As part of my Amazon splurge, I picked up two books specifically about hiking in this region.
The first one, Doggin’ Northern Virginia: The 50 Best Places to Hike with Your Dog in NOVA, is exactly as it says on the cover, so judge away. The beginning of the book has some great tips about preparing to hike with your dog as well as a top 10 list of things to look for on your hikes.
The main part of the book summarizes the 50 hikes and consistently contains directions, trail information, dog friendliness and even canine swimming (a favorite feature of Karma’s). This is a great book when determining where you can take your dog.
The second book is 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Washington, DC. Now this is a “real” hiking book as it contains the type of information usually found in more serious hiking books, such as elevation changes, map references, trail surfaces, scenery, configuration and more. If you have read other guides or even the ones I talked about last time, this is the type of book you are used to.
If I had a magic wand I would combine these two books. The “Doggin’” book doesn’t have enough trail information and the “60” book doesn’t tell me about dog friendliness. I find I am using the “Doggin’” book to find the trail then the “60” book as the real guide. Yes, it’s kind of a pain, but together they are all the information you need. Best of all, they are expanding my knowledge of the nearby area and encouraging me to try new hikes!
I am not a vet nor have I ever played one on TV. This is important because you should always take your vet’s advice over mine. Always. That said, I do have some tips and advice to share about making sure you are prepared when you head out on your next adventure.
One argument for always hiking with a buddy – I actually mean a person, not just your dog – is in case of serious injury to you or your dog, there is someone who can go for help. I am not a paranoid person, but it is possible that someone sustains an injury that keeps him or her from hopping out of the woods on his/her own. Also, I have a big dog and I only outweigh him by (ahem) 20 pounds so carrying him anywhere is out of the question!
So in my day pack at all times is the first aid kit from Ruff Wear. It comes with a first aid booklet and let me say, the first time you read this should NOT be on the trail when you need it! Know what information and materials it contains before you head out – you may even want to add to it.
For instance, recently I had to make a muzzle out of an old T-shirt in order to examine Karma’s foot. It worked great and I learned two things: 1) Karma is more the biting type than the submissive type when he’s hurt and 2) the T-shirt worked great. (I cut a 4” strip off the bottom of a cotton T-shirt in one long strip all the way around. I then applied the center of the strip to the top of Karma’s muzzle, then crossed it under his muzzle then wrapped it up behind his ears where I tied it around the high part of his neck.)
You should also have a little kit of other necessities that are more specific to your dog in a waterproof baggie. Karma’s contains Pepto Bismol, K9 aspirin, a tick remover (or tweezers) and that stretchy & sticky bandage stuff known by a brand name of Vetwrap made by 3M. (Be careful with this wonderful invention as you can easily pull it too tight and cause a different problem than the one you’re tying to solve. Practice on yourself to see how it feels it you’ve never used it!)
I also just read about another 3M product – Pet Care Spray-On Liquid Bandage to use on split or cut paw pads. I am definitely going to pick up a bottle of this.
Dog “booties” are another thing to have on hand. On our last hike, Karma started out great, but by the end of 3+ miles and several rock scrambles, a rear foot was hurting him. Dogs have to build up the toughness on their pads just like we would if we suddenly went from walking on grass and sidewalks to gravel. Be sure you are checking their feet throughout the hike and looking for signs of stress.
Finally, I picked up a great book that also comes with a DVD. Dog First Aid by the American Red Cross is a great reference book and video. This is a great reference for every dog owner and covers topics from giving your dog medications all the way to choking and serious injuries. Within the book it also has little disc icons that refer you to the included DVD for more information.
Got a first aid tip to share? Tell us!
The other day I went crazy on Amazon.com and bought a bunch of books about hiking with dogs and hiking in general in our region. The first group I will tell you about focuses on the Shenandoah National Park and are Falcon Guides.
The first book – Hiking Shenandoah National Park by Bert and Jane Gildart is a must have! While it is a general hiking guide, it will tell you if dogs are not allowed on a particular trail or if it is unsafe for dogs to drink the water – very important!
What I really appreciate about this guide is the detailed information about each trail, especially the elevation change information. Three miles is one thing, three miles with an 800 ft. elevation change and rock scrambles is something totally different. This is a must have if you are heading to SNP!
The second book, also by Bert and Jane, is Best Easy Day Hikes: Shenandoah National Park. As the name suggests, this is a subset of the previous book and as such is smaller and thinner – great for the daypack when you head out. The way we typically use the two books is to do “homework” and planning with the first book then carry this one in the pack when doing an easier hike. A nice to have.
Finally, I tried Shenandoah National Park Pocket Guide (Bert and Jane still). This one is a disappointment, so don’t fall for it. I was hoping it would be something even more compact that I could take in my pack but other than the fun pop-out maps in the beginning and end, it really doesn’t have much value. Skip this one.
Got a favorite book or guide? Tell us about it!
