#puppyintraining

#trailpuppy

#dogintraining

“Dog is God spelled backward.”

– Duane Chapman

My 8-year-old spotted terrier/chihuahua mix has been my built-in adventure pup for many years. Although she LOVES the outdoors and took very well to long days in the backcountry, I still had to spend countless seasons training her in order for her to enjoy the backcountry and be safe from any circumstance that comes our way.

Meet Taquito: Trail puppy in training

In May, I adopted a 8-week old chihuahua mix puppy who I named Taquito and nicknamed, “little man”. He adores Moo and loves being outside, and although I wanted him to be my little adventure buddy, I was not sure if he would enjoy it.

Lesson #1: Does your puppy (or adult dog) actually enjoy being on trail?

My 14-year-old shih tzu who crossed the rainbow bridge, earlier this year, did not. She preferred to stay home or lay outside in the sun...maybe a short walk here and there but the backcountry was never her jam. AND THAT IS PERFECTLY FINE.

I adapted to her wants and needs and gave her the best life. She was not a huge adventure dog and I recognized and respected that. If your dog is not into camping or doing big miles on trail, that is perfectly fine. You can still enjoy the outdoors having microadventures with your pup such as short walks, going for picnics, roadtripping, or a day at the beach. My sweet shitzu and I had lots of microadventures that I will always cherish.

It just so happens my puppy, Taquito, LOVES the backcountry, which means I need to be hypervigilant about training him so he remains safe and we both are happy on our adventures.

Training a dog to adventure into the backcountry takes a lot of trial and error, commitment, time, patience and love.

It does not happen overnight or even in one summer. It took Moo and I years together in the backcountry to be extremely comfortable with each other, and I look at training Taquito as a marathon and not a sprint. I don’t want to rush experiences with him, I don’t want to traumatize him nor do I want him to be injured.

Puppy shots: Practicing patience

When I first adopted Taquito, he only had one round of puppy shots and therefore we had to wait 11 more weeks before he could walk on trail. Since I wanted to get him outdoors, but did not want to risk putting an unvaccinated puppy on the ground and potentially exposing him to parvo, I got him used to sitting in my backpack while I went on short hikes. My hikes were no longer than 2 hours because this little puppy needed frequent potty breaks, so I had to get home in time to allow him to relieve himself, since we were also potty training at this stage.

I carried him in my arms and packed him in a backpack for neighborhood walks, hikes on trail and mini-lake days. He basically went everywhere with me because I wanted to get him adjusted to all the sights and smells. I wanted Moo to understand that he was now a part of our pack and for her to learn to adjust to him in the outdoors.

Lesson #2: Get them used to being put in a backpack at a young age.

Even as adult dogs, you need to be prepared to always carry your injured or sick dog out of the backcountry in emergencies. If you do not have a plan to evacuate your dog out of the backcountry, you should not take your dog into the backcountry.

Leash training

I immediately bought Taquito a collar and leash and took him on walks around the yard, starting from day one. I wanted him to be comfortable and confident on a leash and the earlier you start this, the easier it is. As he grew bigger, I transitioned to a harness, which he wears 24/7. Yes, he hated his collar and harness at first, and it took him a few days to adjust but it slowly became a part of his everyday “uniform”. Once he finished all 4 rounds of puppy shots, I took him for as many leash walks around the neighborhood as possible, before I introduced him to the trail. I wanted him to become comfortable and confident in multiple surroundings. I took him to stores, bars, the post office, the plant nursery… and basically every dog-friendly place in town so he could see, hear and smell all the things!

Introducing your puppy to the trail: Kearsarge Pass

It took me awhile to get into the backcountry this summer because not only did I adopt puppy Taquito, but I fostered a mom dog who gave birth to a litter of puppies in my home and I raised the puppies for 8 weeks until they were adopted into their forever homes through Mono County Animal Services.

Once the puppies and mom dog were adopted and once Taquito was vaccinated and leash trained, we immediately got into the backcountry.

I chose Kearsarge Pass for our first “big trail day” in the backcountry. It is 9 miles roundtrip, with about 3,500 elevation gain and the pass itself is at 11,700 feet. I have done this pass before with Moo and although I would not necessarily recommend this as a first trail hike for a dog, I was willing to take on the challenge because I knew at any time, I could put Taquito in my pack and continue on or turn around. I had zero expectations for this trail.

I actually planned on leashing Taquito the entire hike but after a mile on trail, I decided to unleash him since there were no other people around and mule trains are not common on this trail. To my surprise, he was fantastic off-leash. He stayed on trail, followed Moo and constantly made eye contact with me.

“Stranger danger”

I quickly learned he was terrified of other hikers on trail, so that has been a work in progress. Each hiker who saw us on trail was very patient and kind towards Taquito and waited for Taquito to gain confidence to sprint to me, past the “stranger danger” hikers. The more exposure a puppy has to his fears in a calm and positive setting, the more likely the puppy will overcome these fears. He learned to sprint past each hiker as fast as he could, towards me and that was that. I gave him a “good boy” praise and a treat each time he encountered another “stranger” and ran to me.

