As you know, I’m all about hiking with dogs. I believe that almost any dog in good health can do it. However, it IS true that not all dogs can go the same distance or over the same terrain.
If your dog has never been hiking before, you should start them slow on easier trailsand work your way up to more difficult hikes. Even dogs that love hiking and have been hiking for years have their limits though.
I’ve Made Mistakes
Many years ago I made the mistake of pushing Chester too far. I didn’t notice that he was getting tired and overheating. I’ll admit that I knew way less about hiking with dogs back then. Also, I was too busy being proud that my 12 lb dog was hiking almost 15 miles in one day!
I would like to say that was the last time ever that I let Chester or Gretel push themselves too far. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. While the later incidents were never as bad as that first one, there were a few situations where I could have been a better pet parent.
Over the years, I’ve learned my lesson. Now I am hyper-vigilant about making sure I’m meeting their needs. Does that mean that I never make mistakes with Chester and Gretel while hiking? No. The point though is that I learn from them and do better next time.
Sometimes it takes making mistakes to learn where your dog’s limits are. For example, they may seem totally fine on the trail but you notice they walk really stiff the next morning. Or maybe, like happened with Gretel once, she was nuts on the trail but then showed the beginning signs of heat stroke while on the way home.
It’s through reading as much as I can about trail illnesses and injuries, and hiking with my dogs for 10 years, that I’ve learned to know when they’re doing too much.
Signs That Your Dog May Be Done Hiking for the Day:
The most important step in preventing an injury or illness when your dog is hiking is knowing THEIR warning signs. Every dog is different so it’s important to know your own dog. However, there are some common signs. For example:
- A rapid heart rate (if it stays high after resting) and reddened gums can be an indicator of heat stroke.
- A cold dog who is breathing slow and shallow, and seems to be in a stupor-like state, may have hypothermia.
- If your dog starts to limp they may have a crack or tear in their paw pad or may have pulled a muscle or tendon.
- If you notice that your dog is licking a specific area during breaks, they may have an abrasion there. This could be caused by chafing from their collar, harness, jacket or they may have scraped the area on a rock or tree.
For 5 more (important) signs, read the article I wrote – How to Know Your Trail Dog Has Been Pushed too Far – for the Sierra Trading Post Blog.
The Bottom Line
The signs that a dog is being pushed too far are sometimes subtle. Almost never will a dog act like they’ve had enough. Dogs have the tendency to go-go-go until they physically can’t anymore. It’s up to us, their people, to make sure they don’t overdo it.
Knowing how to identify your dog’s warning signs will help keep them safe and happy on the trails for years to come.
Has your dog every been pushed too far? How did you know?
Montecristo Travels (Sonja) says
July 19, 2016 at 5:48 AMMontecristo at 3.5 pounds always stuns me. We recently did 36km in 3 days in the deep woods. We walk in a row with Stefan in the lead, Monte man in the middle and me bringing up the rear. So I watch him… See him. If he slows down I monitor to make sure it’s not fatigue or an injury. Most times he’s just thirsty! Only 2-3 times have we picked him up and put him in a sling bag. These little ones can go!!
Jessica Rhae says
July 19, 2016 at 6:19 AMThat’s great. I actually think being smaller is an advantage because there is less weight to drag up a hill. Having a lower center of gravity helps for sure anyway.
I think Monte would even beat Gretel right now at distance 🙂 We’re doing almost that distance in a couple of weeks. I’m going backpacking with my brother and we’re bringing Gretel. It will be 3 – 5 mile hikes in a row. I am pretty sure she can do it but am still pretty nervous because of her back.
Jerry says
June 12, 2019 at 5:16 AMGreat information Jessica.
QUESTION:
Do you have any suggested guidelines to follow for my 13 Week old boy William.
I want him to eventually be a hiker but want to work him up slowly. Right now at night we do 3 x 600 yard intervals on the grass apron around a 400 meter track with rest + water in between. It takes us about 7 minutes per lap and we rest for maybe 5 minutes in between. We then may go on a tame walk for another 400 meters so I guess that means the total is about 1 1/3 miles
He runs most of the way. He seems to love it and it is exerting for him. Just wondering if this is too much or I can even take him out for longer distances at this point?
Jessica Rhae says
June 13, 2019 at 9:43 AMHi Jerry. Although I commend you for being so careful and responsible, it’s my understanding that much exercise for a pup that young is still a little too much. If I were in your shoes, I might be going with 2-3 of the 600 yard intervals only and skipping the extra walk after. At least for another months or two. Each dog is different though and I trust you would scale back if needed. The problem is that a dog will keep going even though they shouldn’t and could do lasting damage to their joints. This article I wrote might help: https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/how-old-should-my-puppy-be-before-they-hike/
Ashley says
January 30, 2018 at 10:46 PMHi Montecristo Travels,
I was wondering what sling bag you use? We recently just adopted a little 12 pound maltypoo plus a mix of something else and want to get her slowly adjusted to hiking and figured we can combo with a sling bag.
Thanks in advance!
