Ok so Luna and I are going hiking with a few friends this weekend.

Her Ruffwear approach backpack and roamer leash came in along with a collapsable bowl. So she's all set to carry her load. I'm pretty psyched!

We are starting off with a 4 mile hike on a local trail and gradually moving up to tougher/longer trails.

I have a few questions.

We are going to be hiking all spring/summer/fall and I want to know at what temperature is it not ok to take her out?

Should I get booties for her?

How to keep her cool?

Is there anything else I need to look out for?

Thanks!

just dont pack too much in her bag if she's not used to carrying it. i hike all summer long with nikki but bring LOTS of water..as long as its not on sharp jagged rocks or pavement i dont think booties will be necessary for a 4 mile hike. i like to try to find hikes that have water somewhere long the trails if possible have a great time! i love hiking with my dogs!

We avoid the mid-summer heat by hiking earlier in the mornings and getting off the mountain before the peak of the heat kicks in.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but one hike we did last year Appa got overheated and it was a miserable experience. We had to cool him off and rest for awhile in the shade before we continued on. The rest of the way down he would move quick through the sun and SLOW in the shade. We felt awful.

We always carry way more water than we need (just in case).

No need for boots unless you have a tender-footed pup. Keep an eye on how your pup is acting, and check for dehydration, and you should be great. Have fun!

rileyflorence wrote:

We avoid the mid-summer heat by hiking earlier in the mornings and getting off the mountain before the peak of the heat kicks in.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but one hike we did last year Appa got overheated and it was a miserable experience. We had to cool him off and rest for awhile in the shade before we continued on. The rest of the way down he would move quick through the sun and SLOW in the shade. We felt awful.

Will you be investing in a Ruff Wear Cooling vest for Appa?

I bought one for Storm last summer especially with his weight and it has helped him stay cool and noticed a big difference just on our walks.

what is a cooling vest? i'm interested!

http://www.ruffwear.com/Swamp-Cooler-Dog-Cooling-Vest-Sun-Protection-Prevents-Canine-Heat-Exhaustion-from-Ruff-Wear?sc=2&category=12

During last summer when Storm was still 90-100 lbs, he would walk so slow and lethargic. Eddy mentioned buying this cooling vest and gave a report that is helped his Mal. Val then bought one for Dakota and she noticed that Dakota's body would remain cool. So it prompted me to buy one for Storm (and Ginger got one too, of course), and when I used it on Storm, he pepped up on his walks as he did not overheat.

You do have to wet the vest down, and keep it 'damp' in order to keep your pup cool, so that means extra water on hikes, but I think it makes it that much easier for you pup if you're in the heat.

I've thought about it. We'll have to see how it goes this summer, but we just recently determined to save a large portion of our income for awhile, so we may just have to hike earlier in the mornings and skip the vest.

Thanks for all the advice everyone really helps a lot!

Probably going to be on the mountains at around 7-8am in the summer because I like to keep it extra safe. Also going to look for trails by water so we can have Luna take a dip to cool down. She can dry off the rest of the walk.

For this first hike I'm just going to have her carry a bottle of water in each pack along with her bowl for her first time. She's about 43lbs right now so that should be good for her right now.

Super stoked!