Hiking offers more stimulation for our furry friends than regular city walks. Dogs are able to explore their natural instincts even more on trail, as they interact with unfamiliar animals, smell new plants, and experience a simulated off-leash environment. These are all activities that they would do in the wild, before domestication. Hikes are a great alternative to the regular walk because they offer a more challenging course, and can even lead to the occasional swim if the weather allows it!
On hotter days it is beneficial (and more responsible) to send your pup into the woods where it is usually 5-8 degrees cooler than walking around the city. Not only is the air cooler, but the trails themselves do not get very warm at all. The ground is shaded all day resulting in a nice cool path for your pup to walk on. Sidewalks and blacktop in the city can be extremely harmful to your dog’s paws when it is as cool as 75 degrees (that is most of the time, here in DC!). Keep Fido’s paws safe and healthy by choosing to send him into the woods.
These dog adventures also help with behavioral issues which is why Happy Hikers was founded in the first place. Many dogs suffer from general anxiety, separation anxiety, not being socialized, etc. Hikes help redirect the pups’ energy into a positive experience by socializing them, and keeping them busy. Anxiety is amplified when a dog (or anyone) is bored, so we try to eliminate the boredom completely by tiring out each and every dog, leaving him with nothing to do but nap when he gets home!
These behavioral issues can also stem from pups who are not able to do “their jobs.” Terriers were bred to catch rodents, Pointers were bred to catch birds, Labs were bred to retrieve, etc. Now that so many of our furry friends are mixed, they have these natural inclinations to do all sorts of jobs. Being out in the woods allows the dogs to feel as though they are doing a job, and what is more rewarding to a pup than being told he is a good boy for something his instincts told him to do? Probably being brought on another hike.
Happy Hikers Dog Adventures 