Recently I was listening to a podcast produced by Backpacker Radio and posted on TheTrek.com. In this episode, Dr. Kristina Kiefer, a veterinarian with a Ph.D. in Veterinary Regenerative Medicine from the University of Minnesota, shares her advice about backpacking with dogs. For those wondering, not only does Dr. Kiefer have veterinary experience, but she has hiked significant miles on trail with her own dog.
As a fellow veterinarian and backpacker, I thought this was a great podcast episode that was definitely worth listening to. And I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to write a blog post giving my own answers to some of the podcast questions, expanding on some of the great answers that Dr. Kiefer offered during her interview.
The interview is long and goes on for over an hour (but is well worth listening too!), so I just chose the questions/topics that I thought were the most helpful for any one considering backpacking (or maybe even thru-hiking) with their dog. There is more information contained in the podcast.
*While you read this post, please keep in mind, I am a veterinarian, but I am not your dog’s veterinarian. For specific concerns or medication advice, speak with your dog’s veterinarian.
Okay, let’s start off with one of the big questions. I answered these questions several days after listening to the podcasts to try and give you a different perspective. I then re-listened to the podcast and made notes on what Dr. Kiefer’s responses were, writing down any extra good tips. Despite trying to give you varied answers, you will see that many of my answers are very similar to what Dr. Kiefer provides in the podcast.
What are some of the key considerations people should take before bringing their dog on a thru-hike?
The biggest question to consider is whether or not you think that your dog will enjoy a thru-hike. And be honest with yourself. Some dogs like hiking, but are done after 10 miles. Others like to hike, but prefer not to sleep in a tent at night. Do you truly think your dog would be comfortable with staying on trail for days, weeks, or months in a row?
Consider the temperatures and trail conditions you will likely experience on the thru-hike you are planning. Can you keep your dog warm enough or cool enough?
Additionally, are you willing to make your dog’s experience more important than yours while on the trail? When you take a dog on a long-distance hike, you need to advocate for your dog. This may mean traveling slower or skipping some spur trails (or maybe even main sections of trail) that aren’t suitable for your dog. And any in-town resupplying experiences may be significantly different when you have a dog with you.
I love Dr. Kieffer’s quote when discussing the topic of whether a dog is suited for a thru-hike: “You wouldn’t expect your grandma to go with you on a thru-hike just because she loves you.”
Just because you love your dog and your dog loves you, doesn’t mean that you should bring your dog along on a thru hike. Make sure your dog will enjoy the trip and that you are willing to make the adjustments necessary to keep your dog healthy and comfortable on the trail.
What signs would you look for in a dog that isn’t having a good time or isn’t doing well on a hike?
The signs that your dog isn’t doing well on a long hike can start off very subtle. And as noted in the podcast episode, most dogs are so loyal that they will keep hiking with their person long after the dog stops enjoying the journey.
In my experience, the biggest thing to watch for is whether or not your dog wants to keep going. If you stop and rest, does your dog get up before you? A dog that is tired, will likely only get up to follow you. A dog that is enjoying the trail is more likely to get up before you and to lead the way on the trail (if not trained to follow).
Dr. Kiefer also notes that stopping can be a major cue that something is wrong. Especially for working breeds. So pay attention to slowing and stopping.
Weight loss is another sign that your dog is not doing well on the trail. If your dog starts a thru-hike at 55 pounds, then they should finish the trail at 55 pounds. Since you likely won’t be bringing a scale with you, learn how to determine your dog’s Body Condition Score (BCS) before you head out on the trail. You want your dog to be a 5/9 for the entire trail.
During the podcast interview, Dr. Kiefer also discusses Body Condition Scoring. She recommends that a dog starts at 4.5 to 5 out of 9. Any heavier and the extra weight increases risk of injury. Then on trail, if your dog drops more than 1 full number on the body condition score, this is a sign that you have a problem.
Other cues to watch for that are great tips from the podcast include:
- a lack of bouncy and excited body language
- becoming fixated on just walking the trail and not responding to a stimulus that would normally excite your dog (i.e. like a deer on the side of the trail or other people passing by)
- a reduction in appetite/ becoming more finicky when eating
Is it true that you shouldn’t put more than 10% of a dog’s weight in their pack?
