Hiking with your dog

Here is a new installment of hiking tips. I got an email asking about hiking with your dog. Here are some general tips and things that I learned along the way. Feel free to email me (harveysgwilliams@gmail.com) if this brings any questions to mind. Enjoy.

Packing: I used the Ruff Wear Palisades pack (size medium) for Harley. It is an excellent pack and I would highly recommend it. The major advantage of that pack is that you can detach the saddle bags from the harness which is really nice when you are hiking. It means that when you take your pack off for a break, the dog can do the same. With the other packs, you have to take the entire thing off, including the harness. It may not seem like much, but when you are doing it 10 times a day for 5 months, it makes a difference. This pack also comes with two water bladders, but I found that there was more than enough water on the trail, so these just added weight, though they are a nice touch. It didn't take long for Harley to get used to the pack, but I know that some dogs take longer than others. The thing to do when you first get the pack is to fill it with light bulky things so they get used to the added width. A blanket on either side and a box of mac and cheese (so they can hear it) works well. After a while, you can add weight until you reach the target weight (Fully loaded, Harley carried a maximum of 14 pounds which would last him for about 8 days). The dog should probably not carry more than 20% to 30% of their body weight. Harley weighed 80 lbs so I made sure his pack was less than 16lbs. Its really easy to go ultralight as a dog because you pretty much only have to carry your food. The rest is pretty simple.

Other gear: Harley also carried a set of dog booties, a blanket, food/water bowl, leash, towel, and a doggie first aid kit. Although he did not wear them at all, it is probably a good idea to carry a set of dog booties and make sure your pooch is comfortable walking in them. Harley got a set for Christmas and I made sure that I took him out for walks with them on so he could get the feel for them. He did not like them at all (probably because my sister laughed at him when I first put them on...he did look funny though and walked along like he was swimming in water). Just don't laugh at them when they first put them on. Dogs get embarrassed too. You have to be reassuring and make sure that your dog trusts you.
The blanket was homemade. My girlfriend sewed a fleece airline blanket to a sheet of tyvek (warm on one side, waterproof on the other). He ended up sleeping more on my sleeping bag than the blanket, but it was good to have a spot that was his, especially in crowded shelters. But in all likelihood,
the dog is going to snuggle up to your sleeping bag.
Instead of using one of those collapsible canvas dog bowls from REI, i suggest using the bottom of a 32 oz Gatorade bottle. It is super light, easy to clean, and durable. The only downside is that it is small and you will have to refill it multiple times at dinner. The major benefit is that if it does get funky, just buy a new Gatorade and forget the mess. With the collapsible bowls, they are very hard to clean and you can easily get bacteria/fungus build up.
Leash - self explanatory. Most of the time, Harley was off leash and under voice command. You need to develop a strong rapport with your dog and make sure that they are under control at all times.
Towel - Lightload beach towel (available at REI). I liked using the beach towel because it was actually large enough to dry him off at the end of the day. Just make sure you store it in a ziploc bag so it doesn't get wet as you are hiking along.
Doggie First Aid kit - This was made up of a bunch of medications that my vet suggested we carried. We ended up using none of it, but it was nice knowing that we were prepared. Talk to your vet before you leave and see what they recommend.

Sleeping situation - Me in my sleeping bag, him half on my sleeping bag half on his blanket. I did not have any problems with people in shelters, even when he was wet. Just make sure that you are courteous as not everyone likes trail dogs.

Food - Harley ate EVO dog food on the trail. It is more expensive than regular food, but it is more calorie dense (meaning that he can get the same level of nutrition while carrying less weight). This is super important when you have 6 days stretches in between towns. Again talk to your vet to see what they recommend. EVO worked for us.

Leash - He was off most of the time, but would respond to my commands. I made sure that he understood that if he didn't listen, I would put him on the leash. He learned the lesson pretty quickly and would stop at every road crossing. Use your judgment here. If there is a leash law, you are putting yourself at risk for recieving a fine, etc. The only places where you can't take the dog is the Smokies, the Zoo on the Hudson river, and Baxter State Park. Don't even try to mess with the rules here. They are very strict.

Water - Harley drank from every puddle, stream, river, and lake that we came to. Its hard to tell a thirsty dog not to drink. That being said he did have some GI issues that we dealt with over the course of the hike. That is something you should discuss with your vet and see what they say. The important thing is to make sure that your dog is having fun. If their health becomes an issue, then it is no longer fun for them (this is what happened to my dog). As the owner, you are responsible for them. Don't take that lightly. Sending my dog home was a very tough decision, but I know that I made the right choice. Ok enough ranting.

Thanks again for reading. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I love talking about the AT.