Hiking with Hounds
a guide to hiking with your hound
We’ve just come back from another glorious trip in the Lake District so I thought it was finally time to write a post that has been on my to-do list for months.
I feel as if I need to begin this post with a slight disclaimer. We’re certainly not the most experienced hikers out there but in the past 5 years, we’ve gradually explored more difficult terrains with our dogs. When we’re out and about, we rarely encounter another pointy nose and it’s usually the same five breeds we see time after time. Whenever we speak to other people on trails they’re always quite surprised we’re walking with a sighthound let alone three of them. For me, they’re such underrated dogs when it comes to hiking. Before we got Josie, which is now over six years ago (we can’t believe that) myself and my now husband loved going up to the Peak District together. Since we got the dogs that’s turned into something we try and do at least every month.
We started off small and gradual, plenty of walks were failures because of bad weather. We often got lost but it was all good experience for us and now I feel like we’re all a little more sure footed. It’s taken a long time for us and the dogs to become more confident but I’m glad we started off small. I think that’s so important for building those solid foundations as there is nothing scarier than not being certain where you are with a dog in tow. After a lot of trial and error over the years, I think we’ve finally found some awesome products that make day long adventures with our hounds so much easier and I'm excited to share them with you.
ruffwear flagline harness
Like most sighthound owners, finding a good harness to fit their beautiful but oddly shaped little bodies is not the easiest task. We’ve tried a couple of options before like the Perfect Fit and the Ruffwear Front Range harness which are both great for general walking. However, when going on walks which may involve scrambling and lifting over stiles it’s better to have something with 3 straps and also a handle. Ruffwear harnesses are super expensive but, they’re worth the investment and they last well and are such a dependable item. We love the flagline because it’s lightweight but it’s sturdy enough to support the dogs and we can easily assist them with the handle and they feel super secure. It’s not a totally escape proof harness but it’s enough for us. We always make sure we use a martingale as a back up too as it not only has the dogs ID tags on but they’re the collars that we feel the safest using if their harnesses were to ever fail us. These harnesses are soft enough that they don’t aggravate delicate whippet skin but not so soft that they feel flimsy and they’re great on top of a jumper or onsie in the colder months too.
ruffwear roamer bungee lead
Having a lead that can go round your waist is key for us whilst going on hikes. We had a very near miss with Edie once because we dropped her lead and we swore we’d never take the risk again like that when were almost 2000ft off the ground. We use the Ruffwear Roamer Bungee Lead and it’s a great lead but I will say it takes some getting used to. It’s not an item we use all the time but on walks where we want the dogs to be as free as possible and they need the room to be able to scramble up something ahead or below us they're great. The bungee aspect also softens any harsh impact on them and the added bonus of a traffic handle still allows you to maintain control when you need to.
hurtta adjustable rope lead
We recently picked up a new lead from Hurtta, it’s the eco adjustable rope lead and it’s something I’ve been super excited about because of the adjustable aspect. Sometimes we don’t need as much room as the Ruffwear leads give us but we don’t want to use our regular leads either and that’s where these leads come in. They don’t go around the waist but when hiking we clip them into a carabiner or into our waist belts on our backpacks so they’re super secure and we’re still hands free. The type of rope they’ve been constructed with still gives us a little bit of stretch so if whatever reason they do pull then they’re not harshly jolted backwards. The adjustable factor of these leads is what drew us in as it’s not something I’ve ever seen before and it’s ideal for different walk scenarios. They’re super easy to adjust on the move too so you can do it and still continue walking.
redhound for dogs munro mac
A rainmac when hiking with a whippet is an absolute essential, even in the height of summer. Temperature and conditions can quickly change as you gather elevation and to keep everyone happy it’s best to make sure you’re well prepared. The Munro mac from Redhound is perfect for those occasions, it simply pops over your harness as it has a harness hole and you’re good to go. Its slimline fit stops it from flapping around in the wind and the fleece panel under the chest really keeps the warmth in. We also use the Cardiff rainmac which is more of a traditional coat fit and is super lightweight but for hiking, the Munro is unbeatable.
redhound for dogs fleece jumper
An absolute staple in the dog's wardrobe is a fleece jumper from Redhound and they’re something that is always packed into our bags when we go further afield. They take the chill off and keep their precious body heat in, the long neck can be pulled over their ears to help protect them from the wind too. I’ve raved about these jumpers so many times but they’re an absolute staple for us all year round whether it’s for chilly morning walks or hanging out around the campfire. There isn’t much we don’t use our RH fleece jumpers for. They also now come in a long leg style which for those real cold months is perfect for those particularly shivery hounds like Edie and they’re still safe for boy dogs who perhaps don’t have the best aim.
my essentials
There are a few essentials I like to make sure I always have with me when we’re with the dogs and they’re key for a happy hike. I recently changed my bag to the Fjällräven Kaipak bag as on the hip straps it has two small zippable pockets and they’re perfect for having poo bags and treats easily accessible. Having easy access to food is essential for hikes so we can navigate any sheep or livestock easily and reward any great behaviours. We always make sure we take a waterbottle, we picked up this style from Aldi a few years ago now and they’re perfect as the water goes back inside when your dog is done so you're not messing around with a soggy bowl. The caribiner clip makes it perfect for clipping to the front on your bag for easy access too. Alongisde the obvious essentials always make sure we’ve got a little first aid kid too with a small spray bottle of leucillian and some vet wrap, just incase!
