What could be nicer than having your four-legged companion by your side not only in everyday life, but also on a hiking holiday? An active, stress-free break is not only good for us humans. For your dog a hiking holiday is also a wonderful adventure in the great outdoors, far away from the crowds – if well prepared and implemented correctly. Dog breeds who love to run especially love to be out and about on the most beautiful hiking trails in Europe with their owners. You can be completely relaxed, because our experienced Eurohike travel specialists and our on-site teams take care of the complete organisation of your hiking tour, the selection of dog-friendly hotels and accommodation, as well as the luggage transfer on-site.
What do you have to consider when preparing for a hiking holiday with your dog, how can you prepare your dog and which important factors should be taken into account during the trip? All these questions and corresponding answers can be found here in a compact summary. An individual hiking holiday with your dog is guaranteed to be a wonderful experience for two and four-legged friends.
Basic condition of your dog:
Correctly assess the fitness level
Health condition:
Clarify health status with your vet
Basic obedience:
Basic training and understanding of commands
Age:
Recommended minimum age of a dog for a hike is 1 year
Select your individual hiking holiday:
Our Eurohike travel specialists are happy to assist you with any questions
Correct equipment:
including food, water containers and toys
In principle, a hiking holiday is possible for almost every healthy and active four-legged friend. However, it is important that your dog is in good basic condition and used to longer walks, runs or hikes. For hiking tours lasting several days, it is recommended your dog is at least one year old in order to avoid lasting joint damage. Are you unsure whether the desired hiking tour is manageable for your dog? To be on the safe side, talk to your vet. Furthermore, certain basic training of your dog and the necessary understanding of basic commands are also essential to ensure a safe hiking experience. In any case, let our travel specialists advise you in order to be sure you choose the ideal hiking tour.
Once all of these important factors have been clarified, it is time to choose the right equipment, food etc. For hiking holidays lasting several days, the use of a comfortable and well-fitting chest harness with a loose or flexible leash is suitable. In addition, the right amount of food, treats, folding bowls, dog-friendly water bottles, poop bags, a dog blanket, toys, a muzzle and first aid kit should be taken in your luggage. When it comes to food, dry food is recommended, and the amount of food should be the same as they get at home. If you have planned a special hiking stage on stony terrain, special paw shoes are suitable. However, it is essential that you get your dog used to the paw shoes a few weeks before the hiking tour.
Once all the details have been clarified, the hiking holiday with your dog has been booked with Eurohike and everything is packed you can finally get started. Arrange for a stress-free and safe transfer with your dog. When arriving at the accommodation, it is important to let the dog ‘arrive’ first, to set up a comfortable spot with a blanket and not to leave the dog alone in the room immediately. You are also welcome to ask in the property on-site, whether there is an area you can bring your dog for breakfast and dinner. All active tours with Eurohike are planned as hiking holidays with luggage transfer. So you only need your light day luggage during the stage, including the most important things for you and your dog. Does the stage plan include a gondola our funicular ride? Just in case, pack a muzzle, plenty of water, treats, a light blanket and, if necessary, paw shoes. A muzzle is usually compulsory for gondola rides.
Adjust the food ration a little in the morning before the hike, after all, walking on a full stomach is not ideal. One hour between feeding and walking is ideal. Every two hours you should take a break so your dog can rest and calm down. In general, there can be encounters with grazing cattle on a hiking tour. If possible, try to avoid such encounters and walk past the animals leaving enough space. In order that you always have your dog’s attention during the tour, fetching games, recall exercises and a little search game along the way are a good idea. In this way, your dog remains alert during the hike and is kept busy mentally. Our tip: Do you like to hike with poles and don’t have free hands for your dog’s lead on the hike? No problem, special flexi lines are perfect for this and can be attached to a hip belt.
A demanding day’s stage not only requires a pleasant break and relaxation for all hikers. It is also important for your four-legged friend to relax after a long hike and give their paws a rest. After all, it’s not only two-legged hikers that get sore muscles, dogs are unfortunately not spared from this. With a good massage you can help your dog and loosen the muscles again. Do this in a quiet place with slow, steady hand movements – your two-legged friend will thank you and at the same time it will strengthen your bond with your dog. In the case of cracked and over-worked paw pads, it is advisable to apply a paw protection balm.
With the right preparation before the start of your hiking holiday with your dog, a relaxed atmosphere on-site, daily stages adapted to your dog and appropriate aftercare, a hiking tour with your four-legged companion is guaranteed to be a perfect adventure.
Here you will find all hiking tours with dogs at a glance!
