Dog hiking tips? Harness, leash, pack?

[CamoEvo]

My pitbull is better on the trail than in town, his previous owners didn't socialize him. A retractable leash made a huge difference, but he still pulls like mad in different situations. A manager at a pet store highly recommended the Gentle Leader headcollar, which makes it impossible for a dog to pull, but I rarely use it. On trail, I've used a harness that I discovered to be rubbing his armpits after we were 12 miles into a hike, fortunately I also brought a collar.
I think it's a situation where every dog is different, and what works for one dog might not work for your dog. I also think that leaving a leash on your dog while it runs around the woods is asking for trouble. That leash could get caught up and not let your dog run back to you while you are over the next ridge calling for the dog. Dogs don't act as they normally do when they are lost and panic, and it might not bark for help. People are the same way.
So to answer what works for me and my dog, on trail I use a collar and retractable leash, and let him run free until I hear/see deer or people.

[TheQ]

+1 on the hollow core webbing elastic leash.
I opened mine up & redid it with a heavier shock cord & tossed the original sad elastic.
My boy listens, but at a lean 110, any distraction would be a solid jerk.
The extra give in the bungee leash was nice when he lead the way down the trail. I just clipped it to the chest strap & I had my own sled dog.

[IRONFISH45]

I have always had a dog with me when I am in the bush. I do not allow my dog to go ahead of me for several reasons.
I worry about the dog getting hurt. Many times dogs are injured in their exuberance, jumping over a log and getting impaled on a branch, getting tangled up in the brush, going over a cliff or falling in a hole.
There is also the danger from other dogs or animals on the trail, we have met other dogs that were not particularly friendly. We have met skunks and bears.
Dogs will roll in putrid things they find.
Other people using the trail might not appreciate being greeted by my K9. I love my dog, however someone else might not love dogs.
I want to be sure my dog does not drink any bad water, or eat something inappropriate.

My dog learns basic obedience at a young age. There is a designation from the American Kennel Club, it is called K9 Good Citizen. The test is free, the certificate is $10.00. It signifies your dog know has basic manners in public.

I love Gentle Leaders, however, not on the trail, they are for training. On the trail there is always the chance of the dog getting the leader caught on something.

The X harnesses are for pulling things such as a cart, they spread the load across the dogs back. They need to be fitted properly. My current dog has one, she wears when she is pulling a cart, with our supplies in it.

I have a nylon harness that she wears for general use, I have trained her to stay by my side. She is also trained not to chase game. Not chasing game is very important and is difficult to enforce with certain breeds. Sometimes nature takes over.

Basic obedience, and maybe an advanced obedience class, will help you and your K9 become a team and be responsible campers.

Also I always worry about some moron thinking my dog is a bear or attacking and injure her. I also worry about another dog attacking her.

My dog has fun but sticks close by choice, I am the leader, I am the boss, I am slower and not as agile, I also control the food that makes me all powerful.

In my opinion, dogs are like a perpetual two year old, they need their manners and to be kept under control at all times, even when having fun.

[YeahIdIDThat]

I always want to take my dog but I worry that he will get bit by a snake or he will get get killed by ticks, or worst a bear.. Not to mention im sure he wouldnt let me sleep a wink at night! But still i wish

[sliver]

I break dog training into 3 levels:

L1: Heel, sit, leave it. Leave it is for telling them what they are interested in, they need to move on. This really helps to keep them from rolling in nasty wet things.

L2: Come, remote (greater than 50 ft out as far as they can hear) sit - i.e. no matter how far away they are, they sit when you give the command. Remote come - wherever they are they stop what they are doing and come.

L3: Dog will reliably (95% of the time or 1 in 20) obey your commands with distractions like other dogs, rabbits, cats, people, etc.

I would not let any dog I owned run around off-leash when I was hiking unless they were at L3. It's just not safe otherwise.

Any dog can be trained to L3. I have trained a rotty (140lb), chow/lab (extraordinarily smart and stubborn), lab, kelpie, heeler, beagle, poodle, lab/german shepherd, and an akita/german shepherd (dumb as a brick) to L3. It takes 2 walks a day, 5 minutes of training each walk, every day. It doesn't matter if they are smart, stubborn, dumb, whatever. What matters is YOUR level of commitment to training your dog. The truth is the dog is not the problem.

One tactic I use when I see other dogs is to call my dogs and make them sit. Then, I position myself btwn them and the other dog(s). That gives the signal that I intend to manage the interaction. If the other dog tries to get around me, I nudge them with my knee and say, "No." Never believe anyone who tells you their dog is friendly. Most of the people I meet on the trail are oblivious to their dog's state of mind.

If the dog is staring at your dogs and their tail is up, they mean to dominate and the risk of aggression is high. If their hackles are up as well, you probably need to use your hiking pole to keep them at a distance. Rather than argue with people who don't understand these signals, I just tell them MY dogs are unfriendly. It's easier and avoids confrontations with people who take it personally if you don't want their dog(s) running roughshod over yours.