While a well conditioned dog can carry more, your goal should be to keep your dog’s pack weight under 10% of their body weight. Dogs can’t talk and it can be difficult to determine when a pack is too heavy. So avoid over loading your dog by keeping the weight low.
There are some recommendations on the internet to have dogs carry up to 20% of their body weight. This may be okay for large draft-type breeds (like a St. Bernard), but carrying 20% of body weight significantly increases the burden on joints.
For example, take a 150-pound human. Carrying 15 pounds on your back is pretty easy. But if you double that and carry a pack that is 30 pounds, you will likely start to feel that extra weight on your legs and knees. Especially if you are walking downhill.
Depending on the size of your dog, 10% may not amount to much. And your dog may not be able to carry much gear. For example, my dog Glia is 40 pounds. So I limit her to 4 pounds of gear. That being said, if you are hiking with a small dog, at least they won’t add much weight to your pack.
If you are curious as to what I pack on weekend backpacking trips and what Glia carries herself, click the image below.
During the podcast interview, Dr. Kiefer also recommended 10-20%, with most average dogs in the 10-15% range. She recommends starting light and working up to more weight. On her own long-distance hike, her 60-pound standard poodle, Ozzy, carried 15% of his body weight when fully loaded.
Do you have a recommendation for adjusting how much you are feeding your dog?
Your dog likely needs to eat 25-100% more calories while backpacking. If you are headed out for a quick couple night trip, you can just increase by 25%. But if you are hiking 20 mile days for a week or more and having your dog wear a pack, you may need to double how many calories you offer them.
In my post on TurboPup Meal Bars, I break down how to calculate how many calories your dog needs while backpacking. But here is a quick synopsis of how to do this.
Know your dog’s resting energy requirements (RER). This gives you an estimate of how many calories your dog needs for basic functions, like breathing and brain function.
The most commonly used formula is:
RER = Dogs weight in kgs (divide weight in pounds by 2.2) x 30 + 70
Once you have a dog’s RER, you can then calculate the dog’s maintenance energy requirements (MER). For dogs at a healthy weight, who are attempting to maintain their current weight, MER will be somewhere between 1.6-3.0 x RER while out on the trail. This range is dependent on the amount of activity, how tough the trail is, how far you are hiking, how fast your dog walks, etc.
The range of 1.6 to 3.0 is taken from the fact that MER = 1.6 x RER for spayed and neutered dogs at a healthy weight for an every day lifestyle. For working dogs, calorie needs can be up to 4.0 x RER.
For more information on calculating RER and MER/DER, check out these two fantastic resources:
Dr. Kiefer offered her own examples, which I have listed below:
- For short distance backpacking trips (5-7) days, minimal adjustment. For a dog that gets 3 cups per day, bring an extra 1/2 to 1 cup per day. This is a roughly 15-30% increase.
- For long-distance hiking, increase the amount fed significantly after 2-3 weeks on the trail. Her dog normally receives 4 cups/day at home and would have needed nearly 8 cups per day if feed only kibble.
Do you use the same food on the trail as you do at home? And what do you feed your dog?
I do use the same food on trail as I use at home, although I will sometimes bring dog meal bars or energy bars to help reduce the bulk of kibble that I need to bring. Recently we have tried out both the Kronch Pemmikan Dog Energy Bar and TurboPUP meal bars. Additionally, Glia will share some of my food during the hike.
At home we feed Purina ProPlan Sensitive Skin and Stomach. If I ever take Glia on a thru-hike, we may need to transition to a higher calorie per cup diet and/or try a dehydrated food. In that case, I would switch to the new food for 1-2 weeks before starting the hike to make sure that Glia’s digestive tract was used to the new food.
As noted above, Dr. Kieffer struggled with the amount of volume her dog would need per day while on trail. If she stayed with regular diet, by the end of the trail, her dog would need up to 8 cups per day.
Interestingly, Dr. Kiefer also feeds Purina ProPlan to her dog at home. So prior to starting on the trail, she switched Ozzy from a normal adult formula to the performance formula (which had an additional 120 kcals/cup). She also replaced some of her dogs food with the following supplements to reduce bulk/weight:
- Anmeet? (I could only find a brand called Annamaet)
- Nutrical (or similar gel)
You can listen to the podcast to learn more about the amounts that she fed while on trail.
