What do you think?
Rate this book
The Essential Guide to Hiking with Dogs: Trail-Tested Tips and Expert Advice for Canine Adventures
With The Essential Guide to Hiking with Dogs, you and your four-legged friend can be ready for anything the wilderness might throw at you. Set yourselves and others up for the very best hiking experience. Need-to-know topics are covered for the novice hiker or new owner, from trail etiquette to leave no trace ethics, important gear and packing guides to essential commands you should train on the trail. Featuring beautiful and illustrative photography, this must-have guide will inform and inspire any adventure dog and their parents. Inside you’ll
- GenresDogsNonfictionAnimals
208 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 27, 2021
Yet again here is a dog book where the author, who is not a trainer, tries to give training advice. As soon as she went into e-collars(which are banned in most countries) and prong collars I knew she was unqualified to be speaking on the subject and yet did it anyway.
October 1, 2023
Some good information, but it's often too vague. Stop telling me to research everything. Reading this book was supposed to be research. Also did not enjoy the misguided training advice.
July 16, 2021
Written by a novice dog owner, who has only owned dogs for 9 years, at most, and only a few of her own that weren't her partner's. Her only credentials? She traveled with her partner and his dog extensively and she's a social media "influencer"/blogger.
Her advice to go to social media for dog training and adoption is a terrible idea. Don't do it. And SHE ADMITS TO HAVING THE WRONG DOG. Also, who's buying this book who doesn't already have a dog?
She's giving tons of training advice without being a trainer, without being a behaviorist, and without having successfully trained her own one dog, who is still reactive. She'll give lists of necessary commands, without pointers on how to train those basics, but gives extensive advice on handing reactive dogs, which is far more complex than anyone should be giving in a book, including trainers.
She mentions "hiking apps" for finding hikes, but nothing specific. Not helpful.
She's giving conditioning advice without the resources of a veterinarian.
She recommends unnecessary, expensive gear that's only cool for Instagram (like goggles... For how many decades did dogs work in full sun with no problems? If your dog has a medical condition, fine. If you're in snow, great. But not every dog needs $80 goggles for the 'gram).
Trail etiquette: dog management should've been in the earlier chapters. Also, just train your dog (but do not so what she did and DIY if you have a crummy dog like hers. Go to a pro. And not one whose only clout is on social media). She doesn't mention anything about groups with other animals, which I encounter on the trail regularly, like pack mules/donkeys and trail horses, or cyclists.
Leave no trace: tell us more about where we should be aware of rattlesnakes and how to find rattlesnake aversion trainers. What should we do when we encounter bears, cougars, moose, etc on the trail? Many of us know how to handle those scenarios without dogs, but how do those animals respond differently to dogs, and how can we handle our dogs safely in those situations? What impact do dogs have on trail on leash vs off?
Health things to be aware of: why didn't she mention altitude sickness in dogs? That's A VERY real problem and she completely ignored it, especially when she's talking about being in the west and doing big backpacking trips.
There's only one hike per state. And not even good ones. You're better off buying state specific books or, better yet, consulting All Trails. Packing lists don't even mention biodegradable soaps. WHAT THE...?!? What happened to leave no trace!?!
And the credits? Many of them only have Instagram as their credentials. Shameful.
I can go on forever about what this book is lacking. The only good sections (e.g. symptoms of things like frostbite, salmon poisoning) can easily be googled.
Overall, it's a novice book written by a novice dog owner, who's also apparently a novice outdoorswoman when it comes down to it. This is far from expert advice, as the cover page suggests, and it's a waste of money. Do yourselves a favor and spend that $25 more wisely elsewhere.
Her advice to go to social media for dog training and adoption is a terrible idea. Don't do it. And SHE ADMITS TO HAVING THE WRONG DOG. Also, who's buying this book who doesn't already have a dog?
She's giving tons of training advice without being a trainer, without being a behaviorist, and without having successfully trained her own one dog, who is still reactive. She'll give lists of necessary commands, without pointers on how to train those basics, but gives extensive advice on handing reactive dogs, which is far more complex than anyone should be giving in a book, including trainers.
She mentions "hiking apps" for finding hikes, but nothing specific. Not helpful.
She's giving conditioning advice without the resources of a veterinarian.
She recommends unnecessary, expensive gear that's only cool for Instagram (like goggles... For how many decades did dogs work in full sun with no problems? If your dog has a medical condition, fine. If you're in snow, great. But not every dog needs $80 goggles for the 'gram).
