Hiking with dogs
Want to take your four-legged friend hiking? Before you start your adventure, you should think about a few things, especially with regard to your dog’s fitness and the required equipment.
Health requirements
Generally, every healthy dog is able to go on a hike. However, if a longer tour is planned, it makes sense to have the dog checked by a vet to be on the safe side.
In addition, you should prepare your dog for the upcoming challenge some time in advance by exercising regularly and thus gradually improving its condition.
Choosing a suitable route
You should also consider the choice of route early enough and inform yourself exactly about the conditions on the planned tour. Especially in the alpine terrain, you will suddenly find yourself in front of an insurmountable iron ladder or a rock staircase and can't get any further with your dog.
And you should also be aware of the conditions on the planned tour.
Additionally, it should be noted that not all dogs – although they are persistent runners and skilled on narrow paths – can be taken into challenging terrain. It always depends on how trained the dog is and whether it is used to difficult terrain.
It is best to approach bigger challenges slowly and pay attention to how the dog behaves.
Equipment for the dog
Dog shoes
It may sound a little extreme, but dog paws can be very sensitive and dog shoes are an important piece of equipment – especially if routes lead through snow and ice as well as on rough, sharp terrain.
Leash and harness
When hiking in alpine terrain, a dog harness is recommended. Collars are dangerous because there is a risk of strangulation if the dog should slip or fall. Even whilst hiking on flat terrain, a leash can easily get tangled, and the dog can get hurt trying to free itself.
Using a long leash is not recommended on demanding hikes. In forests or steep terrain, it is better to keep your dog as close as possible.
First aid
If your dog is injured during a hike, a first aid kit provides some basic medical care. You should always carry this in your backpack, in case of an emergency. It should contain at least gauze bandages, scissors, sterile saline solution and tick tweezers.
Food and water
It is also important that the dog has a good supply of food and water. It is essential to take along an adequate amount of water to avoid dehydration as well as some supplementary food.
To make it easier for the dog to eat and drink during the hike, foldable water and food bowls are a great, practical choice!
Protective clothing
Protective clothing can be life-saving for dogs. In extreme weather conditions, protection from wind, rain and snow is a must.
It's not just the dog that needs equipment - find out all about the packing list for two-legged friends here!
So that you are always safe and comfortable on tour, we have created an overview of all the equipment you need.
Long-distance hikes with four-legged friends
With a healthy and well-trained dog that is already used to hiking together, you can of course also undertake a long-distance hike lasting several days in addition to (half) day hikes.
In addition to all the tips already mentioned, you should also bear the following in mind for a long-distance hike:
Luggage
On a long-distance hike, a properly packed backpack is the be-all and end-all anyway. It is important to take everything that is necessary and to do without unnecessary items so that the backpack remains as light as possible. On a long-distance hike with a dog, the equipment for the four-legged friend must of course be added to your own needs. It is worth trying out hiking with the extra luggage on a shorter tour first!
Choose a tour that is suitable for dogs
Just as with easy hikes, you should also make sure that the tour is dog-friendly for long-distance hikes - due to the longer distance, you will also have to do more research. For example, you should avoid long asphalt stretches in summer, as well as challenging climbing sections. Depending on the size and fitness of your dog, you can plan a stage length of 15 to 25 kilometres. Especially in the midday heat, you should plan a longer break - remember: dogs can't sweat to cool off.
Even if you are well prepared, when you are out and about, pay special attention to your dog and take a break if your four-legged friend is exhausted. In addition, you must offer enough to drink, especially on long tours, and it is better to distribute the food over several small snacks rather than a few large portions.
Even if you are well prepared, pay special attention to your dog and take a break if your four-legged friend seems exhausted.
Overnight stays
Be sure to check beforehand whether the hostels allow dogs and book a place for both of you well in advance. Even hostels that don't mind four-legged guests often only allow one dog per night – so make sure you book a place to sleep in advance! Not only here: The dog should be well behaved and always abide by the rules of the hut owner.
More about long-distance hiking can be found here:
Multi-stage hikes can take many forms, from Alpine crossings with friends that take you from mountain hut to mountain ...
Good to know
You can use the filter in our Route Finder to display dog-friendly routes. To do so, open the filter and scroll down to the 'Special features' section, here you can select 'Dog-friendly' to add the filter to your search.
If you have planned a dog-friendly route yourself, you can mark it as being dog-friendly. To do so, select 'Edit' on your Route or Plan and under 'Details' → 'Classifications' you can check 'Dog-friendly'.
Photo: Kristyna, Adobe Stock