Travelling with a Dog
By Shivli Singh
There’s almost no reason not to take your senior dog on an outdoor adventure but many reasons to take your pup! Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the benefits for your dog–and for you:
Physical exercise. Necessary as our dogs age to maintain strength and keep him or her at a healthy weight.
Reduce boredom. Though they may not show it like puppies do, aka eating the couch, older dogs can get mighty bored lying around the house all day.
Fresh air <– something we ALL need more of
Mental stimulation. The sights, the sounds, the smells!
Reduce anxiety and depression. Estimates suggest that as many as 75 percent of senior dogs deal with depression.
A dose of vitamin D. This helps your dog maintain normal calcium and phosphorus levels.
Bonding time. Outdoor adventures help you and your dog keep that bond strong.
With all those benefits, there’s no reason not to get outside! Let’s start today with a solid plan.
On the trail:
Harness with a handle. That handle will prove invaluable if you have to help your dog over a fallen tree or through a creek bed. For his first decade,Cooper always wore a Kurgo pack with saddlebags to tote his own water, poop bags, and first aid supplies. Now, I don’t want him to lug the extra weight, so he has a Ruffwear harness in red to make him stand out in the woods.
GingerLead , optional. We’re not here yet with Coop , but for dogs who need the extra lift support, nothing beats a GingerLead. It’s better for you, too, since you don’t have to do as much bending and lifting. Highly recommend! Just make sure you check their fit chart before you order!
First aid kit. Treat cuts and scrapes on the trail. Older dogs require more help to heal. For short hikes, I keep a teeny-tiny kit like this one clipped to the leash, but for longer hikes or to keep in your car, stow a full kit.
There’s almost no reason not to take your senior dog on an outdoor adventure but many reasons to take your pup! Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the benefits for your dog–and for you:
Physical exercise. Necessary as our dogs age to maintain strength and keep him or her at a healthy weight.
Reduce boredom. Though they may not show it like puppies do, aka eating the couch, older dogs can get mighty bored lying around the house all day.
Fresh air <– something we ALL need more of
Mental stimulation. The sights, the sounds, the smells!
Reduce anxiety and depression. Estimates suggest that as many as 75 percent of senior dogs deal with depression.
A dose of vitamin D. This helps your dog maintain normal calcium and phosphorus levels.
Bonding time. Outdoor adventures help you and your dog keep that bond strong.
With all those benefits, there’s no reason not to get outside! Let’s start today with a solid plan.
On the trail:
Harness with a handle. That handle will prove invaluable if you have to help your dog over a fallen tree or through a creek bed. For his first decade,
First aid kit. Treat cuts and scrapes on the trail. Older dogs require more help to heal. For short hikes, I keep a teeny-tiny kit like this one clipped to the leash, but for longer hikes or to keep in your car, stow a full kit.
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