14 Essential Tips For Day Hiking With A Beagle
Dogs make great trail buddies no matter how you look at it. Depending on where you live there should be many opportunities to do some quality hiking with your best four legged friend. Hiking can be a broad term, for there are many different hiking opportunities, and environments to choose from. When I go hiking in general, I am hitting a local trail system, which is well maintained and owned and provided by the county in which I live. The type of hiking terrain allows for a good few hours out and back, with fair to moderate elevation gain and ruggedness.
Enough of a challenge for both man and dog. Over a given year I will travel to a wilderness area a few times and camp for a week or more, in order to pursue a greater hiking challenge for myself and my Beagle, “Oakie” But today I am only going to talk about Day Hiking.
I have had many dogs over the years at differing levels of agility, stamina, and endurance, and with all of my dogs I have gone on both day hikes into my local park, and also I have brought all of these dogs into deep wilderness on long trips. To really get the most out of the day hike for both you and your dog it is important to follow some simple tips. It would also be prudent to day hike as much as possible with your dog, to help develop stamina and hardiness for the longer and more grueling wilderness adventures.
And, of course answer the question whether all dogs are suitable for hiking buddies.
The Beagle in general is a sturdy little dog.
Originating in Europe, and particularly associated with being developed in England, where they were bred for small animal pack hunting. They were used in the hunt of hares either accompanying horse backed riders, or were foot beagles. They have a highly developed sense of smell, and are bred to run long distances over rough terrain. Thirteen Inch and Fifteen inch are the two standard heights, and “Oakie” is a fifteen inch beagle, although it is common to see a height range of between 10” – 15”, and up to 40lb in weight. So far over many varying terrains and hikes, I have found my Beagle to be a trooper when it comes to hiking in general.
I have found in general that the upper small to medium sized dogs make the best hikers. The little guys, and the very large guys although having some qualities good for local short hikes, have too many problems with legs or stamina on long hike’s, but you be the best judge with sound advice from your vet.
Day Hiking
Day hiking is the easiest pursuit for most people and dogs and requires the least planning. It can be to your local regional park system, or preserve. It will have a few miles of developed trails that will be over varying topography, and may include streams, grassland, wooded areas, hills and canyons, and even beach or desert.
They usually will have some native wildlife present and residing in the setting, and may be multi-use allowing for walking, horseback riding, and mountain bikes.
The tips for successful day hiking with your dog are;
- Make sure the dog is in good health, with no underlying medical issues that would present a challenge to your hike together, always check with your vet.
- Make sure that the dog has eaten at least one hour before heading out.
- Make sure that the dog is well hydrated before heading out.
- Tell someone where you are going in case of emergency
- Have a mental list of what you will need:
- A good harness and leash.
- A portable drinking bottle for the dog.
- Water for the both of you.
- A small backpack containing dog poop bags, extra water, a lightweight rain jacket, a cellphone.
- Some snacks and dog treats.
- Basic Etiquette
Read the posted signs at the parking lot, or at the trail-head to familiarize yourself with any warnings, and dangers that may be present on the trail. Stay on the designated trail systems, do not wander off into ecologically sensitive areas, or areas under conservation. Yield to faster moving traffic if you are on a multi-use trail. Pace yourself early, and allow for rest stops especially for water.
Watch out especially for shade spot opportunities, trails can be very hot, especially late Spring Summer, and well into Autumn, be respectful of other people with the same idea, and corral your dog well to avoid any unfortunate incidences. If you pack it in, then pack it out, and this also means dog poop.
Always……Always keep the dog leashed.
- Basic Safety
Watch out for wild animals, especially depending on the season and activity level, you are in their domain. Some of the common critters that I usually encounter day hiking with my Beagle are,
- Coyotes
- Rattlesnakes
- Bobcats
- Skunks
- Opossum
- Raccoons
- Squirrels
- Hedgehogs
- Marmots
- Tarantula’s
- Deer
- Fox
- Mountain Lions
Plus, various prey birds flying above, and plenty of biting insects. For the most part wild animals should not bother you or your dog, as long as you are not bothering them. Most of the above list, the animals are typically shy, and will not approach, however, I have had Coyotes trail me and my dog, and have had to encourage a Rattlesnake or two to move off a trail, so I could pass safely. Remember to always keep your dog leashed at all times, you never know what dangers are lurking behind that next bush or tree.
After Your Day Hike
When you get home again with your dog:
- Feed it.
- Water it.
- Wipe it down with a clean towel.
- If really grubby……give your dog a quick rinse.
- Check for Ticks.
- Check its paws for cracks or abrasions……treat immediately.
- If it was a really hot day, let the dog cool down for a few hours on a cooling mat.
Unless your dog has super stamina and ability, I would wait a few days before going on another day hike. These hikes can take a lot out of any dog, but for variety, and fun, I would include at least one a week into a dogs walking schedule. With my Beagle it was one a week.
Conclusion
Day hiking allows both you and your dog to experience a bit of nature in relative safety and the experience can be wonderful for the both of you, with the right preparation. Day hiking can be used to gradually build your dog up to graduate into long wilderness treks, and camping hiking vacations. Day hiking is just fun for you and fun for the dog.
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