hiking with your dog.

Between-grooms know-how from scruffyboy

A good dog is the best hiking company there is. The trail guides will tell you where to go and how long it takes, then stop right at the point where the dog is filthy, overheating, or both, and you still have to get him home. This is the part they leave out: how to keep him safe on the way out, and clean on the way back.

before you go: the things that actually matter

• Heat is the real danger, more than distance. Dogs cool themselves far less efficiently than we do; they pant, they don't sweat, and a hot exposed trail can tip a dog into heatstroke faster than you'd expect. Hike in the cooler part of the day, carry more water than you think you need, take shade breaks, and turn back if he's flat-out panting, lagging, or looking for every patch of shade. Flat-faced breeds should skip hot days entirely.
• Plan around water. On warm days, pick routes with a stream, lake or shoreline so he can cool off and drink. Carry a collapsible bowl regardless.
• Match the trail to the dog. A young or unfit dog, or a small one, isn't a long-scramble dog yet. Build up. Watch the paws on hot rock and sharp scree.
• Wildlife and plants. Ticks are the near-universal one. Check him over afterwards and stay current on prevention. Depending on where you are, that list might also include snakes, boar, foxtails or grass seeds, and the odd thing best not eaten. Keeping him close handles most of it.
• Leash etiquette. Rules vary by trail and country, and plenty of places require dogs on-lead in shared or protected areas. Check before you go; when in doubt, leashed, for wildlife, for other walkers, and for the dog.

and then, the state of him

The "best dog hikes" lists never mention this bit. A real trail sends a dog home carrying some combination of dried mud, stream water, dust, and, if you finished near the coast, sand and salt. Left on him, that means a licked-raw paw, an itchy coat, and your home and car redecorated. The cleanup isn't optional, and doing it at the trailhead beats doing it in your hallway.

The order that works:

1. Paws first, before he's back in the car. Knock off the dry stuff, then clean between the toes. Full method in cleaning your dog's paws after a walk.
2. Coat second. A waterless wipe-down of the belly, legs and anywhere caked, so the mud doesn't dry into the coat on the drive home.
3. Dry the damp bits. Especially if he swam. A wet undercoat is how the post-walk funk starts, and it's worse in warm, humid weather. See drying a dog in humid weather.

the kit to keep in the car

Water and a bowl, a towel, wipes or a waterless foam, and a brush. That's the whole difference between a great walk and a filthy dog on your back seat: about ninety seconds of cleanup you'll be glad you could do before he's in the car.

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scruffyboy makes the between-adventures cleanup kit: quick, no-rinse, built for exactly this mess and tested on the trail, on one very muddy dog. Join the list for first dibs, or read all the guides.