Dogs on the Trail

When hiking with your dog, being prepared can make a difference.

Greenfield WI-Veteran backpacker Gary Hoffman has traveled with his dog just about everywhere. He has developed some very specialized expertise and has written a guidebook packed with tips on how to care for your animal while hiking and camping or traveling in your car.

Dogs on the Trail is full of useful and fascinating information on how to take your dog with you anywhere and make sure you have a safe and positive experience. For instance, did you know:

• Even though Fido might enjoy the odd drink from the toilet at home, if he drinks water from a tainted stream or lake, he is just as likely to get as sick as a human.
• He is also as likely to tear-up his feet on a rough trail as you would if you weren't wearing shoes.
• Dogs can also get sunburned, dehydrated, suffer from hypothermia, and even experience altitude sickness.
• An unsecured dog in a moving vehicle is lethal projectile waiting to fly. In an accident or even a sudden stop, he can be injured or killed, or injure other passengers.
• Though dogs are descended from wolves, it's been 135,000 years since dogs were truly wild. A domestic dog can be just as boorish, annoying, clumsy and foolish on the trail or in the campground as we can. (He will unashamedly beg food from every other camper if given the chance, and he will go and annoy the cute little "kitty" with the white stripe down its back.)

Dogs on the Trail presents remedies to these situations and more. It presents solutions to training and preparation for the trail, first aid, necessary equipment, trail etiquette, and safety in a vehicle, among other important subjects.

Dogs on the Trail By Gary Hoffman
Insightout Publishing (June 1, 2005) ISBN: 0-976-9943-0-5
$13.95 trade softcover 128 pages