Do you get special booties for your dog?
Yes, my dog, Glia, does have a couple of pairs of dog boots. Her Muttluk Fleece-Lined Dog Boots are intended for cold weather and snowy conditions. But her dog booties from DogBooties.com work well in a wide variety of trail conditions.
The dog booties are lightweight and easy to pack. Depending on trail conditions, I may not bring a full 4-paw set. But whenever we backpack I always have at least two dog booties with us. While most of the trails we hike aren’t very tough on my dog’s paws, the dog booties work great to add a layer of protection over the paw pad if an injury were to occur.
Dr. Kiefer used Ruffwear dog boots with the rubber soles, as her dog was transitioning from the soft soil of the Midwest to the rockier and rougher terrain of Colorado mountains during her long hike and she wanted extra protection.
She also noted that she does not recommend having a dog wear boots all the time. Dogs cool down by two main mechanisms (which I discuss furthers in this post) and paws can get moist in boots and be at higher risk of sores. Additionally, if your dog is always in boots they won’t acclimate to the terrain.
The discussion on dog boots last for several minutes in this podcast, so I highly recommend listening to it if you are interested. You can start around minute 48 if you want to hear Dr. Kiefer discuss dog boots.
How do you know when to put booties on your dog?
Honestly, my dog typically tells me when she needs booties to be put on. In the winter, she will hold up a paw if she is getting cold paws. I will place a bootie on that paw and we will continue on.
For injuries/irritation of the paw pad, I watch for any limping or sensitivity. And Dr. Kiefer recommended getting into the routine of checking your dogs paw pads at the end of each day, which I thought was a great idea. Assess for any cracking or peeling on the pads, as well as look for redness between the toes of the paw.
In order to get a really good look at your dog’s paws, it is important that your dog is used to laying on his or her side and really letting you look at their paws before you start hiking. If your dog won’t let you get a good look when there paws feel normal, they likely won’t let you look at an injury.
When you see irritation developing, your dog may need to slow down or wear a dog boot for a few days. If your dog does need to wear a boot for a few days, you could also consider following Dr. Kiefer’s advice to apply Musher’s Secret to the crevices of the paws before putting booties on to prevent wears or blisters.
What is Musher’s secret and how do you use it? How did you keep your dog from licking off the salve?
*Just a head’s up. The next section paragraph contains a link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Affiliate and earn with qualifying purchases.
Musher’s Secret* is a paw salve. It is sold as a waxy ointment that can be applied to a paw for extra protection or as a lubricant. Dr. Kiefer compared it to applying body glide to your own foot.
Personally, I do have a container of Musher’s Secret, but have not used it much with my own dogs. However, this is the paw salve that I recommend when dogs are having paw issues. When applied regularly it can help prevent cracking and keep your dog’s paw pads supple. To use this way, you would want to apply the paw balm at night. Many hikers also use Musher’s Secret in the winter to provide a layer of protection between their dog’s paws and the snow and ice if they aren’t wearing dog boots.
To prevent your dog from licking the Musher’s Secret off, you will need to either place a bootie on the paws or distract your dog for 10-15 minutes after applying the salve. Applying before feeding your dog or interacting with them in some way can reduce the chances that your dog licks the salve right off.
Do all dogs need booties? And in what conditions do dogs need them?
No, not all dogs need dog booties. But it is a good idea to bring a set along on any long-distance hike in case your dog develops any paw issues.
Just like your feet, your dogs paws can toughen up and acclimate to various terrains. That being said, the following conditions should prompt you to consider whether or not your dog needs to wear boots.
- Cold, Snow, and Ice
- Rough, Sharp, Rocky Terrain
- Hot Pavement or Sand
And no, Dr. Kiefer didn’t think that all dogs need booties either. And she would caution people against putting all types of boots on all dogs all the the time. There were some times when her dog would only wear one boot, as he only had one paw that needed it.
What age should dogs start backpacking?
Dogs can start going on full backpacking trips once they are 1-2 years of age and their joints have stopped growing. Larger breed dogs will need to wait longer, as typically it takes longer for them to fully mature.
