Are you thinking about long distance hiking with your pooch? You have come to the right place if you’re looking for advice! I am a Vet Tech and a multi-trail thru hiker with lots of experience hiking long distance with a dog.
However, this may not be the advice you want to hear: I really don’t recommend long distance hiking with a dog. If you can, have someone reliable watch him. Seriously.
Okay, don’t get me wrong, I love my dog more than almost everything in the world. Sage, trailname “Justa”, has hiked the Colorado Trail, the Tahoe Rim Trail, the Bigfoot Trail (twice), about 400 miles of the Continental Divide Trail, about 800 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, and about 1000 miles on lesser known long trails. Nothing makes him happier than getting out on the trail and it can be very rewarding to have him with me. All I am saying is that hiking long distance (300+ miles) with a dog has special challenges that you should know about before you make this decision.
Hike Your Dog’s Hike
Having my dog with me affects where I can hike, what time of day I can hike (and therefore my mileage), how much crap I have to carry, where I camp, how and where I can resupply, where I can find lodging in town, how much money I spend, how I will get to/from the trail, and sometimes whether I can finish my hike at all. Everyone I have talked to who has done it, agrees that is comes with sacrifice.
I met a hiker at PCT Days last year, trailname “Luna”. She and her husband hiked the PCT that year, 1600 miles of which they had their dog “Sup Dog” with them. We got on the subject of hiking with a dog and she put it into perspective. “It’s no longer Hike Your Own Hike. If you have your dog with you, you will be hiking “your dog’s own hike”.
Where You Can Hike
As for where to hike, your options will be more limited. Want to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail, or the Grand Enchantment Trail? What will you do with your dog going through all of the National Parks? Dogs aren’t allowed in the backcountry there. Or maybe you are thinking of the Arizona Trail or the Oregon Desert Trail? How will your dog do in 110 degree weather with no water for long stretches? You know when you are too hot. Will your dog tell you if he is too hot before it is too late? Are you prepared to hike at night? Can you carry your dog if he gets heat stroke?
Dangers
Dangers to your dog are numerous on a long hike. They include fatigue, hypothermia, and heat stroke. He could easily get stung by a bee, quilled by a porcupine, bit by a rattlesnake, attacked by a predator, rip a pad, break a bone, eat something toxic, eat something infected, fall, drown, or get lost. He could acquire Lymes disease, leptospirosis, giardia, salmon poisoning, heartworm, hantavirus, or an allergic reation to poison oak (what even is half of that crap?). Yeah, all of these things could happen to you, too. But, he may not be thinking clearly about these dangers when he smells that rotten fish carcass or chases that coyote up the trail. What will you do then? Do your WFR skills translate well to dog biology (remember, he probably won’t tell you exactly what is wrong with him)?
Maybe I am overly cautious about the dangers. But, as a Veterinary Technician (= animal nurse), I have seen almost all of these things happen. Also, as a border collie owner, several of these things have happened to us (ugh)! We can put ourselves into a fair amount of discomfort while hiking, but I don’t think it is right to do this to our dog. We sign up for the responsibility to these creatures when we adopt them–to keep them healthy and happy.
Planning
It is going to change how you plan for your hike too. When you get to a road to resupply, how will you hitchhike with a wet and muddy dog? In town, you want to take that handy local shuttle? Nope. Want to find a hotel room for under $120 that allows pets? Maybe you will have to go to a different town. Are you going to even find something for your dog to eat in that convenience store? Or, are you willing to help carry 20 extra pounds of dog food? You will likely have to re-think your whole resupply strategy.
Being a Dog
Finally, it is tiring enough hiking, but are you prepared for the amount of supervision your dog will require? There he is, chasing the last black footed ferret in the state. There he goes digging up someone’s cat hole. Gross! There he goes for a swim in the cow pond right before it’s time to crawl into the tent for the night. Wait, is he trying to take a crap in the middle of camp?
Still ready to take on the challenge (and reward) of bringing your dog with you? I want to help you learn from my experiences and do it right. Please see “Long Distance Hiking With a Dog: Selecting a Trail“, Long Distance Hiking With a Dog: Pre-Trail Health” and “Sage’s Favorite Things Gear List“.
Happy tails!
Sage and Tree have been featured in Dogster Magazine and are brand ambassadors for TurboPUP and Groundbird Gear hiking-related dog products.
The Hiking Tree Blog 
As much as I want to do a long hike with my dog, you are right, it’s difficult and can be very dangerous for a pup. My boyfriend and I have been planning doing the John Muir Trail minus the national park areas with our dog, but in order to get to the trail without going through national park you have to either leave your car in a place that doesn’t see too many people (and then get back to it) or try and get a ride to a place where you can cut across. Maybe it’s not worth it. I was a vet tech as well and now work in biotech and the scientist in me is saying “no!” But she is so good on the trail and she is a pit mix and I love promoting the breed. Turns out I think they are pretty good mountain dogs. Maybe we will just stick to the shorter trails. I would hate for anything to happen to her.
