Safe Hiking Tips for You and Your Dog

Being an avid hiker and outdoorsman, as well as a big-time animal and dog lover, I will often venture out into the local mountains and spend the day hiking. More often than not, I will bring my dog Tawnie along with me, who enjoys hiking as much, or maybe more, than I do. In fact, we spent yesterday hiking in of my favorite places, and we both enjoyed ourselves immensely. My dog, however, enjoyed herself a little too much. By the end of the hike, she was a spent bullet; she had no energy left and looked, as Hank Williams used to sing, like she'd have to get better just to die! Part of her less-than stellar post-hike condition was just the result of a dog who had a great time romping through the forest, chasing squirrels and lizards, and running off to investigate every strange sound that emanated from within the forest. She must have expended twice the energy that I did with all of her off-trail exploits and trailblazing, but I couldn't help but feel that I was responsible for at least a portion of her finishing the hike looking like she had hiked twenty and not five miles. And, all of this got me thinking about things that I could have done differently on our hike; precautions and steps that I, and everybody else who loves to hike with their dog, should take while hiking with their beloved pet.