Hiking With Dogs

A little over a year ago I adopted two dogs,  Abby and Zeus. They had been abandoned by their owners.

Abby & Zeus

Both are city dogs born and raised. Zeus is four years old and Abby is three. When I got them I couldn’t help but wonder if it was possible to take the city out of the dog. I’m pretty sure I was the first person to take them hiking in the woods.

Abby

The first time I did take them… they were like two kids in a candy store. Zeus, high strung anyway, felt like he had to mark his territory the entire trip. Both of them smelling everything they passed and alert to every sound.

I had to carry water for myself and the dogs. You can lead a dog to water but you can’t make it drink. It actually took about three short hiking trips with them before they would drink from a creek.

I found out pretty quick, at least with these two, that when in nature and regardless of where they were raised instincts take over. As I said Zeus is high strung, big attitude, and for a while at least was a ‘catch the door open and bolt’ kinda dog. It was for that reason I kept them on a leash longer than I would have normally.

Abby is the exact opposite of Zeus. She’s timid with not a mean bone in her body. I wasn’t afraid of letting her off the leash but I imagined nothing but a black streak if I let Zeus go.

After about the fifth trip the dogs had settled down and gotten used to the routine. I couldn’t keep them on the leash any longer. When in the woods, one needs to be free. These dogs had never experienced that kind of freedom. Abby was the first to be let go. I knew she wouldn’t be a problem. Confirming what I already thought, Abby would trot ahead fifteen to twenty feet and turn to make sure I was still following or she would stay right by my side. To me, that is a sign of a great canine hiking partner.

Zeus, unfortunately, was still on the leash. I was literally afraid to let him go. The only scenario I could picture was Zeus hitting the ground running with Abby hot on his heals and me never seeing either one again.

The next trip though I just had to do it. I had bonded with both dogs and letting Zeus off the leash was a definite test of that bond. I was going to find out who he considered to be  ‘leader of the pack.’ He actually shocked me. My fears were for nothing, there was never an issue with him taking off. He was content to stay with us. Zeus may be a high strung, equal opportunity biter, high on cocaine-like kind of dog at home but in the woods he is another great hiking partner.

Abby & Zeus - Beaver Creek

Getting the dogs used to not being on a leash and obeying me while off the leash was important because I was planning one of those week long camping excursions and I didn’t want to go without Abby & Zeus.

Sidenote: I was asked by another dog owner how I was able to let Abby and Zeus off the leash and not have them run off? I was at a loss as to how to answer that question. The only thing I could come up with – you have to be leader of the pack and they have to want to hang out with you. I don’t know, sounded good at the time.