Tips For Wilderness Hikes With Your Dog

This time of year is tough on outdoorsmen with jobs.  There is very limited daylight for outdoor activities. Most days I only see daylight on my lunch break. It can be very depressing but it is a great time to start planning next year's activities. I had a day off yesterday so I took Rusty out for a walk in my hunting area. It is muzzleloader season for deer now so not many people are in the woods. I have my muzzleloader here in Maine with me but I did not bring any of my provisions. I was going to chalk the season up for a loss but walking with Rusty in the silent woods around dusk with a gentle mist falling gave me the fever again. I might go out and get some equipment just to hunt 2 more times this year. Things are looking good for next year anyway as there were a ton of big turkey tracks all around my spot.


Can't wait for April to put a few birds down!

We found an old container of 8 track tapes in the middle of the woods that was kind of amusing.

When I have Rusty in the woods with me there are certain precautions I take and methods I use to keep us both safe and have fun at the same time. I have made a list of recommendations.

Tips for Wilderness Dog Hikes

1. Leash or no leash?
I used to let Rusty run free on our hikes when I lived in Michigan. There was little I had to worry about other than him running off after something or other loose dogs. Here in Maine there are cliffs and other animals, including wild animals I have to worry about. My tip for anyone who wants to have their dog on the leash is to get a retractable leash and attach it to the front of your pack. I have found I can play the dog much like a fish on a line while we walk and I have both my hands free. I have found this method very comfortable and it seems like Rusty knows where I want to go most of the time so we walk quietly and effortlessly most of the time. He can read my movements through the leash and very rarely deviates from the path I have chosen. I even let him decide where we go sometimes. This might be against most dog training tutorials but I feel like letting him decide at a fork in the trail makes him feel more like a partner and builds trust.

This is how I hook the leash to my pack.

2. Food and Water. Depending on how long of a hike you are on the dog will need water and might need food. I typically throw a bottle of water for the dog in my pack and I have a small packable dish that is nearly weightless I can clip to the back of my pack. I bring some treats as well on long hikes.

3. Bugs. The ticks out here have been bad this year. Make sure you leave time either before you get in the car to leave or when you get home to check your dog over. The sooner the better as I usually find a lot on Rusty and I want them off of him before he enters my house or car.

4. Exhaustion. Rusty seems to be an endless ball of energy but I know he hides his exhaustion with excitement by the way he crashes when we get in the car. Typically this isn't a problem as most dogs have more stamina than their owners but when off the leash the dog might be doing twice the hiking as you as he weaves about. Make sure to take rests.

5. Wild Animals. News flash: Your dog cannot out run a bear, wolf, coyote, or cougar. I know dogs are fast in your backyard but hungry animals can track down and eat your dog very easily. I like to have a plan in mind for the event of meeting up with a predator that is in attack mode. Whatever your plan may be, run through it in your mind in different areas of your hike. What if a cougar came out from around this boulder or what if a bear came darting out of those pines? Would you let your dog off the leash? It can be a morbid thought at times but being prepared just might save you and your dog.

I love hiking with Rusty and I think its his favorite thing to do too.