However, if you plan short mileage and hike slowly on easy terrain, younger dogs can benefit from the experience of learning how to behave and overnight on the trail before they reach a year of age.
Dr. Kiefer recommended keeping puppies on leash and starting slow. She uses the following guidelines:
- 5 months or younger: no more than 2-3 mile walks. Your dog can wear a pack, but don’t fill it.
- 6 months: You can start increasing mileage, but be careful with how strenuous those miles are. At 6 months most dogs can do 3-5 miles with an average owner.
- 8-12 months: You can start adding lightweight items to your dog’s pack.
What signs should people look for that their dog might be too old for hiking or backpacking?
The signs that your dog might be too old for hiking or backpacking are the same signs to look for when determining if your dog is enjoying hiking. Does your dog want to keep going? Are they painful or limping after a hike?
Personally, I believe that most dogs never get to old to go hiking. But you need to adjust the hike to your dog’s ability level. So if you have an old and arthritic dog, you need to choose gentle terrain, slow your hikes down, and shorten the miles.
Per Dr. Kiefer, around 8-10 years of age is when you need to start paying attention for an average dog, like a Labrador Retreiver. If your dog is not wanting to do as much mileage and is getting tired earlier, they may not be able to join you on a thru hike. And have a contignency plan if you do take an older dog on a thru hike and they aren’t doing well.
Would you recommend certain commands for people and dogs to learn before taking their dog on trail?
There are several commands that I recommend working on with your dog before taking your dog on the trail.
- Loose leash walking: You will have to re-train this skill while on the trail, as it will be harder when your dog is smelling all the smells and seeing the new sights on the trail
- Leave-it: Help your dog learn to leave squirrels/wildlife, leave edible things, and leave other dogs and people alone
- Recall: If your dog is going to have any off-leash or long-leash opportunities, they need to have a reliable recall.
- Behind: Teaching your dog to walk behind you can be helpful when navigating more technical terrain.
- Wait/Slow: Teaching your dog how to slow down and wait for you can be helpful, even when your dog is on-leash.
- Over: Jump up and over obstacles that you are going to step over (rather than walking under logs and tangling the leash).
- Back up: If you hike with your dog on a leash, this skill is very helpful when untangling from trees
- Drink: Some dogs won’t drink right away when outside and excited. Teaching your dog to take a drink on command can be helpful in maintaining good hydration while on trail.
Dr. Kiefer’s List:
- A really reliable recall.
- “Get Behind” to have your dog walk behind you when passing people or navigating certain sections of the trail.
- “Side” to ask your dog to walk on your right side when passing other hikers.
- “Get in Front” to ask her dog to walk in front of her when she wants to watch him navigate the trail.
- Learning “on-trail” vs. “off-trial” for when she wants her dog to step off of the trail.
Do you have tips for someone trying to train their dog for trail commands? And how do you feel with positive reinforcement being the only thing you use to train your dog?
In this podcats, positive reinforcement only is being defined as Just using praise and not reprimanding for negative behaviors
Training is so important when helping your dog develop into a great trail dog. I do recommend positive reinforcement-based training, as numerous research studies have supported that this style of training is as effective as using aversive methods and is associated with less behavioral and physical concerns.
Here are links to two review articles evaluating this topic:
- Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare
- The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs – A review from the Journal of Veterinary Behavior
Dr. Kiefer stated that it is a longer road but you are going to have better, more consistent responses if you use positive reinforcement far more than negative. She will correct wrong behaviors with a no. But if you can do 80-90% positive reinforcement, you will have a better, more consistent response from your dog.
She also talks about luring and shaping and some other training tips if you are interested.
Want to find out more about backpacking with dogs?
Check out this great list of articles, YouTube videos, and Gear lists posted on GroundbirdGear.com. And if you don’t have a backpack for your dog yet, Grounbird Gear makes the best dog backpack on the market (in my opinion). You can read my review here.
Additionally, you can find more about Dr. Kristina Kiefer at any of these links below.
And don’t forget to check out TheTrek.com for lots of great long-distance backpacking resources.
Happy Hiking Everyone!
Kate, Glia, and Sasha