Little man made it all the way up to Kearsarge Pass by himself. I was shocked and so proud. The wind started to pick up and Taquito quickly became terrified of being on a windy, somewhat exposed pass and had a complete meltdown on the top of the pass. I quickly picked him up, tried to comfort him but nothing was working. He was screaming his head off and Moo was off chasing marmots. There were plenty of other hikers on the pass trying to enjoy the views and their lunch and I am sure the last thing they wanted to experience was a tiny puppy having a fear provoking panic attack. I mentally blocked every single person out, fought Taquito into my back, zipped up my pack and SILENCE. He went straight to sleep in my pack. I then apologized to everyone for the commotion, snapped a couple of photos and quickly jogged back down the pass with Taquito in my pack, and Moo trotting behind me, as the threatening sky was about to open up on us.

“Okay he is scared of the wind and people”, I thought to myself as I jogged down the pass. We can work on this!

Once we got below the treeline, I slowed down my pace a bit and wondered if it was possible to carry both Moo and Taquito in my day pack. I am a huge advocate for getting my dogs to safety as fast as possible when shit hits the fan in the backcountry and this usually means packing them in and making a run for it. A mile from the car, I decided to add Moo to the backpack. To my surprise both pups not only tolerated being in a pack together but they did not seem to mind one bit. Mission accomplished. I can evacuate them out of the backcountry when needed! Moo and I slowly started to regain our trails legs that day and Taquito had his first taste of mountain passes in the Eastern Sierra. It was a huge success but I know we still have SO much to work on!

Paws, pads, hydration, nutrition and recall

Unfortunately I have seen many dogs in the backcountry needing to be rescued because of dehydration and bloody pads. There is absolutely no reason for your dog to be dehydrated, overheated or have bloody paws on the trail. Your responsibility as a human is to prevent all of these things, even if that means stopping, slowing down, and attending to your dog. I have gotten off trail, taken extra zero days, carried my dog for miles because I saw warning signs in Moo that made me uncomfortable. There is nothing wrong with stopping, slowing down or turning around if that means making it a better experience for your pup. I make it a point to tell every individual who goes into the backcountry with Moo and I, that our plans can change, based solely on how Moo is doing. Sure I know lots of people who will not hike with me because they don’t want to be slowed down by Moo or be bothered with a dog on trail and that is totally respectable.

Pads

I am a true advocate of Musher’s Secret Dog Paw Wax. I apply it to all pads on every dog I take on trail before we start our hike. I will reapply every 5 miles and check pads for redness, cracks, soreness, or anything stuck in between pads every 3 ish miles. Once a dog’s pads are destroyed, your trip is not only over but you have to figure out how to evacuate your dog off the trail. Protecting your dog’s pads is crucial. I have used all types of dog booties in the past but the only ones I found that work are PAWZ and Moo still tries to bite them off. As a result, I do not use them regularly but I still carry them in my first-aid kit just in case. I also carry Musher’s wax in my first-aid kit. Before heading out on trail, make sure your dog’s nails are trimmed short.

Hydration

I carry a doggy water bottle that is easily accessible at all times and always have 1 liter of water in my pack as a backup. I stop every mile to give water to my dogs and on hot days, I am stopping much more frequently. I also pour water on their coats to cool them down and always carry cooling vests in my pack for hot days on trail. Soaking the cooling vest with cold water helps the dog stay cool for longer. I have the Ruffwear version and it is a must-have when hiking in warm weather.

Nutrition

I basically carry an endless supply of dog treats in my pack as dogs burn calories and need fuel just like we do. I also carry a tiny plastic sealed pack of wet dog food in my emergency kit and if I know I am going to be on trail all day, I plan on giving my dogs a full meal half way through. I prefer Cesar wet food in 3.5 oz plastic packs.

On overnight or multi-day trips, in order to save pack weight, I bring dehydrated ground beef and rice which I cook and dehydrate at home and add boiling water on trail. I do count and measure my dogs’ calorie requirements based on weight for multi-day hikes. I included my calorie measurements and recipes here.

Recall

Recall on trail is challenging, especially because there are SO many smells and distractions. However, you need to always be in control of your dog and recall back when necessary. Wild animals, mule trains, aggressive dogs, asshole people...are always out there and we need our dogs to come back to us when we call them. This is still a work in progress for puppy Taquito, but I use treats as much as possible when I want to recall him back to me. I carry a squeaky toy bone on trail as Moo learned recall from squeaky toys. Whenever I want to recall Moo, I squeak the bone and she comes back. Every dog is different, so you have to experiment on what works and what does not work. If you are not confident in recall, then I would recommend keeping your dog on leash. I always leash my dogs in the morning and evening on trail and at camp as I call these times “coyote hour”. Although my dogs are off leash most of the trail, I always carry a leash in my hand and I am always ready to leash a dog when I need to.

Swimming and paddle boarding

Not all dogs love water, mine don’t. However water crossings in the backcountry are a reality and therefore it is important to get your dogs used to water. I believe in the baby steps approach. I start slow and stay slow until both my pup and I are confident in the water.

