Hiking with Dogs: Make your trip easy on Fido and the environment

Hiking with dogs is a great way to spend time in nature, but doing so can have impacts on both the land and your dog. Hike the right way with our pet-friendly tips below:

1. Make sure Fido is wearing identification tags. Every dog owner’s nightmare is losing their pup in the woods. If this worst-case scenario happens, at least you’ll be comforted knowing that if someone finds your pup, they’ll have current contact information. If you’re staying at a campground, consider attaching a tag that states which campsite you’re at.

2. Keep your pup up-to-date on all vaccinations and other medical requirements. Your four-legged friend could contract diseases and parasites out in wilderness. Heartworm, contracted by mosquitoes, is one parasite your dog should be protected against.

3. Be a responsible master, learn the rules. Depending on who manages the land you’ll be recreating on, there can be an array of dog-related regulations. Many national forests have trails that require dogs to be leashed (some don’t allow dogs), while others allow off-leash dogs as long as they are under voice control. National parks and many state parks do not allow dogs on trails. If you aren't sure of the regulations, call the ranger station, national park or state agency in charge of the trail you’re about to hike. If I’m out on a trail, I prefer hiking with my dog always leashed – this allows better control in case they spook wildlife and can help alleviate issues with people, especially children, who are frightened of dogs.

4. Practice Leave No Trace. Blend your visit with the natural environment and take care of our public lands. Always remember to: keep your dog on the trail, dispose of your dog’s waste properly (don’t leave it sitting in the trail, pick it up and bag it or bury it in a cathole), respect wildlife (don’t let your dog chase wild animals) and be considerate of other visitors by making sure your dog has been trained in basic commands and is under voice control.

5. Condition yourself and your dog before a trip. Don’t assume that because Fido runs around the yard a million miles an hour, he will be able to hike upwards of ten miles a day. Just like humans, dogs need to train up to longer hikes. Start out with an easier trail and work up to longer distance hikes. Your dog will love you more at the end of the day. Note that many dog owners wait until the dog is at least a year old before taking him on a strenuous hike to give the puppy’s growing muscles, bones and joints time to mature.

6. Let Fido carry his own provisions. A long day out on the trail will require your dog to be properly fed and hydrated. This is especially important to those breeds of dogs that overheat easily due to thick fur coats or physiology. If you’re worried about the weight of your gear in addition to carrying food and water for your pup, consider purchasing a dog pack (here’s an array of packs that REI offers) so your dog can carry his own food and water. Make sure to train the dog (with the pack filled with food and water) before embarking on a lengthy trip. Many outdoor stores sell collapsible dog bowls for easy transport. Note that dogs should be at least a year old before carrying their own pack since a puppy’s body is still in the developmental stage. Also note that at least one hour should pass between feeding your dog and vigorous exercise (and vice-versa), especially in large, deep-chested breeds.

7. First aids kits aren’t only for humans. Always remember to pack a first aid kit with some canine hiking essentials. Here are a few ideas: tweezers for pulling out ticks or thorns in paws; adhesive tape and a sock to wrap an injured paw in; and a disposable razor for shaving fur around a wound. Check out this webpage for more doggy first aid kit ideas.

8. Do a thorough check in with your dog after a day’s hike. Since dogs can’t tell us what might be ailing them, we owners must be diligent in checking our pups after recreating with them. Make sure to look them over for ticks, bites, scratches and wounds (especially the pads of the dog’s feet. Use your doggy first aid kit to treat wounds.

There’s a wealth of knowledge out there about hiking with dogs. Click here for a list of books about the topic, including books listing dog-friendly trails in specific states.

Did I miss a tip? Share your ideas on how to keep your pup happy and healthy on the trail.

No Time Like the Present...

Fitness Footprints

Do you want to begin eating right and exercising, but you have absolutely no idea where to begin?  I can help you out.  Please call to schedule a fitness assessment and training session.  It does not have to be scary or intimidating!  Here are some tips to help get the beginner started:

·       DECIDE -- Goal setting is really just deciding to make a change - write down and DECIDE what it is you want to accomplish.  You may decide you want to lose 30 pounds of body fat and gain two to three pounds of muscle. Maybe you’ll decide you want to be able to walk five miles without losing your breath, or possibly fit into that size 8 dress or 31" inch waist pants. Write it down and make it quantifiable. Just saying "I want to get in shape and lose weight" is not quantifiable. There’s no target.

