At the start of our hike, we needed a pow wow and brief introductions
This gorgeous dude, Hank, the rhodesian ridgeback . . . fell in love with me
I gave him an ear full and told him that I like hiking with dogs, but I'm not interested in a relationship at the moment. Alas! It was too late.
No matter, I decided to proceed by finding a super cool rock
Linguini to paid her respects too
And so did Sue. Copycats!
We were having a blast, but all the while we minded Linguini, our senior dog. After her recent face plant, we've become even more conservative. We don't take off as far as we used to and we all keep an eye on our girl at all times, in case she needs us.
On rare occasions, she did need our assistance. We don't want to deprive her of her fun, so from now on, this is the way it's going to be. We're going to enjoy hiking with dogs, but we'll be careful and considerate.
"Hey, what's taking you slow pokes so long? I'm a three legged dog and I still have to wait up for you."
As I was saying, I'll be more careful and considerate . . . soon
I was feeling a little crowded in this photo. See how adoringly Hank is looking at me? Is it love or does he think I'm an appetizer?
Dog hiking is the best and it is also very healthy. It helps keep everyone fit. All you need to do is be well prepared and know the limitations of every pack member. We always try to hike by running water, to avoid risking dehydration, and we are well aware of the natural threats of our surroundings (including rattle snakes, coyotes, etc). We stay by our biped pack leaders and watch out for one another. Also, in our desire to enjoy our hikes, we tend to all get along and develop wonderful relationships that under different circumstances would pause a challenge.
For those of you who can't hike by running water, there are several options available. There are wonderful and convenient water bowls and water bowl sets
available that weigh close to nothing and are easy to take with you. Tons of dog hiking gear
to take along and if you don't like carrying stuff, and if your dog isn't too tiny, you can always invest in a dog backpack
.
available that weigh close to nothing and are easy to take with you. Tons of dog hiking gearto take along and if you don't like carrying stuff, and if your dog isn't too tiny, you can always invest in a dog backpack. Take a hike!
Twinkie
, beef pizzles, pizzle sticks, beef sticks, and steer six, are made of bull penises. That is the only ingredient in them. The bull's (approximately 23" long) penis is, um, removed, cleaned, and hung to drain and dry, hopefully getting rid of the stinky smells during that process. Next, the bully sticks are stretched, braided, and/or twisted and eventually dried. Sometimes they are smoked to add flavor and make them more interesting for your dogs. The end result is a thirty to forty inch long dog chew that is hard to chew and that can be cut to any size you desire. In order to save money, we usually buy the largest size we can find and then use a Dremel tool or a hand saw to chop it down and divide between the three dogs. The cats have really no interest in this particular dog treat. I wish I could say the same for our chicken strips. but we have to fight over those. 
which is created under extreme pressure out of layers of beef hide. This type also lasts 2-5 times longer than regular rawhide treats. 
, one of our favorites, are not problem-free either. They can break your dog's teeth, and small sharp bits can tear the bowel's wall, something that in most cases causes infection and death. 
, another favorite of ours, can also cause blockages and may contain salmonella. Some people prefer 
chews thinking they are safer. That's not the case either. They may not splinter of break but there is a danger that your dog will not be able to properly digest the small particles that sometimes are not passed through the digestive system. Just a few short weeks ago we purchased 
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