Hiking With Your Dog. :d

southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
This Saturday I am going on a 2-3hr hike to a water fall Raven Cliff in Georgia(USA) and for the first time Missy gets to come!! She will have one her anti-pull harness and possibly an outward hound backpack. I haven't decided if I'm bringing it or not I'm worried it'll be to hot and a pain because we'll be in and out of the river which means i'll have to take it of and on a lot(it's not hard just annoying) Anyone have input on this(pack or no pack)? If I do use it o keep her cool I'm going to put 1 or 2 ice packs in each side pocket, also she will be carrying water, doggy bags, fold-able dog bowl(to hold the water. I was trying to add a picture of the things I'm putting in her pack but it's not letting me I'll try later.
This is the pack I have I'll post a pic of Missy in it later.
The purple flower(ice pack) wallet, bowl and flashlight go in one side and the water bottle and ice pack go on the other. I'm putting the wallet and flashlight in her pack because I needed more weight on that side to make it even.
If I don't use it I'll have to carry everything plus my water bottle, my friends and my camera :(
Does anyone have any other ideas to keep her cool? I was thinking of keeping a wet bandanna on her(I'll keep it dipped in the cold(brr) river. Does any one think there is something else I need to bring for her or any other suggestions, tips?

You can google Raven Cliff Falls, GA to see some really pretty pictures of it. I will take lots of pictures and some video of Missy and of course nature(waterfalls, flowers, and so on)
 

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rouen

rouen

Experienced Member
I've taken Dingo on over nighters on the Appalachian Trail. He wears a Kelty Chuckwagon when I take him hiking. I dont worry about him getting it wet, if he goes in the water he only goes belly deep.
If you're going to be hiking in the woods along a river heat shouldn't be an issue.
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
I will have my wallet and flashlight in it so I'll have to take it off when she gets in to keep them from being ruined. :D
 
Anneke

Anneke

Honored Member
Maybe you could put your wallet and the flashlight in a ziplock bag? That will keep them from getting wet.
Sounds like a lot of fun, though!
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
If Missy is not regularly walking for three hours, this 3 hour hike, with a backpack, in hot weather,
*might* seem like a lot to her.
I know Missy gets exercise, but, some ppl whose dogs watch tv all month, suddenly take that dog and run the dog for a long time, and then dog is limping next day. Even dogs can need to build up for sudden bursts of strenuous exercise, if they spend most days lounging around.
but walking for long time should be fine. Guess i wrote that more for other ppl reading along, NOT for YOU, SouthernGirl!:ROFLMAO:


How heavy, how many pounds is the loaded backpack weigh?
How heavy is Missy?

Keeping my dog wetted down can help with the heat better than anything else i've ever tried to keep my dog from getting too hot. I don't know having ice blocks up against her would feel as good as we might imagine....not sure.
*I* would not like having ice blocks held against me for any length of time, anyway.:cautious:


HOPE YOU HAVE A BLAST!!
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
The pack is five pounds and Missy weighs 35 pounds. She is used to carrying this pack I have her carry it when I go on the Suwanee trial with her(which is a lot). She has been on at least a 2 hour walk before possibly 3 before and she did fine, no limping or anything like that actually in about 1hr later she was ready to play. Everyday this week she is going to walk with the packs and I'll walk her for a longer time(not the funnest thing to do in my small neighborhood to have a 30min walk I have to walk both streets twice becuase I'm not allowed on the walking trial by myself :( Also I'm going to start running again this week with her, I'm starting off slow because it has been so long(I stopped running because of my surgery now I'm ready to start again.)
I can't wait until Saturday I'm so happy!!
She can barley feel the ice packs not sure she can feel them at all really cause they're not directly on her I checked( hopefully though they help her from getting hot with the pack on.) I do plan to keep her wet in the river I'll probably get in with her:D
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
//"The pack is five pounds "//

empty?
or full of water bottles, etc, is only five pounds?


You might want to load it up, and weigh the loaded back pack...somewhere around here on DTA i saw something about how much % of their body weight a dog can haul,

but i didn't memorize it, nor know for sure if that was right answer....sorry.



Yeah, you are right, i don't think long WALKS bother a dog much. It's those ppl who take a coach-potato dog and RUN him for hours who might end up with a dog with a pulled muscle.
 
Anneke

Anneke

Honored Member
Just something I do when it's really hot, instead of icepacks, I freeze small bottles of water. As the ice melts it leaves refreshing cold water in the bottle!
It might be too heavy in Missy's backpack, though.
I used frozen waterbottles on carrides too. Just wrapped them up in a piece of cloth(dishcloth or teatowel) and put them in with the dogs. Jinx used to love those bottles when she was a pup. She would snuggle up to them, put her belly against it to keep cool.
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
empty?
or full of water bottles, etc, is only five pounds?
Click to expand...
With a water bottle and ice pack on one side and a flashlight(very small), ice pack, my wallet, fold up dog bowl and doggy bags on the other( the weight is equal on both sides. It's suppose to be 15% or they're body weight, I suck at math so I don't know what 15% of 35pounds is. I'm going to try and find another water bottle around the house and trade it out for my wallet, and ice pack.
The frozen water bottle is a good idea I just need to find a bottle small enough to fit in hers I already have 1 just need 1 more
 

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southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
I might not go because my older brother got in an accident yesterday and is in the hospital with a lot of bad injures and in tons of pain. He was on a motorcycle when and SUV came out in front of him(it was the SUV's fault) So I'm not sure if were going if we do my dad will stay behind and be their for my brother in the hospital.
 
Dogster

Dogster

Honored Member
Oh no!!!! That's horrible!!!!:eek::( Hope your brother gets better!!!! GET WELL SOON!!!

If you can't go, you can go another time I guess. ;)
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
Thank You Dogster.:D His recovery will be long and hard, but he will be okay.
I'm sure if we can't go next weekend will go another time.
 
southerngirl

southerngirl

Honored Member
My mom said we're not going this Saturday cause she wants to be close in case something changes with my brother. When he is stable and out of the NICU we will go. So possibly next weekend.
 
tigerlily46514

tigerlily46514

Honored Member
OH NO, so so sorry to hear this, SouthernGirl, i hope so much for fast and complete recovery for your brother, and so sorry for the stress and heartache for your whole family. Me and Buddy both send hugs to you.
 
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