Training to Hike

     One of my favorite things to do is hike!  I always know when my mom and dad are going because they take out the backpacks and my collapsable waterbowl.  I've been hiking with my mom since I was nine weeks old.  When my mom adopted me, my dad was in Salt Lake City working and hiking every weekend.  My mom was hiking in Montana every weekend with me.
     When I was nine weeks old, I couldn't go very far.  My mom wanted to make sure my hips were protected and my paws wouldn't get too sore.  By the time I was eleven weeks old, I had tough paws and muscular back legs.  Since my mom lived by National Forest land, we were able to go hike on logging roads every day in the middle of nowhere!  After hiking, my mom would take me to work with her.  I would stay in my crate at the sporting goods store until my mom had a lunch break, then I would go walk during her lunch hour.  She would always make sure I was so tired before I went back into my crate.  After work she would take me on another walk.  By the end of the day I was so tired that I could hardly keep my eyes open.
   My first real hike with elevation gain was a four mile hike past a blue waterfall and into a marshy lake.  We saw deer, kids, and fisherman.  I made it all the way to the top by myself.  I didn't want to get left behind.  My mom gave me treats and fed me halfway so that I had more energy.  Two miles in, we reached the top of the mountain.  My mom helped me to go swimming in the lake.  She always went in first and called me to her.  She knew I didn't like water all that much.  (Not yet!) 

Lupine Lake, Montana

11 weeks old

   I am now a great hiker and can go farther than my mom and dad can.  I think I have become the cheerleader my mom used to be.  I always go down the trail first and wait about ten feet ahead until my mom and dad catch up.  When they finally get there, I sprint ahead to wait again.  They really need to get in better shape! 

Here are some of my mom's best tips for teaching a young pup great hiking traits.  They worked great for me!  They'll work great for your pup too!

1)  Do not be the overly paranoid owner who is constantly worried about how far your puppy is from you.  As an owner, you are a leader.  You need to lead in the direction you want to go.  You do not want to follow your puppy to go pick them up and bring them closer. 

2)  Only call your dog when it is absolutely necessary!   What does this mean?  It means DO NOT call your dog unless your dog is in a dangerous position where its life is at risk.  There is a time and an age to work on recall.  A small pup can learn a basic command, but it needs to be in an enclosed area with postive praise and precise rewards. 

3)  Watch your puppy carefully and know the pup's limits.   You want a hike to be a fun and loving experience.  If your puppy is sitting down a lot and laying in the shade after going over a mile, it's probably tired.  Overworking your pup is not the answer to getting an in-shape mountain dog.

Too tired to walk

4)  Every pup has a check in signal.  Kootenai's signal involves her turning her head and waiting for me to acknowledge her.  I usually say, "Okay."  Her head turn is a check in to see if she is doing what I expect her to do.  My "okay" tells her that I see her and that she is behaving acceptably.  Not all pups use the same check in.  Some dogs will come all the way back to touch an owners hand.  Some dogs will sit on the trail.  Other dogs will walk behind you a few steps.  Watch your pup carefully.  They are trying to do it right...you just need to acknowledge the check in.  This check signal will continue throughout life if acknowledged. 

5)  Take your pup out off leash as often as possible.  I know many trainers believe that you should leave a dog on leash until the dog is fully trained.  I tend to disagree with this statement.  If you are in a location where the pup could be in danger (near cars, raging rivers, road bikes) then your pup should be on a leash.  If you are in an area like a fenced in park or National Forest area, let your dog off leash!  The dog's stress level significantly decreases and the dog is able to please you!  This is what every dog wants to do.  The biggest mistake is leaving your young pup on leash until they are six months old.  Don't make it exciting to be off leash.  Make it normal!

Big Mountain, Montana

    Those are some of my mom's best tips for those of you wanting to raise and active and agile hiking pup! Hike with you later! 

Missing Montana

   The breath goes in, out.  It's getting more desperate.  It's increasing speed. I look down over my left paw.  A two thousand foot drop of rock and scatterred shrubs fill my vision.  I see two mountain goats climbing down, skidding here and there.  My instinct says run, but I know I can't go there.  I can't do that.  I do know that I can climb higher than my mom and dad, though.  I can outrun them.  I could run away into this wilderness and have the time of my life chasing squirrels, catching mice, and swimming after wild ducks, but I don't.  I don't because I love my mom and dad.  I know that they are doing the best they can to keep up with me!  I can't wait to reach the top and knock the camera over after the timer goes off because it makes that annoying beeping sound that I hate.  It's really funny to watch my mom and dad running toward me screaming, "NO!  KOOTENAI DO NOT TOUCH THE CAMERA....!"  As I said, they are too slow.  I love to watch it hit the ground.  Kodak makes good products, though.  The camera is still alive after over one hundred hikes with my mom and dad. 

"Kootenai...Kootenai...wake up girl.  What are you dreaming about?"

Yawning, I look around.  I wish the saying, "You're not in Kansas anymore," had some truth to it. 
"Hey pretty girl...time to go for a walk!  Are you hungry?"  Mom races to the closet to grab my shiny silver bowl. 

Okay....even though I am still in Kansas, the food is the same here.   I love my meals.  After my meals and sometimes before, I am taken to the dog parks by my mom and dad.   My mom and dad take me every night because I live in an apartment and need lots of exercise.  They love to take me swimming, running, and biking.  I've decided they are a pretty great family.  Sometimes they take me to the speciality pet stores here in Overland Park to buy me new collars and pretty hand decorated puppy cookies.  I like it here, but I still miss my Montana family and friends.  I have a couple of new friends I have met at the dog park here in Kansas.  One is named Colby.  Colby is a golden retriever who sometimes stays at my house when his mommy and daddy are out of town.  The other one is named Bentley.  He loves to go to Heritage Dog Park with me and chase all of the birds.  He wears me out! 

"Come on Kootenai!  Time to go to the park!" mom grabs my pink John Deere leash.

I have to go now.  I miss my Montana adventures, but I am learning how to have fun here in Kansas.  I know my mom and dad miss the mountains a lot too because they are always trying to plan a trip to the Ozarks and they already took me hiking in Denver.  Until I am able to go back home, I will keep dreaming about my mountain climbing adventures and will share some of them with you on my blog.  I have so many stories to tell you.  Some about hiking with black bears, some about relaxing in nature, and some about how my daddy proposed to my mommy.  ( I almost knocked the ring down the waterfall!  Oops!)  Anyway...talk to you soon.  Enjoy my first blog!