Getting out and around the wilderness is great. Doing it with your dog is even better. And best of all? Taking the time to make sure that both of you are properly outfitted for both convenience and safety. You’ll be happy you did when it turns out you need the stuff.

Hiking with your dog can be a wonderful experience, but you should definitely give a thought to the canine-essential gear you need. If you’re looking to have an outdoor experience with your pet, and minimize the hassle, then here’s some extra gear that’ll make life easier for both of you.

If you’re planning on a hike much longer than a half-hour, you should make sure you bring along some food for your canine companion. For shorter treks, a few treats are usually fine, on longer ones you may want to bring a serving or two of their regular food. Hiking burns a lot of calories, for both of you. That means you’ll need to replenish afterward, and your dog may get hungry along the trail’s edge.

Treats are also a good idea for dogs new to hiking. Use them as a positive reinforcement measure to encourage your dog not to do things like chase squirrels or going off into the brush alone.

More doggie gear tips here…

  If you love your dog and love being active and outside, taking your pup hiking is about as good as it gets. As summer gets into full swing you may be just as likely to meet a four-legged fellow hiker on the trail as another person.

So what should you know first before hitting the trail? Know your dog, and know how prepared they are. The basic things to consider are their age, their level of fitness including weight, and their breed plays a role too, because some … like bulldogs, can be more sensitive to heat. That’s a concern not only for heat exhaustion and heat stroke, but breeds with “smushed-in faces,” like pugs and boxers, can have more trouble breathing in warmer temperatures.

Whatever the breed, if they’ve been lounging around in the AC all summer, they need time to acclimate to the heat (just like us), so your first jaunt shouldn’t be a full-day hard scramble. Work your way up to longer hikes over a period of time. Humans need seven to 14 days to get used to heat, so bring your pooch along as you’re working on your own heat tolerance.

A big decision is whether your dog’s going to be an on-leash hiker, or off. Depending on the terrain it can be cumbersome to have them on leash sometimes. But, and this is a huge but, your dog has to have a rock solid recall before you should dream of letting them go (and of course that’s even if dogs are allowed off leash where you’re hiking).

See more great tips here…

Russ Smith and his canine friends just want to haven fun!

Six mornings a week, the Tiverton, Rhode Island entrepreneur and several dogs of various shapes, sizes and ages, pile into a large van to enjoy a three-hour-long outdoor trek in the country to enjoy some fresh air, exercise and what the critters do best – play and have a lot of fun.

“I pick them up – door to door – in my van,” begins Smith, a former lawyer who developed the doggie day care business two years ago by word of mouth from friends who learned about the unique service and wanted their dogs to join in the fun and adventure.

“When the dogs pile into the van, they look for their buddy,” Smith said, adding that the during the past two years, some of the canines have bonded with each other and formed friendships, just like their human counterparts.

Smith says the idea for the hiking group was started by his dog, a golden retrieve named Sienna, a lovable canine that likes to hike along woodland trails and play with other pooches. “I call her our ‘den mother,’” Smith said. “She shares me with all the other dogs.”

Smith says the business started as a part-time venture on weekends and eventually blossomed into a full-time venture. He takes a maximum of nine dogs per day that allows him to provide optimum care and comfort.

“I try to send them home happy and tired,” Smith said, adding that the treks usually cover about six miles each morning and help the dogs to socialize and to become better canine citizens.

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But what about their canine companions? They don’t have the same options to shield them against the heat; all they can do is to follow wherever they are led. Sometimes this can have deadly consequences.

The symptoms of an overheated dog include: Skin that is hot to the touch, heavy panting, excessive thirst, inability to move, salivation. In the worst cases, this can progress to vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination and unconsciousness.

Prevent these early signs of overheating from even happening by taking these steps…