An Outdoor Guide To Adventuring With Your Dog
It’s summertime and that means suns out buns out. Hot dog buns right? Summer usually means hiking, camping, and traveling. If you have a dog be sure to bring them along if you can, and let your dog be an adventure pup! I am a firm believer that dogs are part of the family or “pack” and shouldn’t just be left at home where their only world is the backyard and house. Dogs love to explore new places and you can just feel the happiness that radiates off of them.
If you don’t know how to have adventures with your dog it can be as simple as a small hike. Just getting outside and moving with your dog will be appreciated. If you want to take it to the next level and bring your dog on more outdoor adventures join the no dogs left behind movement. If you look at Instagram it will give you a good perspective of people including their dogs in more outdoor activities and road trips. While bringing your dog is fun, it can be difficult due to some restrictions that may limit your activities, but isn’t your dog worth a little more effort? As someone who enjoys being outside with my dog, here are some of my tips and tricks to making sure that adventures are fun and safe for you and your dog.
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Know where to go
It would be great if we could bring our dogs everywhere with us. While society is getting more dog friendly there are still rules and regulations to ensure that wildlife is protected, so know where you are and aren’t allowed to bring your dog.
- BLM Land- The bureau of land management and US forest service oversee more than 440 million acres of public lands combined. A lot of which is dog friendly.
- Use common sense- Don’t go too far into the backcountry and get lost.
- Know the leash laws- Some areas require a leash due to sensitive wildlife or a high traffic area of wildlife.
- National Parks- Rules Vary so remember to check with the park before you go to ask if they are dog friendly
- Usually dogs can be where cares are allowed so at your campsite or the parking lot.
- Not allowed on the trails due to protecting and preserving the wild life
Tips for outdoor adventures with your dog
- Don’t leave your dog alone- Can be dangerous to your dog, other wildlife, and disrupt other campers or hikers
- Leash your dog- With a ton of distractions and interesting smells the likelihood of your dog running off is pretty high. Be sure to keep them safe and secure when they are with you, especially if you are at a campsite.
- Pick up poop- Apply leave no trace ethics with your dogs. Leaving their waste can hurt the environment and isn’t fair to other campers or hikers
- Bring the correct gear- Shoes for hot weather sweater for cold weather
- Bring enough food and water for the trip
- Pet first aid- You never know what could go wrong, so it’s always best to be prepared
Being outdoors with your dogs is exciting and creates a bond like no other. Hiking up steep mountains, biking through the desert, or even an epic backpacking trip is an experience you don’t want to miss with your dog. Dogs are still animals, they need to run, chase, and sniff. We need to give them a little more of their world and a little less of ours. So get out, grab your pup and have the adventure of a lifetime.
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