Ashley
Luna says
July 21, 2016 at 2:02 AMMy Bailey has that exact problem – she would run insanely until she really couldn’t do anything anymore. It took me a while to really start noticing the first signs of her tiredness, so that now when I notice them, I can stop her and make her drink + rest. If she had it her way, she wouldn’t stop at all! It’s funny that we think dogs aren’t going to overdo themselves, but that’s exactly what happens! Great post! 🙂
Jessica Rhae says
July 22, 2016 at 9:35 AMSome dogs can self limit correctly but, in my experience, they always push past the point they should have been stopped at. I am super glad to hear you learned to recognize the signs in Bailey.
Rebekah says
July 21, 2016 at 4:57 AMFaolan will go and go, and go and go. I have to drag him inside at times. My girl sets her own pace, enjoys taking breaks, and lets me know when she is done. I suffered through a heat stroke with an ex boyfriend’s dog, many years ago. Lasix, decadron, mannitol, IV fluids, and a $900 vet bill later, I vowed I would never allow it to happen to another dog in my care later.
Jessica Rhae says
July 22, 2016 at 9:36 AMYikes! I bet that was scary. Luckily, my one incident with Gretel was minor. It could have been much worse though 🙁
susan lacey says
July 22, 2016 at 6:49 AMMy dog, Oscar, who is now 15 is smart enough to just sit down when he is tired to let me know he has had enough! We live in extreme heat (New Orleans) so I am walking him at 6 a.m. or earlier to escape the heat. He has lost 8 pounds over the last year and is doing SO SO much better. It is definitely worth it to get out of denial about your dog’s weight if it is excessive. He eats his regular dog food and if he wants snacks he gets carrots, cabbage, pumpkin or other vegetables. Before he lost weight he was paralyzed for 2 weeks and could not go to the bathroom – #1 or #2. Luckily I got the BEST advice ever which was to get the weight off of him. I am grateful to the wise person who woke me up as I was in denial–they are awfully cute when they beg–especially if they go into “tripod” position!
Jessica Rhae says
July 22, 2016 at 9:31 AMThat’s great that Oscar has lost so much weight! We were “lucky” with Gretel’s IVDD back injury because she was already at a healthy weight. The vets told me that it’s the biggest challenge with Dachshunds and IVDD – they are often overweight, which puts strain on their back, but how do you get a dog restricted to 6 weeks crate rest to slim down? Keeping a dog at a healthy weight is one of the most important things owners can do for their dog’s health. On how I know the commitment it takes to ignore those pleading eyes though!
Leigh says
July 27, 2016 at 8:46 AMMy cat won’t hesitate to just walk away when he’s had enough play, but my dog would go on and on with our walks if I let him! Great post- it’ll definitely help me look for those warning signs, especially in the heat.
A says
October 15, 2016 at 8:01 AMWhat do you do when your pup has had enough before the hike is over? Do you carry them in your arms or do you have something they can ride in?
Jessica Rhae says
October 15, 2016 at 9:50 AMIve very rarely had to carry Chester or Gretel. They never seem to tire out before I do. However, I did need to carry Chester out in an emergency once. This was the pack I used (and still cary on every trip as a way to emergency evacuate) http://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/rei-flash-18-pack-review-you-put-your-weiner-in-there/. As for carrying a dog regularly, I’ve tried a lot of packs. I have Dachshunds and havn’t found a great solution that is safe for their backs. This is what we’ve used a few times though: http://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/backpacks-carrying-dachshund-dog/. My friend uses the Outward Hound front pack for her Chihuahua. I hope that helps.
Luisa says
May 5, 2017 at 1:01 PMI just took my rottie, Zoe in a 7 mile hike… the next day she was walking very stiff and today (2nd day) she just stands up to eat and then she goes back to laying down. I think I’m gonna take her to the vet tomorrow…. all I see is that in one of her paws she has a tear but overall I think I exhausted her. ? Thank you for this article!
Jessica Rhae says
May 6, 2017 at 11:38 AMHi Luisa. Yes, it does sound like that was too much for her. The first couple times I accidentally pushed Chester too far, I felt like I “broke him”. He barely moved for two days. All he id was sleep and eat. He was totally fine after a big rest but it helped me to learn his limits so I didn’t push him as hard next time. It never hurts to get a vets opinion though if you are not sure that’s the only reason Zoe is acting lethargic.
Susan - The4legged says
June 20, 2017 at 6:17 AMI also have two Dachshunds like you! They loves run and catch reptiles. I have a plan to hiking with them next year 🙂 Thank for sharing your experiences. I tweeted on my Twitter for my friends 🙂
Jessica Rhae says
June 23, 2017 at 5:00 PMThanks for sharing. Hope they love hiking 🙂
anna schender says
January 12, 2019 at 10:12 PMIs it normal for a dog to take 2 weeks after a hike and still not be able to get up
Jessica Rhae says
January 14, 2019 at 6:23 AMHi Anna. In my experience, no that is not normal. It can indicate an injury like an ACL tear or something. I would definitely take my dog to the vet if they were still “recovering” two weeks later. Gretel has been on a 15-mile hike before, and my previous Dachshund used to run 5 miles with me, and the most time they needed to recover was 2 days… and they just slept a lot. They had to problem getting up and moving around besides walking slightly stiff. I hope it’s nothing bad.