping with your dog is nutrition. When it comes to backpacking dog food, the starting point ...
There are plenty of social media groups with arguments going back and forth about thru hiking with. If you want to get opinions by reading some of these, that is fine. However, at the end of the day you and your vet know your dog and what your dog is capable of. Above all, don't let others positive and negative experiences blind you from reality.
Before Toby and I started our 900 mile trek on the Appalachian Trail, I knew I had a lot more planning to do than solo human hikers. The logistics of bringing a dog along changes thru hikes a lot, especially when it comes to food.
Believe it or not, you absolutely CAN use Uber and Lyft with your dog while on a long distance hike. I had no idea this was possible before hiking the Northern half of the Appalachian Trail in 2018. Here are some basics...
Collars are an important part of hiking with your dog. They keep your dog near you, but also have your contact information in case your pooch gets lost. I'm a huge fan of the waterproof type of collar after hiking long distances. It looks good and stays in good shape.
There are many parks that claim to be dog friendly, but don’t allow dogs on trails. Out of 60 parks, only 10 allow you to hike with your dog. Here is a list of the 10 National Parks that allow dogs on trails.
Create and carry a first aid kit for your dog on shorter hikes. This will prepare you both for longer hikes. If your dog carries a backpack, you can fit most of these supplies in a plastic baggie or two to save on weight.
When I plan overnight camping trips, I usually like to include my dog, Toby. Recently I have switched over to sleeping in a hammock and discovered the ins and outs of hammock camping with a dog.