Hiking with Dogs | Stepping Outside

Tips for Winter Hiking with your Dog

Emma — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 19:41:33 +0000

With more snow storms and freezing temperatures on the way, it’s essential to keep your adventure dog safe during winter hikes.

Paw Protection

To protect your dog’s paws and reduce the chance of frostbite, I would recommend using a paw protector wax or boots.

I use Musher’s Secret Pet Paw Protection. The wax, which is applied to the paws and in-between the pads, acts as a protective barrier and reduces ice build-up. Even with the wax, it’s important to regularly check your dog’s paws and remove any clumps of ice and snow.

Buying a Coat

The age, weight, type of fur and size of your dog will affect how well they tolerate cold weather. Large dogs with double-layer coats, like a Husky or Golden Retriever, will find a cold day significantly easier than a small dog with a thin coat. Based on what type of dog you have, you may need to ‘top-up’ their protection against cold and wet weather. I’m a big fan of Ruffwear rain and snow jackets for mountain hikes and Danish Design waterproofs for lower level walks.

When buying a coat for your dog, make sure you check the type of material; the outer layer needs to repel moisture and the inner layer should be synthetic to keep your dog warm.

Keeping your Dog Hydrated

Always ensure you have enough water for your dog, especially when puddles and rivers are frozen. As a general rule, always offer your dog a drink when you have one.

To check if your dog is hydrated, lightly press your finger on your dog's gum. When you remove your finger, the colour should instantly return to the gum. If it takes a few seconds, this is a sign of mild dehydration. Symptoms of severe dehydration in dogs can be sunken eyes, weakness, tiredness and collapsing often.

Hazards

Snow drifts, frozen lakes and icy scrambles are all potential hazards and should be avoided. Keep your dog close and under control.

Post Hike

At the end of a walk, always wash your dog’s paws in lukewarm water to remove ice, snow and any traces of salt and antifreeze, which can be toxic.

Start Slow

If your dog hasn’t seen snow before, a day hike might be too much! Introduce your dog to the snow and slowly build up the distance. It's just about knowing your dog and understanding what they are comfortable with.

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Hiking in the Alps with your dog

Emma — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 13:27:48 +0000

Last summer I decided to spend six weeks hiking across the Swiss and Italian Alps with my dog. I started to Google which routes were suitable for dogs and quickly found that there was very limited information. In fact, most of the information I came across was buried in forums and a lot of it was incorrect. I read multiple times that dogs weren’t allowed in the Alps. Well, first things first, they are.

Where to Hike with your Dog

Which part of the Alps you hike entirely depends on you and your dog; some routes have knife-edge scrambles at 3000m and others follow well marked trails through alpine villages. With my dog, I’ve hiked the Tour de Monte Rosa, which includes high level routes from Saas Fee, sections of the Via Alpina Route One through the Bernese Oberland, day hikes around Zermatt and circular routes from Grindelwald. Route info...

Gear for your Dog

Adventure dogs need their own set of adventure gear. I've put together a list of a few 'must-haves', including paw protection and gear to keep your dog cool.

Accommodation

Plenty of hotels and campsites are dog friendly.

Remote hikes in the Alps are often linked by mountain huts, which offer dormitory rooms and meals. The vast majority of the huts don't allow dogs.

Transport

Dogs are allowed on cable cars, trains, boats and buses. There generally isn't a charge for dogs to ride cable cars, local trains and boats. However, on buses and certain trains, you will need to buy a half-fare ticket or dog travelpass if your dog is higher than 30cm and isn't in a carrier. If your journey involves changing trains, you may only need a ticket for your dog for part of the route. It's best to always check with the station staff and they'll advise what tickets you need.

Keeping your Dog Hydrated

The weather in the Alps can be very unpredictable; 30 degrees one day and a snow storm the next. For hikes on warmer days, you need to ensure your dog stays hydrated. As a rough guide, when you have a drink, offer your dog one. Also, make sure you carry enough water for your dog. Some hikes follow a river all day but on higher routes, you can walk for 6-7 hours before finding a water source.

Leishmaniasis Prevention

Leishmaniasis is disease transmitted by a Sandfly Mosquito. If a Sandfly has recently bitten an infected dog and then bites your dog, the disease can be transferred. Leishmaniasis is incurable but can be controlled through treatment. The disease can cause serve weight lose, vomiting, renal failure, joint pain, hair loss, skin lesions and many other horrific symptoms.

While Leishmaniasis is mainly found in Southern Europe, there have been cases in Switzerland and Northern France. As the disease is incurable, the key is prevention. There is no one treatment which provides complete protection. I recommend the following but please speak to your vet before deciding which treatment to use, especially as there may be new treatments available:

Scalibor Collars
The collar controls bites from ticks, flies and mosquitoes for up to six months. Dogs are approximately 90% protected from bites. There are some cases where the collars have caused skin irritation. Again, speak to your vet to understand what’s best for your dog.
Advantix
The spot-on treatment must be used every two weeks to prevent sandfly bites. The protection is approximately 80-85%. Advantix can be used in conjunction with a Scalibor collar.
Limit the Risk
Sandflies are mainly active in wooded areas and gardens at dusk and dawn, during the summer months. Try to avoid walking your dog at these times and do not let your dog sleep outside.

Snakes

To be completely honestly, I panicked when I discovered that there are poisonous snakes in the Alps. After a little more research, and now, having hiked hundreds of miles across the Alps without ever seeing a snake, I realise that I may have overreacted.

