Winter Hiking with Your Dog

I love winter hiking. Give me a day of hiking with a brisk winter wind and a cloudless, deep blue sky any day. Or better yet, a trail covered with a blanket of snow. And better still, share the hike with your best friend – your dog.

With the latest arctic blast making its way through the country and, yes, we are feeling it along the Gulf Coast as well with wind chills hitting 5 degrees tonight, and since I am currently in the middle of writing my latest book, “Best Dog Hikes Alabama”, I thought it only appropriate to share with you four essential tips for keeping your dog safe and happy while winter hiking:

1. Get Into Gear:

·        Jacket: If your dog has minimal fur and gets cold easily this is a must. Of course if they’ve never worn one before, try it on and have them wear it at home before heading out on the trail.

·        Booties: If you’re hiking in snow or over icy, frozen ground, booties will keep Fido’s paws from getting clogged.

·        Fluorescent or Bright, Easy-to-See Leash: Good to have in snowy conditions so if you’re hiking with your pup on a leash and you drop it you can more easily find them. A flashing collar is also useful when hiking in snow.

2. Ya Gotta Eat (and Drink)

·        Food: Your dog will be burning more calories so you will need to feed them more when hiking in cold weather. Also bring some snacks to keep their energy up. You might even try an energy trail mix.

·        Water: Just like you they need to stay hydrated and cold weather means they need more water. 

3. Choose a Dog-Friendly Trail

While many trails say they are dog friendly in the winter with extremely cold temperatures, snow, and ice that could change. Make sure your dog can hike the distance you plan to hike and the difficulty rating you plan to hike.

Consider hiking a trail that has easy access points along the route such as forest service roads or easy turn-arounds that you can use to bug out quickly in case of emergency or if your pet is struggling.

4. Try before You Fly

Before heading out on a winter hike you should take your dog out on a few short wintery treks to make sure they can even handle the weather. Just because they love to romp in the back yard when the wind chill is 10 degrees doesn’t mean they can make a hike for an extended period of time in the same weather.

5. Be Sure to Take Frequent Breaks

Stop often and check on how your pet friend is doing. If you’re hiking in deeper snow check that it isn’t clinging to their belly and clean it off. Also clean their paws if it’s packing between their pads and toes. 

You can find more winter weather hiking tips for you and your dog at Kurgo Products.