Hiking holiday with dog - this is what you should keep in mind!

Hiking holiday with your dog - what you should bear in mind!

Off on holiday and the four-legged friend comes along!

You love nature and are looking forward to your hiking holiday? Leaving your dog at home while you enjoy the mountains and alpine pastures is unthinkable for you? If you follow a few rules and take your four-legged friend's needs into consideration, nothing will stand in the way of a relaxing and exciting hiking holiday.

Dogs love nature

Many of our four-legged friends enjoy spending the day outdoors and love long walks in the countryside. But before you head up the mountains and from alpine hut to alpine hut, you need to make some important preparations.

General checklist for a hiking holiday with your pet

• talk to your vet whether your four-legged friend is up to the strain
• Get emergency medication
• Tick prophylaxis
• Get a first-aid kit for dogs
• EU pet passport for trips abroad
• register your dog in the hotel, at the camping site or in the alpine hut
• plan an overnight stay if the journey is long

Pack my rucksack and take with me

When you pack your hiking rucksack, don't forget a few utensils for your four-legged friend:

• Leash
• Muzzle
• Water
• Water bowl
• some food for the lunch break
• tweezers and paw ointment

Not every four-legged friend is suitable for every hiking route

For a full-day hiking tour, not only you but also your dog must be in sufficient condition. Puppies, mini breeds and older dogs can easily be overtaxed and overestimate their own strength. However, they want to keep up with their "pack" and will run to absolute exhaustion. If your dog is one of them, plan a shorter, easier route and choose uphill aids, such as a gondola. For gondola rides, many lift operators require you to put a muzzle and leash on your dog. If this is not the case, you should still take your four-legged friend on a leash and put on the muzzle out of consideration, because it can sometimes get very cramped in the gondola. You should only use a chairlift if you are absolutely sure that you can rely on your pet one hundred percent. You must be absolutely sure that your four-legged friend will remain seated when the chair swings.

Dogs must be kept on a leash when hiking

As a responsible dog owner, you surely know that you have to keep your four-legged friend on a leash while hiking in order not to disturb other hikers and wild animals. Also, in many countries it is compulsory to keep your dog on a leash and if you violate this, you will face hefty fines. Cows, sheep and goats may be disturbed by your dog running loose and thus become a danger to your animal. The best thing to do is to use a leash on your walking holiday. Then your four-legged friend has plenty of room to run around and sniff out everything, and you can enjoy a relaxed hiking day without hostility from hikers, gamekeepers or hunters.

The way is the goal

Give yourself and your dog regular breaks and let it rest in the shade. Even if your four-legged friend is romping around and doesn't seem tired at all, it needs regular rest periods or it will overexert himself. The sore muscles the next day are unpleasant and painful for your pet. Are you planning a hike lasting several days? Then find out in advance whether your dog is allowed to spend the night with you in mountain huts or refuges.