One afternoon last summer, word traveled down the Glen Boulder Trail on Mount Washington to AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center: Could anyone hike in to help carry out a golden retriever? "The dog's foot pads were bleeding and worn down," recalls AMC Senior Interpretive Naturalist Nicky Pizzo. "The owner was really upset and didn't understand how this could have happened."

That same week an exhausted Rottweiler had to be carried out on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, Pizzo says. "It seemed like every week last summer there was a dog that needed to be carried down." Though perhaps not quite that frequent, the incidents—along with her observation that hundreds of dogs accompany hikers—prompted Pizzo to include a dog-care exhibit and lecture in her daily program of free interpretive talks at Pinkham Notch.

Since official rescue teams are usually reserved for human emergencies, most dog rescues go unreported, but anecdotes like Pizzo's signal an alarming trend. "This season I have seen dogs with foot injuries and in various stages of dehydration and exhaustion," says Diane Holmes, president of Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, a volunteer rescue group in the White Mountains. "At this time, I am not aware of an increase in dog rescues, but I do think more people are taking their out-of-shape dogs hiking, which could lead to an increase in animal rescues," Holmes says.

As Nancy Lyon, a dog handler in New London, N.H., and president of New England K-9 Search and Rescue, a volunteer group that uses search dogs to find lost persons in New Hampshire and Vermont, observes, "Dogs think [humans] know what we're doing. It doesn't occur to a dog that you're going to put it in harm's way." The result can be that the dog will follow until it can't take another step. "A lot of people use extremely poor judgment in taking out dogs that are overweight and underfit and putting them in a situation in which they have no way to let their owners know they need to turn back," says Lyon.

Pizzo, Holmes, and Lyon say most of these dog owners are otherwise conscientious and just lack basic information. To that end, they offer these tips to prevent injury to your own canine companion:

• Train your pup for the peaks. Most pet dogs don't get enough exercise, period. Depending on the breed, an average-sized dog should be getting a minimum of two 30-minute sessions of running (not leash walking) a day, Lyon says.

• Plan in advance. When planning to take a trip with your dog, factor in the terrain, the weather, and the dog's fitness level. Rocky, steep trails are never a good choice for Fido's feet.

• Pack accordingly. Bring plenty of high-calorie snacks and water for your dog, along with a collapsible bowl. Pack a leash to use in the event of high winds or a storm, which can cause dogs to bolt; and always leash your dog when around other hikers, and on public lands where leashes are required. Bring a normal first-aid kit, including tweezers. Stow extra socks in case of pad injuries, with rubber bands or duct tape to hold them up. Don't forget plastic bags to pack out your dog's waste.

• Watch for injury and fatigue. Stay tuned in to your dog's body language and behavior. Check his foot pads periodically for tenderness, cracks, or bleeding. If Rover starts dropping behind, he's tuckered out. Give him rest, water, shade, and food, pronto. After a break, turn back.

• Be on the lookout for heat stress. Dogs have a normal body temperature of 101. Exercising them in hot weather invites over-heating and the risk of brain damage and death. Panting is one way dogs try to cool down. If your pooch starts panting faster, it's time for a shady rest, a drink, and a snack.

• Keep winter hazards in mind. In cold weather there's less risk of over-heating, but greater risk of hypothermia. As in humans, shivering is the first sign. If your dog starts shivering, give him water, food, and shelter; place him on an insulated pad and cover him. Other winter hazards include exhaustion and injury because of deep snow and slick ice. And abrasive snowballs build up between dogs' toes, so check Fido's feet often and gently remove the snow. —J.R.B.

-Article by Jane Roy Brown
-Reprinted with permission by AMC Outdoors Magazine

back