The Trail Hound's Handbook: Your Family Guide to Hiking with Dogs

by Ellen Eastwood

Overview

Truly Great Adventures Begin with a Best Friend at Your Side

It’s a great big wonderful world out there—so big that most young hikers, experienced or not, would do well to enlist the help of a capable guide. Enter the family dog. Husky or half-pint, lapdog or Labrador, your dog was born a highly skilled wilderness guide. Employing his or her acute senses of smell, hearing, and vision, your dog can point you to countless signs of life on the trail, turning the average walk in the woods into an exciting wilderness adventure. The Trail Hound’s Handbook by Ellen Eastwood is your best source for planning dog-powered hikes, basic hiking etiquette and safe practices, clues to spotting wildlife along the trail, and assorted tips to make hiking with dogs simple and fun. Learn to recognize your dog’s unique wilderness skills, and find a new way to bond with your family’s best friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780899977041
Publisher:	Wilderness Press
Publication date:	05/08/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

"Most of the self-confidence I had as a young teen," says author Ellen Eastwood, "I picked up along a hiking trail. The rest probably came from the slobbering affections of the family dog."

It's no surprise then, that a lifetime of dog-ownership and miles of wilderness trails led Ellen to create The Trail Hound's Handbook. Having earned a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ellen has more than 15 years of advertising and newsletter copywriting and design experience. Years in the classroom with pre-school and school-age children, and her current position as mother of four (2 children, 2 dogs) further prepared her for writing this book.

Ellen and her pack currently reside in Westlake Village, California, surrounded by the rugged Santa Monica Mountains. When she's not outside with her dogs, Ellen is volunteering at her kids' schools, working on her new website, KidsHikeDogsHike.com, or playing basketball in a local women's league.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

Unleash the Inner Trail Hound

The Call of the Wild

A lot has changed in the 15,000-plus years since that first “domestic” canine sidled up to his human and with patient, soulful eyes begged for a treat. Or has it? Today, more than 400 different dog breeds exist worldwide (not all breeds are officially recognized). Yet down to the last Peekapoo and Chihuahua, pureblood and mixed breed alike, every dog can trace its lineage back to the earliest wolves. It’s no mystery, then, why every breed, every size, everywhere, Every Dog Begs to Go Outside!

Acting on Instinct No amount of breeding or training can completely erase the numerous instinctive behaviors and characteristics written into your dog’s DNA. In one way or another, these actions contributed to the survival of your dog’s ancestors in the wild. How many of these habits do you see your best friend repeating every day? What purpose do you think they serve wild mammals?

Prepare to Walk on the Wild Side

Social, territorial, predatory—any of your dog’s naturally inherited Canidae family traits can be intensified by the stimulation of an outdoor environment. That’s why, in your early wilderness adventures together, you should never assume that you know exactly how your dog will behave. Prepare yourself by mastering basic dog obedience skills. Practice, praise, and repeat. With preparation, consideration, and a few choice tricks, this guidebook can give your pack the confidence to set out on new adventures and enjoy countless hours of discovery on the trail.

Table of Contents

1 Unleash the Inner Trail Hound 1

Why dogs like to hike with their kids

2 You Scratch His Back 4

Why Kids will like hiking with their dogs

3 Some Dogs Are Mountain Goats 6

Evaluating your dog's fitness for the trail

4 Rally the Pack 14

Preparing for the hike / hike / hiking gear / first aid for Fido

5 Go, Dog, Go! 21

Traveling with our dog / canine car safety

6 Put Your Pest Paw Forward 25

Hiking basics and etiquette / safe, responsible hiking with dogs

7 Traits of a Trail Hound: A Nose for Adventure 21

8 Traits of a Trail Hound: Exceptional Ears 35

9 Traits of a Trail Hound: A Keen Eve 38

10 Track like the Experts 41

Following your dog's lead / recognizing signs of wildlife

11 Whoa, Ick, and Oops! 43

Safe wildlife encounters / avoiding hazards on the trail

12 Resting Your Dogs 55

The post-hike cooldown

13 Kibbles and Bits 57

Photography on the trail / finding your trail

14 A Trail Hound's Journal 59

A Trail Hound's Glossary 64

Index 66

About the Author 74

Editorial Reviews

"Pack this book with you before you hit the trails with Rover." —The Dog Dish, May 2012

"Ellen Eastwood adresses how to make hiking with your dog a safe and fun activity in The Trail Hound's Handbook." — The Observer-Dispatch, April 2012

"A great, easy-read packed with information for anyone who has a dog and loves hiking!" — Seattle Backpackers Magazine, April 2012

"Get active, enjoy the great outdoors with your human and canine buddies. To enhance your enjoyment of a dog-powered adventure, author Ellen Eastwood offers planning tips, fun facts, wildlife info and ways to make the hiking experience more fun, safe and interesting for all." — Albuquerque Journal, April 2012

From the Publisher