FalconGuides The Essential Guide to Hiking With Dogs
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Can't get enough of hiking with your pup—or dying to try it out? Get out and explore new terrain in confidence with the help of The Essential Guide to Hiking With Dogs from FalconGuides.
Shop similar products- Covers need-to-know topics for the novice hiker or new owner, including trail etiquette, Leave No Trace ethics, important gear and packing guides
- Also includes essential commands you should train on the trail
- Features beautiful and illustrative photography that informs and inspires
Made in USA.
View all FalconGuides Camping and Hiking Instructional Books| Best Use | Hiking |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 9 x 6 inches |
| Author(s) | Jen Sotolongo |
| Number of Pages | 208 |
| Format | Paperback |
| ISBN-13 | 9781493055968 |
| Publisher | FalconGuides |
| Copyright Year | 2021 |
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Written by and for Instagram folks
As an avid outdoors person with multiple dogs and friends with dogs, I thought this would be a great book, if not for myself, then for a friend who recently acquired a dog. I was incorrect. This book is a waste of money. The only thing worth anything in this book? The photos, and not even all of them. The material is woefully basic or uninformed. One hike suggested per state? Why not resources for finding hiking and camping areas that allow dogs? The author is from Washington, so if she did any research, she'd know about state specific trail searching sites like WTA. Or how about suggesting AllTrails? No? Just one hike per state and no camping info? Not a helpful travel guide. There is way too much "training" information coming from someone who is not a qualified trainer. When you're suggesting that someone go to social media and Google instead of places like the IACP website for finding dog trainers, I know you don't know what you're talking about, and you have no business offering training advice, especially for dogs with behavioral problems. I'm also extremely put off by the fact that the majority of contributors have Instagram handles as credentials. Not training certifications, not outdoor guide certifications, nothing of real merit for a hiking with dogs guide. You may as well just find these contributors' accounts and follow them for free to get the content you'd be paying for in this book with even more pretty pictures. Save your money to use with a real trainer or a tank of gas to get to the trailhead. And when it comes to actual useful information, there's very little. Interference with wildlife only gets two sentences? How about doing some research on the impact dogs have on vs off leash vs off trail and discussing that to help readers make better choices to truly leave less trace? How do you handle encounters with dangerous wildlife when your dog is present? Many of us know what to do when we spot a bull moose or a black bear on the trail alone, but what happens when my dogs are with me? What kind of trail etiquette do you have when you encounter pack mules? Horses? Mountain bikers? Dirt bikes and ATVs? Livestock on BLM land? How do you acclimate dogs to altitude and what are signs of altitude sickness in dogs? I've encountered all of these when traveling with my dogs and not a single thing was mentioned. I'm so disappointed by this book. I expected more than what I could find in social media rants and blog posts, but that's all I got. A physical, overpriced social media rant filled blog. Maybe if you're a first time dog owner who has never worn a pair of hiking shoes, this is a great book for you. Unfortunately, most people looking for a book like this will be disappointed by the lack of worthwhile content.
Informative Read Before Hitting the Trails
I wish I had read this before starting hiking with our dog. I will definitely purchase for my new dog owner friends who also like the outdoors. Some reviews criticize the author's experience as they are not a certified trainer or behaviorist, Sotolongo never claims to be either of these and is upfront about it. I consider myself an experienced hiker and backpacker and still took away some good information from this book. There is a lot of practical advice and things to consider before getting a dog or introducing your dog to hiking. I found the trail etiquette and first aid recommendations very helpful. I now have a rescue harness (which I should have purchased over a year ago when we thought we might have to carry our dog out of the woods 7 miles while backpacking) and have added to our first aid kit. Also started working on off-leash recall and manners which is something pretty much everyone could use a reminder to do better at. I also enjoyed information about other outdoor activities people choose to do with their dogs (e.g. paddle boarding). There are some fun interviews and guest writers as well. Also, lots of pictures of adorable dogs being outside and loving life!