I wrote a blog on Hiking with Dogs in 2015 for a popular website... let's see what has changed?

I spent a lot of time in the woods with my dogs before I was a dog trainer and continued after I became a professional. 

Over a decade ago I was asked to write a blog post for Camping With Dogs on the topic of hiking off leash.  

"When is My Dog Ready to Hike Offleash" was the title and I figured with Dog On Adventures being my new platform, I'd like to share that AND revisit it, since its been over a decade and I've changed some things.

Here is the original and after I'll share what I've changed since then.

The 3 Things Your Dog Needs to Know Before Hiking Off Leash... 

Getting out with our dogs is one of the most rewarding activities we can do with our dogs.  It takes us back tens of thousands of years to the same activities our ancestors did with their canine companions. 

Before we fall to the allure of cutting our dogs off leash and taking off into the woods we have to be realistic in our skills and the capabilities of our dogs.  The risks are substantial and could result in best case, our dogs running off chasing an animal for a few hours and worst case our dogs getting lost and injured or worse.

Regardless, here are 3 key commands/behaviors our dogs need to understand.

The Dog’s Name…

I tell clients the 2 most important things to teach your dog are their name and a recall.  I want the dog to know their name because when we say it, it is imperative that they look at us.  They need focus on us rather than the object that held their attention a moment ago.  Too often we call our dog and we end up repeating the dog’s name over and over and basically pleading with them for attention. When you call your dog and they look at you make it worth their while… reward them with a treat or praise!

A Solid Recall… 

that has both a verbal cue/command as well as a hand signal.  As I mentioned above, a solid recall is one of the most important things your dog needs to have in the real world.  We need to call the dog once and the dog responds by moving directly to us. Provide the dog with a high value reward and/or substantial praise EVERY time they come to you.  Let them think that the greatest thing in the world is getting to you when you call them!

and last an Off Leash Command…

Recalls, casual walk commands, heels are all commands that allow the dog to manage distance.  When we teach a simple “walk” command we are teaching the dog to match our pace, on our left or right side within 4 feet.  When we teach “heel” the dog learns to walk in VERY close proximity to our left and maintain focus on us.  Therefore when we teach a “Hike” or “Let’s Go” command we are teaching the dog to stay within 20-30 feet and maintain contact with us by checking in with us.  We can manage this by using a long line. 

Using these commands we can teach our dog to explore with us and stay within close proximity off leash WHILE checking in with us.  We have the confidence to know that when we call our dog’s name they will immediately turn their attention to us.  Finally, if we need to get a leash on our dog we are confident in our recall that we can get the dog to us as soon as possible.

So work on these with your dog… and when you are ready, unleash and go!

What would I change now?

That was published on the Camping With Dogs site in July 2015, over a decade ago.  Scout, my dog in those pictures is 13 now and spends her days mostly sleeping all day.  She's earned that and enjoying what time she has left is a priority.

I still agree with about 70-75% of the blog but here's where I'd add and possibly update some things.

The Dog's Name is definitely the most important cue your dog should understand and respond to.  It can and should be the beginning of good things and opportunities.  We have the ability to create an amazing association to good things or if we are the "fun police" we can make their name a reason to run and avoid us.  You see that daily at dog parks.  The dog's name becomes the beginning of our ability to provide further information... information that can keep them safe.  Make it a priority and make it worthwhile.

A Solid Recall is the next priority and a skill EVERY dog should have.  It is one of "The Five Movements" I teach to all dogs. While I use the verbal cue of "Here" and sometimes pair a whistle recall based on distances, I don't use hand signals much anymore.  Also, I recall my dogs all of the time to play or just to tell them they are amazing and reward them.  The repetition becomes a habit for them and dramatically increases the success rate in the real world... which brings me to the ecollar.

Achieving a near 100% success rate is the goal for recalls.  Unfortunately doing that while outside in nature, a 100% recall is not realistic ALL of the time.  This is where the electronic collar becomes a tool to consider.  To me, the ecollar is the "reserve parachute" to my "main parachute" and the insurance that "if" my high probability recall fails due to something outside of my control, "then" I can use the ecollar to maximize the likelihood of of my dog being safe by completing the recall.  This isn't a "crutch" or a "shortcut"... to me it is an "in case of emergency break glass" that is designed to keep a dog safe and alive.  There are a lot of opinions on the tool.  I do not require it for clients, but I highly recommend it having seen situations where high probability recalls failed and understanding and having the ecollar on saved the dog.  

I really don't teach an Off Leash Command/Cue anymore.  As i've grown, I've simplified things much more over the years.  Once I let them off leash I have the dog's name, a recall to me or a casual slow walk cue matching my pace.  Getting rid of the off leash cue in most situations has allowed for more flexibility since the environments I've had my dog in can be anything from large open areas with a very long line of sight to very dense woodland vegetation with the inability to see around the corner 20' ahead. 

More commands isn't necessarily better in these situations and again going back to "The Five Movements" I mentioned earlier that I teach as part of my curriculum has helped me simplify things for my clients and their dogs.

They are - 

Move With Me... "Let's Walk"

Move To Me... "Here"

Move Away From Me... "Place"

Don't Move... "Down"

Move Where You Want... "Free"

For most dogs to enjoy the world that's really all you need.  We know more isn't always better and while there isn't any trophies hiking with dogs, there are some real rewards. 

It's been fun revisiting this article from over a decade ago, it's cool for me to see old pics of Scout and it's obvious that doing fun things with my dogs and helping others do the same has been a priority for a long time. 

Finally launching Dog On Adventures is exciting and I can't wait to continue adventuring with my dogs and help others do the same from the backyard to the backcountry!

Thanks for reading!