Walking with a puppy.

[Brian94]

Hello all,

I enjoy walking, hiking and bagging munros, and I notice a lot of people doing it with their dogs. I have a cockapoo puppy (10 months old), and when the lockdown lifts and into the summer she will be just over a year old.

I want to take her with me for some great exercise and outdoor bonding time, but not sure how to start. I fear that she gets tired, soaked and cold or even injured when we are up and you could be 2-3 hours away from the bottom and have to carry her down.

Does anyone have any advice on how to ensure your dog is ready for long, 6-7 hour walks in the munros, and what equipment I should take in addition to my normal stuff for the dog, i.e. snacks, if she should wear a jacket/jumper and if so any recommended brands that are known to be durable and comfortable?

Thanks in advance.

Bri

[CraigReid]

Hey, for extra equipment and food there isn't really much else to take. Ensure you have plenty of food (usually take double her dinner in dry food) and a couple of treats (any will do, markies it generally is for us) and a water bottle that can act as a bowl. Generally my dog will drink from streams so I only take about 500ml, more if its a warm summer day. I will take a dog jacket in the winter when it is -degrees and windy but I don't see a need any other time of the year, I have a labrador so she is fine with the weather. Ensure you have a towel/ some protection for your car as there is many times your dog will come back a completely different colour with no way to wash until home.

I'd also keep your dog on the lead especially with the sheep, cows and rabbits you will pass. Just seen lambing season has started so definitely if you go through a farmers field.

I recommend starting with easier or shorter hills at first to at build up protection on your dogs paws and toughen them up, last thing you want is a hobbling dog when you have just got to the top of the hill. If you want you can get dog shoes but I don't think they are necessary for most of the munros.

Start with mabye 2-4 hour hills and see how your dog gets on, but a 10 month old puppy generally has a hell of a lot of energy so I don't see it being a issue.

[WalkWithWallace]

Mountaineering Scotland published an excellent article on the very subject:

https://www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/taking-the-dog

[KatTai]

It can be very tempting to head for the hills with a puppy, but it is important to not do too much too soon. While they may have the energy it takes time to build up the stamina and muscle for a day in the hills and, crucially, a dogs joints aren't fully developed until around 18 months old. Doing too much too soon can lead to joint issues further down the line so best to take things slowly and let them finish growing before tackling longer distances and more complicated walking like boulder hopping and scrambling.

From a year old you can build up to walks of a few hours, but for 6-7 hour trips I'd wait until over 18 months. In the meantime focus on building up your dogs training and introduce them to different environments and the things they will see as well as getting them used to you checking their paws. The paw pads need to toughen up for walking on harder ground so this can be something to work on.

With jackets I have one in my pack just in case, but whether a dog needs a jacket or not does depend very much on the individual and their natural coat so do go by your dog, if they get very cold and wet in heavy rain then maybe a light raincoat would be an option. My lot are all double coated though and the rain doesn't soak through to the undercoat. They do have dogrobes to put on in the car/when at home though to dry them off a bit.

If you haven't already, train recall to a whistle as well as voice. The sound of a whistle travels much further than your voice and also doesn't give away any emotion.

I walk mine on a hands-free belt with a canicross line (when they can't be off-lead), this gives us all more freedom. A harness with a handle is handy for walking them on, this means there is no pressure on the neck if there is a sudden jolt and the handle means they can be lifted/assisted over stiles, fences etc if needed.

In my first aid kit I have PAWZ dog boots, these are handy to protect a paw injury if one was to occur preventing dirt getting in. I also have piriton in case they get a bee or wasp sting to the face, ask your vet for the right dosage.

I don't like waiting for a dog to be ready for the hills so my youngest was 14 months old so the time until longer walks were possible was the building up stamina time anyway

[Border Reiver]

I have to agree with KatTai here, there's no point in ruining a young dog when a bit of patience will be rewarded by more years together in later life. I had a Golden Retriever and a number of times when out for a low level walk when he was young, he would make the decision about when to turn back. After a mile or two he would stop running around and just sit down and refuse to budge. After a rest period, when I started to go back he would be up and bouncing around again. At the other end of the scale, I knew that his time climbing mountains was over by the time he was 9, it was just too much effort for him, although he managed low level walks until he was nearly14. Every dog is different and it's up to the owner to know their dog and it's abilities and not to push it too far.

[Marty_JG]

crucially, a dogs joints aren't fully developed until around 18 months old. Doing too much too soon can lead to joint issues further down the line so best to take things slowly and let them finish growing before tackling longer distances and more complicated walking like boulder hopping and scrambling. From a year old you can build up to walks of a few hours, but for 6-7 hour trips I'd wait until over 18 months.

Came in here to say this. Also build-up to 6 hour hikes. An hour here. An hour there. Something to bear in mind is a 6 hour walk for us can be a 2 hour walk plus a 4 hour RUN for an excitable dog. My cockapoo runs and dashes all over the place, she's doing many times the distance I am. People who have put GPS trackers on their dogs have found they travel twice the distance a person does - I suspect mine would be more than double.

The other thing is an excitable dog will charge down like a nutter putting proportionately more stress on their joints, so under 18 months consider using a leash especially on descents.

Another tip is get or make a walkers lead, that's a longer lead with a bit of elastic in it (or as I have, a few loops of bungee carabineered on) that attaches to your belt. This leaves your hands free for poles, or just balance generally. The elastic is important as it gives a bit of resistance that alerts both the dog and you - if you just put the leash on your belt you're more likely to be yanked over.

[rodderss]

Can’t add much as dog experts like kaitai have given great replies.

Only that if you take your dog out on a hill walk when there is powder snow they will get very painful snowballs stuck to their paw and means you will have to carry your dog off the hill.

Not very easy if it weighs 18k when dry.

Solution bring a whisk

Oh and be prepared to break their heart if you dare tell your dog it can’t come as you head out the door with your rucksack and walking trousers.

[Holly]

Over the years I have had a couple of companions who have had long and happy lives on the hills with me. I have an older boy now retired from the big days but still managing some decent walks and a now middle aged (16) and super fit 7 year old who is raring to go. My dogs are normally from rescue centres. The old boy and my 7 year old (had her a few years now) both just started coming with me straight away. I remember doing Beinn a Bhuird as a first for the younger and she was pretty tired after a big day but but she managed fine. I think it might be worth mentioning that if you keep your dog on a lead especially when younger then this does stop them from overdoing things for themselves as well as protecting ground nesting birds, wildlife, farm animals etc. Can I maybe also suggest that the Cairngorm Munros and many other hills as lovely as the Munros are really great for dogs as there can be longer walks in and can perhaps be easier on them. There is also a facebook page called Ghengis the Springer. The dog did all the munros with some assistance from he owner, a competent climber and he is very good with advice and guidance. (The dog has unfortunately now died with a congenital problem after a pretty fab life but his owner is now training 2 other dogs and I think beginning to do the Corbetts with them). Anyway with that and other advice on here I am sure you and your dog will have much to look forward to. Happy days to come

[BigTed]

Jackets. I can thoroughly recommend these ones from Amazon. The size guide is hopeless though. The 6xl fitted my 20kg Standard Poodle. According to the guideit was the 2xl.

Bought mainly to keep her warm overnight in bothies. Used for 2 hour walk in rain and highwinds to a bothy. I was soaked. Her torso was bone dry. I was amazed how dry it kept her. There was a bit of water in the lining at her belly but it kept her far drier than I expected.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09G9BJP9M?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title