Hiking vacation with the dog - that you should consider!
Off on vacation and the four-legged friend comes along!
You love nature and are looking forward to your hiking vacation? Leaving your dog at home while you enjoy the mountains and alpine pastures is unthinkable for you? If you follow a few rules and consider the needs of your four-legged friend, nothing will stand in the way of a relaxing and exciting hiking vacation.
Dogs love nature
Many of our four-legged friends enjoy spending the day outdoors and love long hikes in nature. But before you head up the mountains and from alpine hut to alpine hut, you need to make some important preparations.
General checklist for the hiking vacation with your pet
- talk to the vet whether your quadruped is up to the exertions
- 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 a stopover for a longer journey
Pack my backpack and take with me
When you pack your hiking backpack, don't forget some 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 in the gondola it can sometimes be very tight. 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 chairs are swinging.
Dogs must be 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 rule, you will be subject to hefty fines. Cows, sheep and goats may be disturbed by your free-roaming dog and thus become a danger to your animal. The best thing to do is to use a leash during your hiking vacation. Then your four-legged friend has enough run, can romp around and sniff everything and you experience 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 him rest in the shade. Even if your four-legged friend is romping around and doesn't seem tired at all, he needs regular rest periods or he will overexert himself. The sore muscles the next day are unpleasant and painful for your pet. Are you planning a hike of several days during your vacation? Then find out in advance whether your dog is allowed to spend the night with you in mountain huts or refuges.