·      GET A CHECKUP -- Having a physical is a wise decision; because it will help assure that you will be able to attain the most benefits with the least amount of risks.  If you smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or are overweight, it’s necessary. 

·      STRUCTURE -- You will need guidance.  When signing up for a fitness program with Earth and Water Wellness, you are asked about your goals, current activity level, health history and several other measurements.  A program that matches your goal and your current fitness level will be developed specifically for you.  Also, getting a nutrition assessment will be of added value to your program. 

·     GET REAL -- Take a close look at your schedule and be realistic concerning how many days and how much time you can realistically devote to exercise. This is going to be long-term, so it has to be based on reality.  Too many people start working out every day and think that’s the best approach. Wrong! Maybe you only have two to three days to devote to exercise and only 45 minutes for each session. It’s the combination of efficient nutrition and exercise that will yield the greatest benefit, not simply excessive exercise or complete starvation. That’s a sure way to experience burn out and failure.

·     MOVE CORRECTLY -- Focus on form, technique, precision and breathing correctly during your workout.

[Feel Good] Banana Pancakes

Ya thought this was gonna be a recipe, huh?  Well, it kinda is...a recipe for happiness!

Now I know why I have been so down lately....haven't been listening to my Jack Johnson!  Just walked into my office and Banana Pancakes was playing...put an instant smile on my face!  

Rx: Find your favorite "feel-good" music and listen to it at least 2x daily.  In times of stress, increase dosage, turn up the volume and DANCE!

Read more on how music below:

• In 2006 Stanford University published an article by Emily Saarman titled “Feeling the Beat: Symposium explores the therapeutic effects of rhythmic music” which makes direct claims that music has an impact, a positive impact on our brain and its functionality.
• ScienceDaily.com (June 22, 2006) published an article on the effect that music has on our mental and immune health.  

QUOTES: Music & the Body

• "My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary." ~ Martin Luther 

• "Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and you will find that it is to the soul what the water bath is to the body." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

• "I can only think of music as something inherent in every human being - a birthright. Music coordinates mind, body, and spirit." ~ Yehudi Menuhin

• "Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul." ~ Unknown

[THOUGHT] Never Not Do Something Out of Uncertainty!

"You are able to live with uncertainty, even enjoy it. When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. It means fear is no longer a dominant factor in what you do and no longer prevents you from taking action to initiate change. The Roman Philosopher Tacitus rightly observed that "the desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise." If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity." 

                     -Eckhart Tolle, in "A New Earth" 

February Phenomenal Photos: Yosemite's Horsetail Falls

I found this on REI's open Blog...so cool!  Check this out and if you are ever in Yosemite, please appreciate your time there, it is a magical place!
It's Almost Glow Time at Yosemite's Horsetail Fall; What are 2012's Best Viewing Dates?

TUE31JAN 2012

Posted by

T.D. Wood on 21 hours ago

Once a year, for a brief period when just the right combination of circumstances align, Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park catches late afternoon light in way that transforms the waterfall into an apparent ribbon of fire.

The challenge of seeing and documenting this elusive light show brings a swarm of photographers and videographers to the park each February, though the 7- to 10-day window of opportunity varies from year to year.

When are optimal conditions anticipated in 2012? Veteran outdoor photographer Michael Frye, with more than 25 years of experience of shooting in the park, estimates that Feb. 16-23 could be this year's best stretch of days—though he says he reserves the right to update his outlook. Read his complete forecast in this report from his blog.

To better understand why this annual spectacle attracts such large numbers of camera-toting pilgrims, view the following overview by Yosemite videographer Steve Bumgardner (aka Yosemite Steve), created for the park's splendid short-film series, Yosemite Nature Notes.

Happiness Revealed

The little girl interviewed in this, who is maybe 8 years old, sums it perfectly! I highly recommend that you watch this video in its entirety, but if you are really pressed for time, skip to 3:50 on the video and then check out the Experiential Wellness Programs offered by the Dirty Girl herself through the Earth and Water Wellness Institute...because if you can't spare 10 minutes of your day to take in the beauty of nature through your computer monitor, you likely aren't exploring the world around you and taking time out to breathe in its therapeutic energies!

Nature's Therapy: Live Well

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. -- John Muir