Trail etiquette: dog management should've been in the earlier chapters. Also, just train your dog (but do not so what she did and DIY if you have a crummy dog like hers. Go to a pro. And not one whose only clout is on social media). She doesn't mention anything about groups with other animals, which I encounter on the trail regularly, like pack mules/donkeys and trail horses, or cyclists.
Leave no trace: tell us more about where we should be aware of rattlesnakes and how to find rattlesnake aversion trainers. What should we do when we encounter bears, cougars, moose, etc on the trail? Many of us know how to handle those scenarios without dogs, but how do those animals respond differently to dogs, and how can we handle our dogs safely in those situations? What impact do dogs have on trail on leash vs off?
Health things to be aware of: why didn't she mention altitude sickness in dogs? That's A VERY real problem and she completely ignored it, especially when she's talking about being in the west and doing big backpacking trips.
There's only one hike per state. And not even good ones. You're better off buying state specific books or, better yet, consulting All Trails. Packing lists don't even mention biodegradable soaps. WHAT THE...?!? What happened to leave no trace!?!
And the credits? Many of them only have Instagram as their credentials. Shameful.
I can go on forever about what this book is lacking. The only good sections (e.g. symptoms of things like frostbite, salmon poisoning) can easily be googled.
Overall, it's a novice book written by a novice dog owner, who's also apparently a novice outdoorswoman when it comes down to it. This is far from expert advice, as the cover page suggests, and it's a waste of money. Do yourselves a favor and spend that $25 more wisely elsewhere.
November 2, 2022
I saw this book at REI- and even though I have already taken my dogs hiking (and it isn't rocket science)- I thought maybe there were some pointers/advice I should absorb now that I have started hiking with a bigger and more complicated dog. I was hoping for important tricks/commands the dog should now- and how to teach them, requirements for stuff a dog requires on a hike, information on how much a dog can hike/food it needs to eat....etc. This book didn't cover much of that- there was some useful information- especially about how to integrate a reactive dog so that it can handle the world better--- but I couldn't get over the fact that the author found that dogs off leash was NOT an issue (when it is) and made allowances for it. She did point out that it should only happen in parks where off leash hiking is allowed- but I think she should have spent more time explaining why there are not benefits to it and how it is bad for the dog, the environment and other people.... I also can't get over the fact that she recommended "well-researched" breeders- her list of reasons to do this did not add up- and honestly, should never have been included. So many rescues and shelters are overrun with animals because of breeders- but also you can find the perfect companion without having to work with a breeder. The section on hiking with small dogs (my expertise (ha!)) was fluff--- and the bonuses to walking with them were silly. I am not sure who the target audience for this book is- but I wouldn't recommend it. If you are interested in hiking- talk to some people who hike with their dogs- talk to a salesperson at REI and just get outside.
Read: not really a book I would recommend.
Read: not really a book I would recommend.
February 12, 2024
Great info after chapter 4. Chapter 1-3 recommends training your dog (duh!) I personally didn’t like the training philosophy the author encourages to use (prong collars and other aversive methods), especially her not being a professional. She clearly states later on that she didn’t Know what she was getting into by getting a bully breed and expected the dog to loose leash walk next to her without any training. And that’s why she got trainer that recommended the use of an E-Collar / prong. Author states how impressed she was about the quick effectiveness of the tool. I won’t get into Ethics right know, it was just was unnecessary to even mention that for people to try.
September 21, 2024
3.75. This had more of a broad-strokes approach than going in-depth on any particular area. I would have liked more info on gear (i.e., do waist leashes give sufficient maneuverability when hiking? do some breeds do better with backpacks than others? what are the pros & cons of harnesses vs. collars?). I felt it would have been preferable to spend more space on these types of hiking-specific issues, and maybe leave out the generic how-to-get-a-dog chapter.
June 18, 2021
This was an eye opening book! I bought it after having a bad experience on a hiking trail with my dog. The author gave good advice and the reasoning behind it. I will never do all the hikes she prepares you for but I feel well equipped for what I am doing now. All dog owners should read this book, even if your idea of a hike is a walk around the block.
December 31, 2022
Lots of helpful tips and a list of hikes you can do with your pups throughout the country.
July 26, 2024
Surprisingly informative and good information
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews