“It’s going to be a long night,” I said to my husband, as the dog whined at his bedside for what seemed like the thousandth time. She had a ball in her mouth and a crazed look in her eye. She wanted to play. She was not sleepy. It was 2 a.m.
If you do a lot of outdoor adventuring, you’ve probably had a minor injury or two yourself. Whether it’s a scraped knee or a twisted ankle (or worse), the outdoors keeps us humble with minor injuries. The same goes for our dogs – but how do you know if your dog is injured after an outdoor adventure?
I love owning a high-energy dog – but I also have to work a full-time job! Although I love taking Barley out on exhausting hiking trips on the weekend, I can’t do that every day because of my work schedule!
If you plan on spending any time in the backcountry or just outside adventuring with your pup, you will soon realize it is a good idea to have a first aid kit. This can range from very basic to very stocked depending on what types of activities you are doing.
Let’s face it: most of us would probably rather spend more time with our dogs outside, and less time working behind a computer while our dog sits at home alone. Balancing a dog and a full-time job isn’t easy!
We expect a lot out of our adventure dogs and their bodies. We hike, fish, trail run, and mountain bike with our canine companions at our sides.
The next episode of our Mitkof Island adventure series begins at the base of a majestic peak known as Crystal Mountain. The unmarked trail to Crystal Lake begins at the hydro electric plant next to the Blind Slough Salmon Hatchery.
I’ve had the fortune of spending the last week living in a Costa Rican beach town with my dog Barley. We’re running on the beach in the morning, surfing in the afternoon, and doing yoga in the evenings. It’s absolutely amazing.
My dog Barley is five and a half years old. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like he’s a bit slower on runs than he was when he was three and a half. Of course, he’s not exactly an old dog – I’m hoping he’ll have another eight or more years of happy, healthy life. But I want to keep him young and healthy for as long as possible.
Just like adventurous people, adventurous dogs need next-level fuel. Whether your dog is joining you for a mountain biking trip, a fly fishing weekend, or an all-day hike, it’s smart to really think about his nutrition for the day.
Off leash obedience. It’s like the holy grail of adventure training, with good reason. Teaching your dog to listen off leash means that your dog can have far more freedom on adventures than a leashed dog. It also means that you don’t have to try to manage a leash while hiking, which can always be a pain!
When I say, “Let’s go hiking,” my dog’s reply is, “How far?”
It’s a good question – how far can my dog hike? I want hiking to be good for both you and your dog, physically and mentally. That means that you need to know how far your dog can hike safely.
