Backpacking with Jackson

It was a great late August weekend when we started our first backpacking adventure with our Blue Heeler, Jackson. Jackson is a 3 or 4 year old Blue Heeler that we acquired from the Humane Society about 2 years ago. This was to be his inaugural backpacking trip. All four adults and Jackson put our backpacks on and began our 3 mile hike into the Indian Peaks Wilderness in Colorado. Jackson, with his Ruff Wear Palisades pack, looked like a tough little backpacker. Though only 45 pounds, he is a well built dog looking much more like a football linebacker than wide receiver.


Since this was Jackson's first backpacking trip, we were careful to not overload his pack. Still his less than 10 pound pack helped carry our food as well as his and he seemed to know he was an important part of this trip. During the first 30 to 45 minutes Jackson was very upbeat. He was looking and sniffing all the great smells of the trail and greeting all the other hikers with his happy demeanor. But, slowly as the hike dragged on, Jackson began to slow to his own sustainable pace. He trudged through creeks, climbed steep sections of the trail, maneuvered through tight spaces. He was a true hiking dog. Eventually we arrived at Diamond Lake and found the backcountry campsite we would call home for the next day or so. After setting up our tent, our tired little pup found his way into his new makeshift crate (the tent) and took a nice long nap.


The high high elevation and rugged terrain had taken it's toll on Jackson, but by the next morning he was ready to go again. An early morning hike found him romping up waterfalls and steep inclines. A surefooted mountain goat of a dog. He was in dog heaven.

Later that day, it was time to pack up and head back to the car. Another rugged hike with the pack for Jackson. By this time, his pack seemed to be second nature the the little guy. He seemed to actually enjoy showing off with his cool pack as we headed back down the mountain. At one point, as we approached a couple of other dogs, Jackson picked up his pace to seemingly say "look I'm cool" as we passed his bretheren.

After finally arriving back at home, Jackson slept for 12 or so hours and dreamed about chipmunks, waterfalls and towering mountains.

Note: YourActivePet.com offers a fleece-lined, water resistant, reflective coats
for dogs.

Dog Coats, Are They Really Needed?

Dog Coats
Do Dogs Really Need Them?

Dogs have a nice furry coat, why would they need another one on top of their own?
That seems like a reasonable question.  The answer, however, is not all that simple.
Different breeds of dog have different fur composition and that has much to do
with how warm the dog's own coat is.  Another variable to consider is where you
live and what the climate is like there.  Canada, the Northeast US or the upper
Midwest have a much more harsh climate than, say, Florida or Arizona.

A key way to determine whether your dog needs a coat in the outdoors is to pay attention
to how she responds to being outside.  If your dog begins shivering in the outdoors,
take note of how long you've been outside, what the temperature is, what your activity
level has been, and what the humidity or precipitation conditions are.  If you intend
to be in the outdoors in these conditions often, your should seriously consider
a coat for her.   If your dog is cold, a coat with a fleece liner and a water resistant
shell would be ideal for sustaining the dog's body temperature.  Another thing to
be aware of is that just like with people, when your dog gets wet either from rain
or snow, he will get cold much more quickly.  For bad weather conditions, cold,
rain or snow, a water resistant coat will keep your dog warmer and dryer for a longer
period of time.

A nice complement to a dog coat is some sort of reflectivity to make your dog more
visible in the low light of the early morning and evening.  Not only will your dog
be warm and comfortable, she will also be safer because she will be visible to oncoming
cars.

When the weather is cold or wet, a dog coat can make your dog much more comfortable.
Take note of how your dog is responding to the weather - if you live in a cold
or wet climate, it's likely she could benefit from a coat.

From the December Newsletter of:
YourActivePet.com, Inc.

Note: YourActivePet.com offers a fleece-lined, water resistant, reflective coats
for dogs.  See it here: Dog Coats

Dog Coats and Winter

The weather forecast has one of the first powerful winter storms of the season moving from the pacific northwest to the rocky mountains and into the midwest for later on Thanksgiving week. This will be the first blast of cold and snow for most of the country and will catch everyone by surprise including our dogs. Cold and snow or not, we still need to get our dogs out for exercise. To make this easier we should all get our water and wind resistant coats out to keep us more comfortable. But what about the K9s? If your dog doesn't already have a coat, now might be the time to get one. There are some excellent coats on the market that will keep your dog warm, dry, and visible.

The UltraPaws dog coat available at YourActivePet.com provides all three protective elements in one. For winter there's nothing better - especially for short haired dogs since they are prone to getting chilled. The reflectivity of these coats is a bonus because you don't need to get a reflective vest to keep your dog visible - the coat does it! This is a very cost effective option.

Get prepared for the upcoming storm - hopefully it won't cause havoc with your travel plans.

Reflective Gear for Dogs

Reflective Gear for Dogs

The time has changed and days are getting shorter, this means it's dark for dog walking in the morning and in the evening. Drivers aren't used to seeing you and your dog walking in the dark and it's feeling a little dangerous out there. There are a few products out there that can help make it safer for both you and your dog. First, there are reflective vests for your dog. These are light weight and have reflective strips for clear visibility when headlights hit them. These refelective vests are better for warm weather because of their light weight.

There are dual purpose dog coats that serve the purpose of keeping your dog warm and dry as well as visibile because of the reflective strips. The same concept applies as the vest since them both have reflectivity for safety. Be sure to check to make sure the dog coat has reflective strips - they all don't. These dog coats are best for cold weather since they are fleece lined and water resistant.