8 Essential Tips for Hiking With Your Dog

Understand Your Breed

While almost every dog can hike at least a mile, some breeds make more suitable hiking companions than others.

Dachshunds have chronic back problems, which can be exacerbated by excessive exercise or strenuous hikes, says Dr. O’Sullivan. Most can navigate a manicured, mile-long loop, but anything that involves scrambling over boulders or covering long distances isn’t a great idea. “If you want a great exercise partner, opt for a lab,” she says.

Scrambling, along with cold weather, also applies to toy breeds like Maltese, Yorkshire terrier, and Chihuahua, says Mary Burch, PhD. Burch is an animal behaviorist at the American Kennel Club and she is an expert on breed behavior. “Some breeds can easily overheat, so for summer hiking in a warm climate, breeds such as the Pekingese, bulldog, and pug would be happier waiting for you in your air conditioned hotel room while you sweat it out on the trail.”

There are innate breed behaviors to consider too. Hounds, for example, are often completely ruled by their noses. While that doesn’t count them out as hiking companions, they’re more likely to wander when off-leash. 

Or Learn Your Mutt’s Limits

Own a mystery mutt? Understand that your dog is an individual and treat it as such — good advice even with a purebred. “You know your dog best,” says Miller, who adds that her mutt is the best hiking companion she’s ever had. “You know whether your dog is a nervous nellie or a couch potato.” Weigh what you know about your dog’s temperament with what you know about its physical fitness to determine how it may perform on the trail.  Start with short adventures and work your way towards longer trips.

Know These Four Commands

Even if you never plan to unclip the leash, your dog needs to respond reliably to a few basic instructions before you leave your house. Burch says that “sit,” “stay” and “lie down” are crucial. These commands will allow you to pause should you need to tie your shoelaces or adjust your dog’s collar. You’ll also want your dog to know “leave it” in case they come across a dead animal or some other disgusting-yet-irresistible item on the trail.

Only let your dog off-leash on the trail if he responds perfectly — even when distracted — to your recall command. To perfect this skill, Miller suggests you train with, “the most wonderful treats; whatever is tops for your dog. Maybe it’s the stinkiest gorgonzola or chicken.” She also recommends you pick a recall word that the dog won’t hear every day. “That can confuse them. My recall word for my dog is in Italian.” Finally, Miller says that your recall training should include not only having the dog come, but having it stand next to you while you grab ahold of its collar.   

Follow the Rules

Not all parks are dog friendly. In fact many of America’s most iconic National Parks, like Rocky Mountain National Park and most of Yosemite and the Grand Canyon’s trails are off limits to dogs.

If the site allows on-leash animals only, resist the urge to let your beast run free. In areas with apex predators, like mountain lions and bears, leash laws are more about keeping your dog safe than curbing your dog’s fun.

Even when off-leash dogs are allowed, know that you still have to obey trail etiquette. “Hikers without dogs and horseback riders always have right-of-way,” says Miller. And it’s considered polite to put your dog back on its leash while passing others. 

Watch What They Eat

Having your dog on a leash also cuts down on its chances of finding and consuming something harmful, like an animal carcass. If this does happen though, veterinarian O’Sullivan suggests you take a few minutes to try and figure out just what your dog ate. “If it’s a deer carcass or something like that, just monitor them for signs of GI distress. If it can carry rabies, like a raccoon, you should call the local animal control authority. They’ll dispose of the carcass and can test it for the disease.” While you’re waiting for the test results to come back in, take your dog to the vet for a rabies booster. 

Have an Emergency Plan

Spend enough time in the woods, and something eventually goes wrong. But how wrong things go depends on how prepared you are. “You should always have a first aid kit for your dog,” says Miller, adding that key items include an appropriate sized dose of an antihistamine for insect bites and stings, and a styptic powder solution, which can stop bleeding on minor cuts. “Talk to your veterinarian to know what size doses you need for your particular dog,” she says.  

Miller also suggests bringing a dog whistle with you, even if your dog isn’t trained to use it. “If your dog engages with wildlife, a dog whistle can distract them long enough for you to get their attention,” she says. 

Treat for Ticks

If you’re in the Northeast, ticks and Lyme disease present one of your largest problems. Most cases occur in May through August, though warm weather can extend the tick season. Prevention is your best guard against tick-born diseases. “Be up-to-date on your flea and tick treatment, check your dog for ticks afterwards and remove any promptly,” she says. O’Sullivan adds that as many as 90 percent of dogs that get Lyme are asymptomatic.

In the West, dog owners should be on the lookout for ticks carrying Rocky Mountain spotted fever (although it is possible for ticks in the east to carry this too). There is no vaccine for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, though antibiotics can be used fairly successfully to treat it. Signs include lethargy, swelling of the lymph nodes, loss of appetite and even heart arrhythmias. If left untreated, dogs can die from the disease.

The South has the lone star tick (found mostly in the south but occasionally reported as far north as Maine) can spread the Ehrlichia bacteria, which infect dog’s white blood cells. Usually Ehrlichia infections won’t kill a dog, but it can make them lethargic, and cause loss of appetite and weight loss.

If you have a longhaired dog, a flea comb is crucial for helping to reveal ticks. O’Sullivan says to pay special attention to anywhere there are creases of skin — behind and under your dog’s ears, for example. Should you find a tick, gently pull it out, making sure the head is removed along with the body. 

Keep Them Hydrated

Heat stroke is one of the most common hiking-related ailments for dog. “On the first nice day of the year we always get a big influx in the clinic. Ease your dog into it when the weather gets warm,” O’Sullivan says.

Always bring water for your dog and offer it any time you feel thirsty. Dogs can drink from clean streams as a matter of last resort, but keep them from drinking standing water. Dogs, like humans, are susceptible to giardia and leptospirosis.

When you return home, monitor your dog’s water intake. “Dogs don’t necessarily self regulate. Some will drink so much they throw up,” says O’Sullivan, suggesting that you offer just a bit at a time. If a few hours after the hike your dog is still panting, consider taking its temperature — you’ll have to do it rectally to get an accurate reading. Dogs run between 100.5 and 102.5 degrees, though O’Sullivan isn’t worried until your dog is in the 104 to 105 degree range for more than a few hours. Then call the vet.