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Good call. It’s heartbreaking, but better in the long run. My pup got caught jumping across a cattle guard and couldn’t run without pain for a year. You just can’t know. And you have to put them first.
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I tried it and sadly i have to confirm that all you stated in this article is true. The best thing to have my dog on a long hike is that i feel very safe with him near me. He’s a big male labrador retriever and he has a natural instinct when it comes to scare some weirdos we usually meet on the trails near towns or village. I sleepy like a baby having him near me, no matter where i camp. It’s also too beautiful to watch him jump and roam free in the woods. He becomes the link between me and nature. Exploring the wild with an animal friend is an awesome feeling.
Unfortunately there are too many issues that i won’t mention because you listed all of them already so when it comes to hike for more than two days i have to leave him to the dog’s pension. It’s a nice and comfortable one but i know that he would rather be with me in the wild watching each other’s back.
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I wish you were the exception; I know I miss my dog like crazy on long hikes. There are a few who can pull it off, and most people aren’t going to listen to us, they will try it on their own. But, they’re too important.
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My dog and I just do long day hikes midweek, so that he can be offleash. We will go out for up to a 15 mile hike in a day and then go home to relax on the couch! We wouldn’t want it any other way 🙂
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I hike with my 20lb jack Russell, he’s a hiking machine. No problems doing 20+ mpd normally. Last year he hurt his leg while doing the crappy road walk on the collegiate east of the CT…I had to hitch to poncha springs to board him so I could finish my collegiate loop hike…hoping to fast pack the CT this sumner in 22-23 days…longest trail he’s done is the foothills trail in SC ..3 days 77miles…I love hiking with my pup.
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Fun! The CT is awesome!
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6 weeks of Vet Tech training at the local community college does not give you any additional knowledge that could not be learned from some hardcore Googling. A well behaved dog from the working or sporting group will do quite nicely on a long hike. It really depends on the dog OWNER. If you can’t control your pet, or if you are a helicopter dog owner(as this person almost certainly is)… yeah… leave them at home.
If you CAN control your dog and actual have some knowledge about hiking then absolutely take your beloved pet with you… it’s a great bonding experience. After the AT my dog and I are almost telepathically linked and he definitely handled the journey a lot better than I did.
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I am not sure if you read it, but that’s exactly the conclusion this acrticle came to! My dog and I have thru hiked several long trails together and it is awesome. But, we have also endured a lot of hardships on the way. I am sure you agree it is certainly not something people should go into lightly.
So, no need to feel defensive or belittle my thousands of miles of experience on the subject–or my career, for that matter. We’re on the same team. Seriously, just read the article.
I hope you’ll join my FB page Thru Hiker Dogs.
Tree
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I hike with my 20lb jack Russell often. He hurt his leg last year on the collegiate loop in Co after that miserable 5 mile road walk, I had to carry him out and board him while I finished. Part of the risk when you hike with anyone or anything…hoping to hike the CT this summer but will be tough to get more than about 23 days so I’m debating bring the pup as it would be about 21 mpd. He’s done plenty of 23 mile days so I’m debating it…turbo pup bars work good as meal replacement as he needs about 2 per day plus a few treats…aka my some of my cheese and jerky….nothing better than trekking with your best friend! We just did 55 miles in lil over 2 days on the southern AT. His longest hike currently is the Foothills trail lil over 3 days and 77 miles.
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Rich, whatever you decide it seems like you have the right attitude. Having the dog is awesome, but it can risk the whole mission! Good luck and have fun.
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It’s a good thing to consider, too: can I CARRY HIM OUT? When I was younger, I used to hike A LOT with my dog, a mix of german shepperd and Golden Retreiver. Until one day he hurt his paw and couldn’t walk out the trail by himself. How do you carry a 85 pounds dog when you’re 5 foot 3, 115 pounds yourself?!? When I chose the dog I hike with now, this was the first thing a took into consideration: would I be able to carry him out? I believe it’s as important as anything mentionned here, especially on long hkes. Medium sized dogs are often under-estimated on the trails… (plus, you don’t have to bring as much food!)
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Totally agree! It was a decision I made *before* getting the dog. Even with my 40# dog, once I had to rig a harness under his chest to help him limp to the nearest road crossing.
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Hello! I usually go hiking with my boyfriend. We have currently been doing somewhat long hikes. 10-15 miles. And plan to explore more peaks throughout Southern California. We have recently done Mt Baldy. And we saw a lot of people bring their dogs. I want to bring my athletic, medium energy Heeler/Coonhound mix. But I want to have more knowledge on how to take care of him on a longer hike before I take him. We have been doing smaller hikes with him. Around 6-7 mile hikes. So hiking is not really new to him. However, I want to find out more information on altitude and nutrition before I bring him on a more strenuous hike. He has been going through obedience training so that subject isnt the most important on my list. Would anybody have any tips/advice in those areas? Thanks!
