Your Dog Should Have This Training Before Joining You On The Trail

If you are someone who happens to love the outdoors and also owns a dog, then it is perfectly natural that you would want to bring your furry best friend hiking with you. However, when it comes to hiking with a canine, there are plenty of trail etiquette mistakes you can make without realizing it. Besides picking up after your pooch, keeping them leashed, and checking to make sure that dogs are allowed on a specific trail (many national parks, like Zion, don't allow dogs), there is also some training your dog will need to have mastered before hiking. This training is not only important for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of the people around you, but also for your canine companion and their safety.

First of all, before hitting the trails, it is important that your dog is able to walk on a leash without pulling. This may take some time to master, especially for young dogs and breeds that are prone to pulling (like labs, retrievers, and German shepherds); however, it is an important skill and makes for a safer and more enjoyable experience. It's pretty exhausting to walk long distances with a dog that is constantly pulling, and it can also be unsafe if your furry friend pulls you when you are walking on uneven ground, ledges, or stairs. 

To keep your dog safe and respect others who are using the trail, it also is important that your dog understands and is able to follow some basic commands when hiking. The most essential commands include "come," "stay," and "sit." These three will help make sure your dog doesn't run off if you accidentally drop the leash and also behaves calmly when encountering other dogs and people. On top of this, for your dog's safety, it is also important that they know "leave it" and "drop it." Trails are full of exciting new things, some of which (like mushrooms, plants, and wild animals) could be dangerous. So, it's a good idea if your dog knows what to leave alone and not put in their mouth.

However, as one Redditor on the dog training forum of the website found out, no matter how well your dog typically listens to you, all that may go out the window when you hit the trail "due to all the sights [and] smells in the mountains." Because of this, it's a good idea to have your dog's first few hikes be on trails that are not very busy and unlikely to contain any dangerous wildlife. This will help your pooch get over the excitement (and possible insubordination) of their first few hikes in a safer environment before moving on to more challenging adventures.