Great Falls Park
Time: Totally up to you
Length: Variable
Gear: daypack – water – leash – map (optional)
Difficulty Level: 1 paws
Scenery: 4 paws
Pack: You and your dog
My friend, Judy K and her herd, reminded me of what a nice, reliable, beautiful hike Great Falls is. The park is well visited and can be busy, especially on a summer afternoon, but this time of year or in the mornings it is peaceful and scenic.
If you have never been, you are missing some amazing views of the Potomac River. The Falls live up to their reputation but be careful with your pooch near the edges! No kidding, people die every year there thinking they can tame the rapids and falls. Not!
Great Falls connects to Riverbend which I have talked about previously. Riverbend is fantastic in it’s own way and is much less busy. Just bring a map because you will have many less-traveled options for your hike.
Last week when the temperature crept over the 50 mark, it made me dream of spring and hikes in the mountains! Ahhhh. And that was the perfect reminder – am I in shape for the first hike of the season? More importantly, is my dog?
It’s easy to forget that while you may be hitting the treadmill in the winter, your dog relies completely on you for exercise. I don’t know about you, but when the weather is yucky I have been known to shorten a walk or opt for the backyard potty to avoid the elements or the dark.
Which is fine, of course, but it means that your dog will need to get back into shape before you do a three-miler with a grade change of 600 feet! Karma and I participate in other doggie activities year round but even agility runs aren’t the same as a few hours in Shenandoah National Park.
So what’s a team to do?
- Take advantage of the rare warm(er) days and double the time of your walk.
- Look for even slight inclines and small hills in your neighborhood and walk up and down them to work different muscle groups.
- Build both stamina and strength in your dogs – sometimes walks can be about duration, sometimes strength.
- Use a doggy backpack to make your dog think about what he’s doing and to build strength. A dog should be able to carry 1/3 of his weight but not right away! Start with a small bottle of water on each side of the pack (if you have a small dog, don’t fill the bottles all the way).
- Vary your dog’s pace to build cardio strength – chasing balls, fast walks, etc.
- Look at the calendar and work backwards. If you were to sign up to run a 10k in say, June, you would start training accordingly. Treat your dog the same way!
But wait, there’s more!
The temperatures are still bone chilling and you can never be too careful with your best friend!
So here are a few more tips for taking care of your pup.
- You may not have antifreeze in your garage, but it can collect on roads and driveways. It tastes and smells good to dogs, but it is highly lethal.
- Watch out for anything your dog picks up on a walk – or better yet, don’t let him! Karma is surprisingly fast when it comes to picking up something during a walk and at the end of an extension leash he’s harder to control. But a good friend lost her dog to something they never knew the dog ate while walking so be careful!
- Rock salt or other ice-melting products is all over sidewalks, driveways and roadways this time of year. These various products may be harmful to your dog’s paws so be sure to clean them off. Also, buy “paw-friendly” products for your own home.
- Be careful of supplemental heat sources like fireplaces and portable heaters. Your dog can easily burn himself.
- Like us two-legged creatures, dogs are also susceptible to illnesses in the winter so be sure to visit the vet if you see any symptoms.
- Do NOT use over-the-counter medications on your dog without consulting your vet. I’m talking about both the ones meant for humans and those meant for dogs.
OK, so here I am again with more health and welfare tips! This time some reminders as the thermometers display cold temperatures and we are layered-up for walks.
As I may have mentioned (like a hundred times), my dog LOVES the cold but in some ways, that can almost make it harder to notice early signs that even my snow dog has to come in from the cold. Once Karma played so long in the snow that his paws were bright red that night and painful the next morning. So even if your dog loves this weather, please read on. These tips were taken from information on AKC.org.
- Don’t leave your dog outside in the cold for long periods of time or certainly without monitoring. Windchill affects them just as much so pay attention.
- Adequate shelter is a necessity! Even inside, make sure your dog is protected from drafts and too-cold floors. Provide options for them – from beds to towels to bare floors – so they can mange their needs.
- Watch out when walking near bodies of water that may look frozen as looks can be deceiving and weak spots occur.
- Keep you dog well groomed in order for his natural insulation to function properly. You may also need to clip hair in some places if it is holding onto snow – like the bottoms of feet.
- If your dog needs a coat, get him a coat! We like the Foggy Mountain coats but there are literally thousands to choose from. (also check out our previous post!)
- You may need to feed additional calories if your dog is spending a lot of time outdoors. It takes more energy in the winter to regulate body temperature. Just don’t go overboard!
- Be sure to thoroughly dry you dog after he comes in from the rain or snow and check the condition of his feet.
- Don’t leave your dog in a car as it can get cold in there fast. And running the engine doesn’t help, as the carbon monoxide fumes can be dangerous.