Trail Etiquette: Do not assume that everyone wants to interact with your dog. Assume the opposite and ask first before you allow your dog to approach their dog. It's a lot safer for all parties involved.

I hope this information gives you a sense of what's possible, some concrete guidelines regarding when it's safe to let your dog be off-leash, and some practical techniques for staying safe when hiking with your dog.

[Fronkey]

Looking at Mountain Ridge's web site, the seem to indicate the tracking harness would be better than the x-type if it's attached to your waist. Have you notices any problems? That x-type harness looks more comfortable for the dog though. I don't really know anything about it.

Do you have any issues with the line getting tangled? Does she lead with the line taught? What suggestions do you have for training the dog to hike with you?

She is really comfy with the X-harness. The line is never tight when she hikes as she stays just far enough away to where the line will not drag on the ground. Also, I have trained her to slow down if needed by saying "woah." However, I never need to say it anymore.

The best way to train your dog for long hikes, is by taking him on long hikes. If your dog starts to pull the leash, then just stop walking. You pup will learn that if he keeps pulling, then he will have to stop.

Fronkey

[sliver]

How to teach your dog to come

Rules for you:
o only give the command once
o don't give the command unless you're going to enforce it
o always train after your dog has had some exercise

Phase 1
Get a large retractable leash with a 16ft line.
Fill your pocket with treats.
Walk them for 20 minutes before you start training so they have burned off some energy.
Say, "Fido, come." in a commanding tone and show them the treat.
If they ignore you, reel them in and make them sit for 30 seconds.
Then, release them with a command like, "Ok", "Release" or whatever.
Let them walk for a minute or two and try again. If they come, give them a treat, tell them they are good, and pet them.

Phase 2
Once they have the idea, start weaning them off the treats - every other time, then every third time, then randomly. But always tell them, "Good dog."

NOTE: You have a establish a language with your dog. For this training, "Come", "Release", and "Good dog" are used.

Phase 3
Next, put them in a fenced yard (after you have walked them) off-leash and pretty much go through the same process off-leash. If they don't come, you need to work them some more on the previous step.

Once they are consistently obeying this command in your fenced yard off-leash, try it somewhere else like a tennis court, or any fenced area. Dog parks work great as long as there aren't too many distractions.

Phase 4
Once your dog is obeying 95% of the time at Phase 3, find somewhere like a park or trail away from any traffic and work on training them there. If they don't obey, put them on the leash for 2 minutes. If they don't obey you 3 times, put them on the leash for the rest of the walk.

Phase 5 - socialization
The times you want your dog to obey the "Come" command is almost always when there are distractions like dogs, people, cats, etc. But, don't throw too much at them at once. Start with people, then dogs, then other distractions.

Do not go to the next phase until you have mastered the phase you're on. "Mastered" means your dog obeys 95% of the time (19 out of 20).

A lot of people ask me how I trained my dogs so I hope sharing this will help those of you who aren't expert at training dogs.

HTH

[dougalcorn]

Great comments, all. I took her out again today for a great hike in the snow. We only did 3 miles, but I was tired and I thought she might be cold. I saw on the Wikipedia page for skijoring that some people use a climbing harness. I have a climbing harness. So I tried it today. I used some bungee straps connected to her 6' static lead connected to a standard H harness. It was a much easier hike for me to be hands free.

She was out in front the whole hike. With a shorter lead I was able to stop her easily and lift her over logs (instead of under) and carry her over the streams we crossed. She did a good job of matching my pace. I never really felt like she was pulling on me. The line wasn't "tight", but it also wasn't touching the ground much. It almost never got caught in her legs.

I really like the idea of doing training on and off while hiking. I'm definitely going to incorporate that into our hikes. I've been pretty lax lately, but my intent is to get her down in the woods a few times a week.

At what point do you think I need to worry about booties? We don't get a lot of snow here and our trails aren't that rocky.

[sunshower]

I saw someone highlighting their harness and some shock-cord lead they clipped to their belt. I should remember who it was, but I'm sorry I don't.

I've been doing some hiking with my dog but struggling with controlling her. She mostly wants to stay right in front of me on trail, but sometimes goes too fast. If I let her drag a leash, she does well and will come when called until she's tired. Then she just wants to get back home. After losing her a couple times, I've quit letting her drag a leash.

I've tried a 6' and a 20' leash. I much prefer the longer leash, but it tends to get tangled more. I tried clipping to her buckle collar, a pinch collar, and a slip collar. Today I used a harness we have for buckling her in the car with a seat belt. I think I like that option best.

Those who regularly hike with dogs, what do you do?

Edit: oops, looks like I posted to the wrong sub-forum. Moderators, can you move this to the appropriate place? I don't see how to move it or delete it

I lead Fronkey to the set up he has. We have 2 Huskies and use a skijor belt and tug line from Nooksack Racing in Maine and harnesses from New England Outfitters in MA. PM me if you have questions.

[sunshower]