Time to prepare your pups paws for long summer hikes. Those pads protect, cushion, and help regulate body temperature. It’s important to toughen up those spongy spots so your hiking buddy can outlast you in the backcountry.
With early alpine flowers like glacier lilies starting to show up where the snow has
melted, it’s a good time to start on short hikes so that you both get your feet ready for another banner year in the backcountry.
Hopefully you two have been walking this spring. That’s great. Daily walks help to keep pads in better condition and nails ground down for better footwork and traction. Your dogs paw pads will gradually get stronger and that means they will more easily tolerate rougher terrain when hiking trips start.
If this comparison helps, think about the type of shoe you wear when you hike and relate that to the strength and condition of your dogs paw pads. If they are soft it’s like wearing running shoes in the mountains. Not trail running shoes with better traction, cushioning and support, but minimalist street runners. I like to wear the best hiking boot I can afford to protect my feet and give me stability and protection for a long day hike or overnight. That is how I want me dogs feet to be too.
So, my hiking team has strong pads and close cut nails for the best possible contact with the trail, riverbed, or whatever they want to run over and explore. It takes time to get those pads where they need to be.
My three to five mile hikes on well traveled paths today will mean they are ready for the 10-plus mile romps to explore a new lake at 10-thousand feet by late June.
But, like any plan, and any training regimen, things can go wrong. Injuries can happen. Many field treatments are easy and effective. Likely you will be back on the trail in no time at all.
There are several good K-9 first aid books on the market worth considering. Some books are small enough to fit in your pants pocket or top pouch of your backpack. The one I like is titled Field Guide To Dog First Aid, Emergency Care For The Outdoor Dog by Dr. Randy Acker, DVM. It’s full of quick and easy to understand procedures and remedies as well as helpful tools and over the counter medications available.
This is a great time of year to enjoy the first signs of spring in the high country. Grab a pack, your camera and a couple of leashes. Make the most of it. Good luck and good hiking.
Dog Hikes 