10 things you need to do to have a great off-leash hike!

10 things you need to do to have a great off-leash hike!

Taking your dog on an off-leash adventure is one of the things we dog owners look forward to most.  There is nothing quite like watching your exuberant dog bound with joy up a mountain trail. And who doesn’t love being hands free??? But a seemingly perfect trip can turn sour fast if you and your dog are not prepared.  Dogs can get disoriented and lost if they stray too far, or they can get in trouble with other animals (wild or domestic) if you aren’t careful.  Going off-leash is a privilege that needs to be earned by your dog (and you!).  Following these tips will help you enjoy your off-leash time even more, and if you aren’t ready yet, will hopefully help to prepare you for when the time comes!

1. Bring a leash (huh?)! Keep the leash on you at all times so you can leash up your pup if necessary (see below for some examples)
2. Practice, practice, PRACTICE your dog’s recall.  It needs to be 100% reliable before going off-leash anywhere in public
3. Bring treats! Use your dog’s favorite treats to continue to reinforce that great recall. Give only when your dog comes right away, not when she waits or wanders in the wrong direction before deciding to work her way to you.  You want her to know that she comes right away, every time. (and for goodness sake, don’t scold your dog if she doesn’t come right away- you also want her to know that coming to you is a good thing!)
4. Respect the others on the trail: if you see a leashed dog coming towards you, call your dog and keep him close.  The leashed dog may be perfectly friendly, but don’t assume and don’t let your dog run up to unknown leashed dogs as they are at a disadvantage and could become defensive.  If you aren’t sure if your dog can resist the temptation, use the leash until you have passed (see #1)
5. Don’t let your dog go so far from you that she is out of your sight.  If she is not coming to you reliably, leash her for the remainder of the walk, go home and see #2 before attempting your next off leash walk.  Or, try attaching a long lead to your dog to drag on the ground- if she starts to go too far and isn’t recalling, simply step on the rope and stop her in her tracks. Remember, it takes time and off-leash walking is a privilege, don’t get discouraged!
6. Remember, it’s not a free for all. You can allow your dog to run and play with others, but make sure they are not a danger to other hikers/bikers/dogs/horses, etc on the trail.  Stop play when others (people and dogs included) not with your group are passing through.  See #1- use the leash if necessary until the others are safely by. Don’t assume that because it is an off-leash trail everyone will be ok with your dog.
7. This one’s a no-brainer- pick up after your dog!  Just because he’s off leash doesn’t mean you can pretend you didn’t see it, especially if it is in the middle of the trail- remember #5- your dog should always be in sight anyway….
8. Bring water! An off leash dog often covers, 2, 3, 4, or 10X the distance we cover in their running back and forth and up and down.  She’ll need water to rehydrate, and it’s best she doesn’t drink from strange pools of standing water (like mine loves to do)
9. Keep your eyes open – off leash trails are often in rural or wilderness areas and come with lots of wildlife, some of which can be dangerous.  Take the necessary precautions.  Leash your dog if you spot a coyote- they may try to lure your dog away from you. Don’t let your dog chase after prey animals as she may lose track of you and get lost.  And in the summer,  especially if you live in the western states, beware of rattlesnakes.  If your dog is an off trail explorer, she may need to stay leashed for those months when rattlesnake danger is at its highest.  You can also get a rattlesnake vaccine (which buys you time in case of a bite) and take a rattlesnake aversion course so she will learn not to try to play with a snake…but she can still accidentally stumble over one.  Use your own discretion….
10. Flea/tick and heartworm preventive- whatever your preferred method, use it and keep  it up to date.  Check your dog after every hike for ticks- they love to hide in folds of skin where it’s warm- so do an extra check around the ears, in their “armpits” and in the groin area.  They also like to get under the collar around the neck. 

Best Friends launches NKLA (No-Kill Los Angeles)

Last night, Best Friends revealed to a crowd full of celebrities, rescue advocates, and animal lovers of all types, their plan to make Los Angeles a "No-Kill" city. What does this mean? 

LAST YEAR, OVER 56,000 DOGS AND CATS ENTERED LOS ANGELES CITY SHELTERS. MORE THAN 17,000 BEAUTIFUL, HEALTHY OR TREATABLE SHELTER PETS WERE KILLED. 17,000. 

Best Friends' proposal to solve this problem is twofold:

1- Fewer animals entering the shelter system due to spaying and neutering

2- More animals exiting the shelter (alive) due to more adoptions and fostering

Simple, right? It will be if we spread the word. 

We at Fetch are proud to be active volunteers with Best Friends and their NKLA campaign.  We hope you will join us.

To learn more about NKLA, visit their website and "like" them on Facebook.

Day of a Dog Walker: Chapter 2: The walk (s) and breakfast

In a perfect world, they could all go out together. But due to varying walking speeds, stamina, and reactivity, I choose to walk in shifts.  But who first?  Mr. Long black tail will find things to eat and tear apart, if left behind, so he gets to go on BOTH walks, lucky guy. He is already bounding around the room excitedly and when I pull out the lash and ask him to “sit,” I get a 2 second sit followed by a jump and a “hor-ra-row.” I give him a look and he sits back down, but squirms his head around as I try to loop the gentle leader over his long snout.  “Eh” I utter and he finally stops squirming long enough for me to fasten the leader to his collar.  Now he is off prancing about with the leash in his mouth.  Meanwhile, the little wrestler has been sitting patiently, occasionally rocking back and forth on his front feet in a show of mild impatience.  He will go along on the first round.

The first walk is fairly uneventful.  We walk slowly and only around the short block as the wrestler’s tendonitis is bothering him. Also he just likes to take his time and sniff everything in sight and this gives Long Tail the opportunity to pee on everything in sight, which then of course prompts the wrestler to pee on top of everything peed upon.  But it’s early and quiet and no one else is out, so it’s nice. 

We arrive back, and it’s now time for the Little Miss to join Long Tail- he gets two walks so I can keep an eye on him.  He could wait in a crate but he’ll wake up the whole building with his impatient barking at this hour so for the sake of my husband and neighbors, he gets to walk again.  He didn’t poop on the first round anyway, so he needs more exercise.

This is a much faster walk, as both dogs are young and want to GO.  They are also both a little bit leash reactive so we keep an eye out for other dogs approaching. We are ready to turn, cross the street, or reverse direction at any time. I believe that avoidance of confrontation at such an early hour is the best action.  I can’t control how the other owner controls their dog, and don’t want to take any chances that the other dog we pass could be just as reactive as my two.   But this morning is quiet, no dogs in sight and we move swiftly around the 2 mile route.

Back home, the wrestler is anxiously awaiting breakfast.  I find him sitting in front of the door, as if he has been staring at it the entire we have been out.

Everyone is unleashed and the Little Miss and Long Tail are off creating a ruckus as they jump and play.  I silently apologize to my downstairs neighbor- hopefully she is up and getting ready for work anyway.

I start running water to refill the water bowls for the day, and open the food bin and begin doling out the portions.  Glucosamine tablets are crumbled into the wrestlers food, and finally, a little crumble of freeze dried raw patty in each bowl as a little “dessert.” At one end of the kitchen goes the wrestler’s bowl, but I have to block Long Tail as he is desperate to get to any food bowl before it is plunked down. Long Tail and Little Miss follow me excitedly to the other room, where I plunk their bowls into their crates.

As they eat, I finish filling water bowls and then fill the water chamber of the coffee maker and flip on the coffee.  I wash my face, throw in my contacts and gather my things.   Coffee is ready, and in a travel cup it goes.  Off to the morning insulin shot for “grumpy” kitty.  Hope she’s in a good mood today!