In short, yes there are two types of poisonous snakes in the Alps. Yes, they can bite humans and dogs. But, firstly, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll come across a snake and secondly, the poison isn’t very strong. In fact it seems that only one person is on record of dying from a snake bite in the Alps since the 1960's.

That being said, I recommend that your first aid kit includes:

Disinfectant spray. This is for you, not for your dog!
Benadryl. My vet recommended that I give the dog a tablet if she was bitten.

If you or your dog are bitten, seek medical help as soon as you can and monitor the bite for any signs of infection. If possible, carry your dog to stop them putting any additional pressure on the bitten limb.

Ibex

Encounters with Ibex are likely on higher, more remote hikes. The mountain goats will often stand their ground as you approach. Once you get closer, they'll move out of the way. Make sure you are able to control your dog if they are off the lead and surprised by an Ibex; watching Ibex jump from cliff to cliff is amazing but definitely not so great if your dog attempts to follow them.

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Gear for Adventure Dogs

Emma — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 16:24:20 +0000

As your walks become longer and the mountains get higher, your dog is going to need their own set of adventure gear!

Harnesses

A harness, rather than a collar, is far more secure and gives you more control over your dog. For any walks with mild scrambles or steep ascents, a harness is a must. Ruffwear Web Master harnesses are brilliant. The small handle across the top of the harness is really useful, especially if your dog needs help scrambling.

Keeping your Dog Cool in Warm Weather

Now, bear with me because I’m about to recommend baby clothes for your dog! With the aim of keeping my dog cool during summer hikes, I looked at various cool jackets and cool bandanas but they were either very expensive or had awful reviews.

Instead, I bought a pack of baby dribble bibs. The towel material means that the bibs are very absorbent. Dunk the bib in water and clip it around your dogs neck or collar. Keep dunking the bib in water throughout the hike and your dog stays really cool.

Jackets

The weather in any mountain range or on high level walks can be very unpredictable. Your dog may need a jacket to keep warm and dry. My dog has a Cloud Chaser jacket from Ruffwear, which we’ve put to the test in snow and heavy rain.

Paw Protection

For any multi-day hikes or long distance walks on rough terrain, I would recommend using a type of paw protector. I tried boots (from Ruffwear, surprise surprise) but my dog wasn’t having it.

Instead, I use Musher’s Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax from Amazon. The wax is used to cover the paws and in-between the pads. My dog didn’t notice the wax was there and it made an enormous difference; we hiked 120 miles, across rocky terrain in six days and Musher’s completely protected her paws.

Portable Bowl

For any hikes without regular water sources, you'll need to bring water and some sort of bowl for your dog. I use Mudder silicone bowls. They’re lightweight, collapsible and have a metal climbing bucket to easily attach to your backpack.

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Starting Out: Hiking with Dogs

Emma — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 12:58:53 +0000

I’m a big believer of 'never leave the dog behind' so wherever I walk, the dog comes along too. Sometimes bringing the dog doesn’t require anything more than grabbing a lead and heading out the door. On other occasions, when routes include mild scrambles, cliff-edge paths and awful weather, more preparation and gear is needed.

Getting Started

Like people, different dogs have a huge range of energy and fitness. You need to be aware of what your dog is capable of. In most cases, it’s just about building up the distance and difficulty, slowly increasing the time you’re walking for and the type of terrain. It’s good to have a goal of what you want your dog to be able to do. For example, I decided to take my dog on the Tour de Monte Rosa trek in the Alps. The 100 mile hike includes scrambles, very narrow paths and covering 10-20 miles each day. I knew my dog would be fine with the distance as we were already doing multi-day hikes but the terrain was going to be tough. Before the hike, I started taking her on harder mountain routes, slowly building up from the Miners Track to Snowdon and Striding Edge on Helvellyn to a pretty brutal scramble across loose boulders and scree around Wast Water Lake. By the time we got to the Alps, she was a pro!

You also need to consider any genetic health issues and the age of your dog; larger dogs often can’t do serious distance until they are at least a year old without risking serious hip problems and short-nosed, flat-faced dogs may have breathing problems and shouldn’t be walked too far, especially on warm days. Always check with your vet if you’re unsure.

Basic Training

When you’re in the mountains, it becomes even more essential that you have total control of your dog. If you’re in any doubt that they won’t come back when you call or stop when you shout ‘wait’, your dog should be on a lead. It’s one thing if a dog wanders across a park but it’s a whole other ball game if they start chasing sheep or deer towards the edge of a cliff. Take your dog to classes or follow a training guide; How to Raise the Perfect Dog by Cesar Millan is a good place to start.

Gear

The higher, longer and more difficult the route, the more specialised gear you’ll need for your dog. I’ve put together a gear list for adventure dogs, including harnesses and paw protection.

Picking the Right Walking Route

All of the routes on this site have been walked with a dog. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as ‘if one dog can do it, all dogs can'. It hugely depends on you and your dog. I've given each route a rating; Easy, Medium or Hard. The rating is based on the navigation skills required and the hazardous risks of the walk, for example if there are scrambles, high level paths, risks of falling etc. The rating doesn’t relate to the distance; a walk can be 8 hours with an Easy rating because the paths are well marked and the ascent is fairly straight forward. Make sure you pick routes which are suitable for your dog and get in touch if you have any questions.

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