Also, since Moo loves to paddleboard with me, I wanted to see if Taquito would be up for it. For all my tips and tricks on paddleboarding with a dog, here is a blog post! Treats, a towel and a lifevest are necessities. I use Outward Hound life vests for my dogs because they are affordable and fit well. This is the only piece of dog gear I own that is not made by Ruffwear.

I do have friends with pups who introduced paddle boarding by taking the paddleboard in the living room and getting the dog used to it. I think this is a great idea and as always, there are many ways to train your dog for the outdoors.

Camping

Taquito went on his first overnight backpacking trip after a couple weeks of trail training. Since he is a puppy and is still crate trained, I purchased a lightweight pop-up crate to put in my tent so I can normalize his sleep environment as much as possible. I also brought a tiny dog bed so he can be nice and cozy. Tents can be very scary to dogs, and I really did not know what to expect. I always suggest setting up your tent at home and introducing it to the dog in your living room, however I definitely forgot to do that so I was flying by the seat of my pants.

When we first got to camp, I set up the tent, opened both doors, sat inside and sprinkled treats everywhere. Taquito was hesitant at first but after a few steps in the tent, he relaxed a bit and went straight for the treats. I sat in the tent with him for about 20 minutes and realized he definitely was not scared of the tent. I set up his bed and toy inside his pop up crate and he was happy as a clam. I did forget to bring a chew stick so I spent most of my afternoon trying to prevent him from chewing on pinecones.

Next time I am definitely packing a chew stick since he is still in his puppy chewing stage.

At night, I put him in his crate inside my tent and draped my clothes over the mesh for warmth and to give him my scent. He slept through the night without any problems, SUCCESS!. I do tie Moo and Taquito up at camp during dusk and dawn since these times are peak coyote hours and I do not want them running around off leash. He barely ate dinner that night, however Moo was a very hesitant eater when she first started backpacking with me. I am a big fan of “they will eat when they are hungry” and he chowed down the next morning at breakfast!

Doggy first-aid kit

There are a few key items I carry in my first-aid kit for my dogs. They include the following:

Benadryl
Doggy pain pills (prescribed by my veterinarian)
Tweezers
Scissors
Dog booties
Peanut butter
Alcohol prep pads
Neosporin
Musher’s secret wax

Trail dangers: Thunderstorms, wildlife, injury, mule trains, aggressive untrained dogs

Thunderstorms: Moo has been through plenty of thunderstorms on trail to the point that she trots along beside me as I run to safety. I will pack her in my foldable daypack if the hail and thunder become incessant. Taquito has yet to experience a thunderstorm on trail but I think I will carry him at first so he feels safe, while getting used to the noise and rain.
Wildlife: This is where recall comes in as whenever I see any wildlife on trail I immediately recall the dogs back. If I run into a bobcat, mountain lion or coyote, I immediately leash and pick up my dogs as quickly as possible. Even if that means ditching my pack for the time being. Unfortunately little dogs on trail are prey and it is important to be aware of predators and know how to protect yourself and your pups. Moo and I were once stalked by a mountain lion on a trail coming down from a SoCal peak at sunset and it was the scariest thing I have ever endured.
Injury: Dogs can and will get injured on trail so it is so important to carry essential items in your first-aid kit as well as a sling or foldable backpack to carry them when necessary. I carry a foldable REI backpack that I wear on my front in case I have to carry a dog or two.
Mule trains: They are common in the Eastern Sierra and they are quite impressive. I first start getting my dogs used to mule trains by stopping on trail, pulling off to the side, and picking the dogs up in my arms. Taquito lost his little mind when he saw his first mule train and I sat there giving him positive reinforcement. The second mule train he saw, he was much better and by the third time…. He was on the ground, leashed and sitting off trail. The mule handler commented on how well behaved my dogs were. Moo knows to immediately get off trail and sit down next to me when she sees a mule train and I am confident Taquito will get there soon! I don’t want my dogs to bark, growl or act a fool in front of mules because it can spook the mules and then deadly chaos can break out. It is so important to respect mule trains and their handlers.
Aggressive untrained dogs: Unfortunately there are some pretty lazy humans who refuse to train their dogs and will not accept they have a reactive dog and will continue to off-leash their reactive dog. There is nothing wrong with having a reactive or aggressive dog but if you do not know how to handle it then that is where the problem lies. It sucks. Moo has been attacked multiple times on trail for absolutely no reason. I screamed at and hit so many aggressive dogs with my hiking poles as they were trying to attack Moo. As a human, you are your dog’s advocate. Stick up for them, take care of them and protect them. Just because a dog is off leash in the backcountry DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE FRIENDLY, even if the human says they are. Always proceed with caution.

Mileage

Start slow and go slow is my motto. Puppies’ joints don't fully form until they are at least one-year old so it is super important to limit mileage, even if they want to go further. This is especially true for bigger dogs who are more prone to joint dislocations and stunted growth. I spoke with my veterinarian about my plans with Taquito and he gave me the “go-ahead” for five miles at a time and that is what we do. If I do more miles which is often, I pack him in my backpack and continue on. I would definitely consult with your vet about your puppies’ growth and bone structure before you head out on trail.