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Hi Abby! I have other posts on nutrition and health on here. I’m currently on a 600 mile hike with my doggie, so it’s hard to send the links, but if you drill down on my “hiking with dogs” section of the blog, you’ll find a lot more there. Good luck!
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What about 200 miles or so? My dog would be on leash, so half these dangers go away. How is a “shorter” hike any less dangerous? Great article!
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Thanks Mariem! Good plan on the leash. In theory, a shorter walk is the same. If all the pooches physical and mental needs are being met, there isn’t a difference. In reality, though, there usually is. Two weeks out vs. two months out (or more) can end up wearing on the dog—joints, nutrition, pads, sun exposure, lack of sleep (dogs often sleep the whole day away), potential to acquire illness (Giardia, Valley Fever, Lyme). That said, you will also become so much closer with your dog because of it.
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Thank you very much for sharing your insights and knowledge,and thanks for being a voice of caution and warning. I plan to walk the length of Norway with my dog and your articles are for sure something every long distance dog-hiker should read.
Hiking my dogs hike is exactly what I have been planning all along, since we started hiking and i found out that my hike really didn’t cut it for her. Just walking along trails and roads is only fun and exciting for that long, and doing it for days at end just ends up being animal cruelty to me. But that’s my fortune and luck, I got all the time in the world and can use a year if I want to. Also, Norway isn’t that big and if anything serious should occur we are at the most an hour or two away for a rescue helicopter, even if its days to walk to the civilization. We have this awesome law literally called “everyman’s right” here which grants all citizens the right to roam freely everywhere, even if its private property. That includes the right to pitch a tent and sleep over. And I can bring my dog everywhere I only have to wear a leash from March through September. I wear it all year though.
I am of course also a big fan of my countryman Lars Monsen, whom have walked the length of Norway, across Alaska, across Canada and pretty much does it for a living, hiking around completely alone with one of his dogs. You should check him out, he is a true Norwegian explorer like Nansen and Amundsen and probably one of the very best and most experienced wilderness people in the world. And he always bring one of his dogs with him if he can. He’s also an avid dog sled competitor in the winter doing the insane 600 mile Finnmarksløpet which is kind to Iditarod.
Again, thank you very much for sharing your experience, insights and knowledge. I will read all I can find from you.
Strangely enough, I will be well within the first 100 persons to walk the length of Norway, which is about 1000-1200 miles as the crow flies. About 1.5-2 times the distance to walk, depending on route.
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I am so glad you find it helpful! Have an incredible hike. Do you have a blog yourself? I will check out Lars Monsen, too. Thanks!
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Hi! I love the parts of your blog that I have already read and look forward to reading lots of other posts! I totally understand what you’re saying about long distance hiking with your dog being really, really difficult. That being said, do you have any tips for shorter outings? Like long weekends or weeklong trips? We live in the Boston area and I was hoping to do a few long weekends on the AT or other trails in the area. I’ve never been camping with the pup, so what tips do you have? Especially about choosing gear (it would likely be just me and my pup or one other person joining us). The AMC huts don’t allow dogs so we would have to be camping at night and I don’t really know where to start! I was thinking of doing some dry runs just in the backyard in rural NH to see how we both cope. Hopefully our day hikes will soon turn into longer adventures! Thanks!
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That’s a great idea to try it out in the yard. That will help you know how your dog will do in a tent and how he/she does if it gets cold. What size/breed is your dog?
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Interesting article! I really liked your follow up about dog trail nutrition. My dog and I hike all season long but have only ever done and overnight in the past, and I am researching to prepare for a 6 day loop trip. Long hikes and camps are my dog’s highlight in life ans all trails are chosen by him in a way but he chooses well! Neither of us like heat, he makes it so that every hike musstt have frequent water sources and our limitations generally equal less people on the trails. He is a great cougar and bear warning system ( he just sits on my feet or turns us around). But he definitely does not let me know when he is hurt so I have to check his feet in particular often. At the level we are at I think hiking the dog’s hike is really the key. I dont know about doing a long through hike with need of resupply, and we would definitely not go through any areas with more than a few miles sans fresh water. I suppose if we did do a longer hike I would enlist friends and family to help us with food suppies and off trail stops- maybe to ferry us passed national parks… you bring up great points!
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Thank you, Molly. It sounds like you have it right. You aren’t going to put your dog (or you) in danger, but choosing hikes that have lots of water and cool. I bring up worst-case scenarios to get people thinking. I have seen and heard of way too many people who have ruined their hiked or hurt their dog because they weren’t prepared. It’s definitely our burden and responsibility as a dog owner!
Have a great hike.
~Tree
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