Hiking With Your Hound
My-Dog.info > Traveling With Your Dog
There’s nothing finer for a dog-owning outdoor enthusiast
than hitting the trail with their four-legged friends. The
exercise benefits for both dog and owner are obvious but the
mental health benefits for both are just as great. The pure joy
dogs exhibit while engrossing themselves in the wonderful scents
of the great outdoors is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Without this physical and emotional stimulation, many dogs turn
to destructive behaviors to relieve their boredom and anxiety.
This can exhibit itself as inappropriate hyperactivity such as
chewing objects, digging holes or excessive barking. It can also
manifest itself as self-destructive behaviour such as obsessive
licking or chewing at an area of their body resulting in painful
and even infected wounds.
It seems pretty simple then, to just load up your dog and head
out on a regular basis but there are some things to take into
consideration to ensure your canine companion stays healthy.
First of all, is your dog old enough to withstand a long hike or
cross country run? Growing dogs, especially of the large breed
variety, should not engage in prolonged heavy exercise until
their bone structure is almost mature. The long bones of the
limbs depend on areas of cartilage to provide bone growth and to
protect the surfaces of bones found in a joint. Too much pounding
pressure on this cartilage can cause developmental problems
resulting in poor bone growth or abnormal joint surfaces leading
to painful inflammation. Large breed dogs like retrievers should
only have moderate exercise until they are about 6-8 months old.
This means no hikes longer than about five kilometers at a time
and no runs longer than about 20 minutes at a time. Once they are
ten to twelve months of age, most development is complete, and as
long as you have conditioned them on a gradual basis, they should
be able to handle as much as you can give them.
Before you get to the trail, remember that you need to
transport your dog in a safe manner – safe for you and for
him. Dogs should be secured inside a vehicle or in the back of a
truck to protect it, and you, in the case of an accident. There
are special seat belt harnesses available or regular harnesses
can be tethered to a fixture in the vehicle. You should also
ensure your dog is adequately vaccinated to protect him from
potentially fatal viruses left behind by other dogs or even
coyotes. He should also be treated for intestinal parasites and
in some areas, heartworm protection is also important. Check with
your veterinarian.
Once on the trail, it is important to be constantly aware of
your dog’s whereabouts. This is made much easier if you have
put yourself and your dog through a basic obedience course.
Coming when called is crucial unless you enjoy wandering around
in search of your directionally challenged quadriped. You may
want to use a long-line leash until he earns your confidence off
the leash and even then you should train your dog to routinely
check in with you. In order to protect the flora and fauna, you
should encourage your dog to stay on the trail as much as
possible.
Potential hazards for your trail-blazing dog include those you
can see like barbed wire fences and sharp rocks to those you
cannot like Giardia parasites in pools and streams. It is a good
idea to take filtered water along for you and your dog in order
to avoid a serious GI upset later on. Carrying along a basic
first-aid kit is also recommended. The most common tail injuries
are torn nails and lacerated footpads. These are best treated
with a pressure bandage until you can get to your veterinary
clinic for definitive treatment. Remember not to put a bandage on
too tightly or leave it on too long or you may cause more
problems.
We must always keep in mind that not all hikers are dog lovers
so good social behaviour is needed to allow everyone to enjoy
themselves. When approaching other people, call your dog over and
restrain him until you have a chance to introduce yourself and
your dog. Last, but not least, always pick up after your dog.
Feces, apart from being unsightly, can spread viruses and
parasites to other dogs and to people.
Have fun on the trails – it’s therapeutic for all of
us!
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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