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Hiking Safely

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Tips for hiking safely with your dog

The canine and human team members of Mountain Canine Corps (MCC) perform search missions in all kinds of weather, at any time of the day or night, and encounter a variety of terrain. Through our experiences, MCC has collected an enormous amount of information on hiking safely with dogs and we would like to offer some tips here. The best tactic is to prevent problems in the wilderness with proper preparation and careful attention to your dog during the hike. You should be watching your dog to help keep them out of harm's way and to make sure that they are eating and drinking enough water. Occasionally, however, problems will occur on the trail and knowing what to do in those situations is critical. The most common issues that have occurred with MCC search dogs working on wilderness missions are: broken toenails, cut paw pads, foreign object in the ear, cactus spine or burrs in the feet or body, and ticks. During missions in hot and cold weather, MCC handlers pay special attention to ensure that their search dogs are properly hydrated and are maintaining a normal body temperature. Some serious situations can occur in the wilderness; these less common situations for MCC dogs have included: being sprayed by a skunk, encountering coyotes and bears, being caught in a trap, being bitten by a snake, and getting giardia from a water source. Again, prevention of a serious situation is the best approach, but being properly prepared to deal with the situation, if it should arise, with knowledge and appropriate gear is critical.

Gear list for hiking with your dog

  • Plenty of water for your dog
  • Dog food
  • Collar and lead: Not a chain or prong-type collar that could cause injury when caught on bushes or tree limbs.
  • ID tag on collar (and have a current photo on you)
  • Your dog's medication(s): Even if you don't expect to be on a hike long enough for your dog to need to take their medication, bring any medications they need to take regularly (i.e. thyroid medication), just in case you are delayed during your hike by bad weather or other circumstances.
  • Poop bags: We all must clean up after our pooches!
  • Booties: If your dog injures their paw, a bootie can help them walk out with reduced pain and less possibility of further injury.
  • First aid kit: A human kit works well for dogs, too. In addition, you might want to have Vet Wrap, good tweezers (helpful with ticks), and a steptic pencil/powder to help stop the bleeding of a broken toenail.
  • Field guide to dog first aid
  • Dog bowls: Many lightweight, collapsible dog bowls are available.
  • Dog sunglasses: They exist! Doggles have 100% UV protection and protect your dog's eyes from debris.
  • Sunscreen: Some dogs have very fair noses that tend to burn easily.
  • Depending on the weather conditions, your hiking plans, and your dog's coat, you should consider-

    • Night collar: Most searches are at night and most of the search dogs of MCC use a very bright battery powered, lighted dog collar. Another option is to use light sticks (if your dog has a vest with a good spot to attach the light stick) and/or a collar that has reflective tape.
    • Bright vest: When they are working, search dogs on MCC wear a bright orange vest with "Search dog" written on them. Plain, orange vests are available and useful for preventing an accident during hunting season.
    • During cold weather, a winter coat
    • During hot weather, a cooling scarf or bandana that stays moist for extended periods after wetting
    • If going on or near large bodies of water, a dog life vest

    A word on dog packs: The search dogs of MCC work extremely hard during a mission and usually finish fairly exhausted. So, they never carry a pack. If you choose to have your dog try a dog pack, make sure your dog doesn't have any physical problems that might cause discomfort (they must have a healthy back and hips), allow them to get used to the pack with a gradual increase in weight, and keep the final amount of weight they carry in their pack low. (Don't let them carry more than 20% of their body weight.) Puppies should not carry a pack as their bones aren't fully formed and carrying weight could cause damage. In some breeds, bone formation might take 2 years.

    Search dogs also have some additional specialized gear needs, such as their tracking harnesses or hearing protection in case they need to be transported by helicopter

    Hydration and food

    Just as it is important for people to stay hydrated, dogs must also stay hydrated. You should stop and offer your dog water often and monitor carefully how much they are drinking. Make sure that you bring plenty of water; in general, a medium-sized dog will often drink more water on a hike than their human counterpart. Try to avoid letting your dog drink out of streams or other sources as they could obtain giardia or other problems. Sometimes, dogs will not want to drink enough water in cold weather; in these situations, adding a very small amount of chicken bullion to make a dilutely flavored liquid can encourage them to drink. You should also have plenty of food for your dog; try to feed them during a rest break or when they've been less active to prevent the possibility of bloat, a serious, life threatening condition.

    Training- needed for both dogs and people

    Your dog should be well trained, both in the sense of being in good physical shape for hiking and being trained well in obedience. They should be on preventative tick and heartworm medications. If you are planning a long hike, make sure your dog is ready for the distance and is physically healthy. Slowly building up the distance of walks and hikes will help them improve their physical condition and allow their paw pads time to toughen. We usually work our tracking dogs on a long lead, when terrain and conditions permit, because, in general, this is safer with the potential of encounters with wild animals, unfriendly outdoors people, traps, or poisons. If you are in an area that permits dogs to be off their leash (always check the rules for the area you will be hiking in ahead of time) and you choose to let your dog off their leash, make sure they are trained to stay within your sight. They must consistently and immediately return to you when you give them their recall command. A good "leave it" command is also important. Obedience also includes staying still to allow you to handle them, so that you can periodically inspect their paws, ears, and coat. They should allow you to remove burrs from their pads and objects from their ears.

    In addition to general hiking safety, humans also need to have the appropriate dog specific training and knowledge. Dog first aid is important. Do you know what to do if your dog is sprayed by a skunk? Is suffering from quills from an encounter from a porcupine? Has a tick on them? Cuts themselves on stray barbed wire? Read through a field dog first aid guide and have it with you to help aid your memory, if needed.