Hiking with your four-legged freinds

Hello again! I just went hiking with my dog, and he was SUPER excited. He starts whining like MAD when he senses we're close.

Hiking is a great opportunity to get some fresh air, and exercise your dog too. As well as tiring them physically, all the new smells and sights tires them mentally, so you can be sure that they will sleep when they get home, if not in the car.

Please remember, if you have a little dog, one step for you is a bunch for them. They have little legs, and if you walk at a brisk pace, they may have trouble keeping up.

For crazy, energetic dogs like Husky and German Shepard mixes, hiking works magic, and you can actually blog without a dog pacing and making you seasick! It's absolutely wonderful!

If you decide to start hiking, don't say, "I'm going to hike!" and then hike three miles one way and then turn around and walk another three miles.You'll start out with a bunch of energy, but by the time you come back, you'll be panting like your dog and dragging yourself home.

Ease into hiking, because it will be easier on you, your body, and your dog. (If you choose to take them along.)

But please, be respectful of parks that don't allow dogs, and follow their rules. Also, it's a good idea to pack some water for you and your dog.

Hiking with your furry friend can be really fun and entertaining... and full of wet deer. Want to hear this story? Keep reading.

I was taking my dog for a hike by the canal, with my sister and father and mother. It was beautiful fall day, and with every gust of wind, more beautiful colored leaves showered down on us. I had let Buddy off leash, and he would dart in front of me, up a hill, be gone, and then the pounding of paws would accompany his happy face. He came to check on me and make sure I was sticking to the path (German shepherds are herders) when suddenly he was off again. I didn't think much of it, but then I realized he had been gone more than usual. "Buddy!" I called. Suddenly, I hear the pounding of paws. But what came over the hill was not a crazy Husky mix. It was a deer. With a crazy Husky mix at it's TAIL. As the poor doe thundered past me, Buddy ran behind her, looking delighted, but I could tell he was not going as fast as he could and was a bit unsure of what to do. They zoomed past me, back down the trail Buddy and I had come on. I could see them ahead, and the canal. Uh-oh. This deer was in trouble. I turned to watch and see what would happen, and I tensed my muscles in case I needed to intervene. I watched closer to the water.. closer... and then, SPLASH! The deer had jumped into the canal.

A blond runner is purple running gear on the other side of the canal stopped and stared. My jaw LITERALLY fell open.

The deer swam to safety on the other side of the canal, and Buddy did not pursue the chase. He is part Husky, and is scared of the "Liquid Death." (Water.) Doesn't mind the rain or drinking it, but not baths or swims. No siree.

Once I took him to the pool swim for dogs that my pool has a few days after it closes, and Buddy jumped in without any knowledge. Never got back in the rest of the day, just ran around the grassy area.

And the bathroom we washed him in as a pup? He will not set one paw in that room. When he goes down the hall, he runs past the bathroom. The dog is four years old, and will run from the bathroom that we washed him in when he was four MONTHS old. He has a head. And a mind. (I hope.)

I seriously wonder what goes on in there. (His head.)

Anyway, in conclusion, you got a story about a wet deer, and a post (mainly) about hiking and tips. (Like packing water.)

Here are some photos: