# Hiking poodles!



## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Here's a video of mine last winter. 



 Frosty was so young, they just went on short, flat hikes at this park.


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## Baloog (Jan 3, 2017)

It looks like they are having a blast! How fun!


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

Hi. Great idea for a thread! Here's Charlie this summer in Maine.


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## LizzysMom (Sep 27, 2016)

Lizzy and I took advantage of a couple of beautiful days last week for a little hiking, too. Last pic is the end result.


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

Wonderful pix of Lizzie - especially the one with the butterfly (or tiny bird?)!


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## wineguru (Oct 13, 2012)

*Hiking in Vermont*

Lola hiking the Quechee Gorge in VT.

https://goo.gl/photos/ZL75aF1qKiikYtMm7


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## Baloog (Jan 3, 2017)

Wow that place looks beautiful!


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

Fun thread!!
But a question that could be crossed with the grooming section, are you cleaning your spoo after hikes?
Personally everytime I need to take him for a bath. His fur is full of dust, soil, etc etc.
His coat works like a dirt magnet :argh:
If I don't wash him, the house is just a mess as he spread the dirts everywhere.
By the a special thought for all the white spoo lovers that like to go hiking with their four legged companion


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Really enjoying the scenery and all the poodles!


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

The posts here are so beautiful. I wish we had a super gorgeous hiking trail close by. 

When you guys go hiking do you let your dog off leash in the wilderness? I wish I could do this but I am afraid our dog would encounter a gator.


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## Baloog (Jan 3, 2017)

Oh my gosh... Mango is a mess after hiking! I don't always have to give her a bath because most of the places we go are in the forest with good solid ground. There's not much mud or loose dirt. However, I HAVE to give her a good solid brush through. Sticks, twigs, and leaves everywhere. She looks like she took the forest home with her. 

Next time we go I'll take a picture of her brush. There's more forest than dog!


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## Baloog (Jan 3, 2017)

Sometimes I let Mango off leash. Sometimes I keep her on for safety reasons like if there are a lot of people. But she does a good job of checking in on us and recall if she does get too far ahead. 

Her previous owner always had her off lease so she's learned from a pup to stay with the pack.


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## Theo'sMom (Mar 23, 2011)

Chloe and Theo at lake George and Wright mtn, adks this weekend.


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## Theo'sMom (Mar 23, 2011)

snow0160 said:


> The posts here are so beautiful. I wish we had a super gorgeous hiking trail close by.
> 
> When you guys go hiking do you let your dog off leash in the wilderness? I wish I could do this but I am afraid our dog would encounter a gator.


Theo is trained to stay between my husband and I on the trail so he can be off leash and will stay right behind my husband and right in front of me. We just say "back" and he gets in formation. That way if we meet people we are the first to greet them, not him. (Trail etiquette) He is very concerned with the pack staying together and sticks with us. He loves hiking. 
Chloe is a huntress and especially likes to chase chipmunks so even though she comes back, she will chase animals and therefore is leashed at all times. She is held by my husband and gets to be in front and loves to be in the lead.


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

My spoo is always off leash as he behave well. Furthermore besides the wolves there is no real danger in the alps.
With the leash, my spoo would become crazy as he would not be able to excercice enough to feel good.


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## peonies (Aug 10, 2016)

Charlie (age one) is not reliable off leash so he is always on a leash. Hopefully, with hard work (further training) and some luck and maturity, he will become more reliable ...


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Lucky has an impeccable recall and really enjoys forging ahead chasing squirrels. We go on a short hike inside the dog park, which has a fenced wooded area. He really enjoys searching the woods for things he can chase. I worry about him being bitten by a poisonous snake. He has a tendency to poke at things with his nose but wouldn't hurt a fly. I really enjoy the way Lucky frolicks and bounces around outdoors. The poodle gait is very beautiful and graceful.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

What beautiful places you all get to hike! Health & Age keep me from my love of the natural world and I miss it so much! Thank you for the lovely photos!
Of course I do take Molly on 'Urban Hikes' LOL! If my scooter can go there .....so goes Molly!


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

peonies said:


> Charlie (age one) is not reliable off leash so he is always on a leash. Hopefully, with hard work (further training) and some luck and maturity, he will become more reliable ...


I think that you should train the dog to be off leash as he is young and learns quicker.
The rappel (recall) is one of the most important command to teach to your dog.
For his safety, it should be the number one command.

Keeping your dog (especially a young one) always on leash could become a vicious circles, as it might keep his frustration up, and increases the risk for him to flee because he is too much exited.

Is there any place close where you can start to teach your dog to be off leash?
Try to find a big and fenced place with no distraction and lots of treats.

A spoo really need to run, and wanders to discover and smell new things. 

It will help the dog to be quiet and wise at home, furthermore it will help to cut the length of the walks since he will exercices much more in a shorter period of time.

There are always some dangers like snakes, pieces of junks or sharps objects that could harm your woolly Wolfy but you can't keep it away from all hazards.
And sometime the worse happens at home ..

Mine is crazy for tasty big spiders, and last time he ate one that was in the garage and decided not to be swallowed like a piece of cake....
He had a huge bite that swollen in his tongue....
It could have been more dangerous than a viper bite on his leg.....


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

Païllâsse said:


> I think that you should train the dog to be off leash as he is young and learns quicker.
> The rappel (recall) is one of the most important command to teach to your dog.
> For his safety, it should be the number one command.
> 
> ...


It's just that my first introduction to you (I only became a member 4 months ago) was your post from 3 days ago. 

You stated that Choco had already been hit by a car, had not made the connection that it was the car that hit him, and you were concerned. 

And rightly so.

Surely you keep him on a leash when you are in an area where there is traffic or other dangers, don't you?


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

Well I keep my dog off leash in the wild of course.
I have the chance to live in the area is the least populated in all metropolitan France, so when I let my spoo wanders, there is no chance to get hit by a car or even to meet anyone since it is in huge alpine mountains and national parks.
You can have a guess by looking some of the pics.
Off course I keep my dog on leash in cities or even at my village. When I go yo cities like Geneva, I always keep my spoo on leash..
The accident occurred when I left my property to pick up the mail, and my dog followed me at the entrance where there is the road


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## SSCarr (Dec 11, 2013)

Gunnar loves to hike! We usually hike with a group of mountain hikers and take trails that they can be off leash. It's amazing that they always stay with the "pack".


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

I love the American west!!!
Northern New Mexico, western Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming...
These are just amazing place to be.

Lucky you and spoo


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## ApricotsRock (Jan 10, 2014)

DDs BF is a hiker. He took her hiking up one of the 4,000s and told her they should have brought Rookie. She laughed and told him he would be carrying him after the first 400 feet.


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## SSCarr (Dec 11, 2013)

*Hiking Gunnar*

Gunnar would never say no to hiking. I've been hiking him since he was 4 1/2 months old. Starting off slowly and working up to considerable hikes. So far no problems. Hopefully, problems never crop up.


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

Okay can't resist


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## SSCarr (Dec 11, 2013)

*Beautiful Pictures!*

I love hiking with Gunnar and letting him swim through creeks and run through the tall grass. But OMG, the work to get everything out of his hair, then on to shampooing and conditioning him...It is almost more than I can handle, especially when I'm dead tired from hiking early in the day and not back home until late in the afternoon. Does anyone have any tips for keeping the burrs and grass seeds out of their coats? I have a special comb I use to remove them but ugh...It's not easy and it's a long process.


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

SSCarr said:


> I love hiking with Gunnar and letting him swim through creeks and run through the tall grass. But OMG, the work to get everything out of his hair, then on to shampooing and conditioning him...It is almost more than I can handle, especially when I'm dead tired from hiking early in the day and not back home until late in the afternoon. Does anyone have any tips for keeping the burrs and grass seeds out of their coats? I have a special comb I use to remove them but ugh...It's not easy and it's a long process.


I am glad to realise that I am not the only one in this situation. Sometimes I feel guilty because I prevent my spoo to go swimming or to play with drooling dogs, because I know that it will take me forever to clean the dog.
Gosh the amount of seed, dust, mud etc that get stuck in Poodle fur.
Any other dog owner with regular coat do not realise not only the amount of dirt that Poodle bring back to the house, but the time and effort it takes to clean up a spoo. Their fur is very difficult to wash, and requires a lot of shampoo, conditioner and effort to dry the fur and then brush it to prevent mating.

Since I take to dog for walks in the nature every day, i can't take the luxury to let the spoo gets to dirty everyday.


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## Païllâsse (Jun 14, 2016)

CharismaticMillie said:


> Okay can't resist


Where did you get the coats that your poodles are wearing on the fourth picture?

It looks to be great in cold weather, not to mention that those apparels are king of cool


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## SSCarr (Dec 11, 2013)

Païllâsse said:


> Where did you get the coats that your poodles are wearing on the fourth picture?
> 
> It looks to be great in cold weather, not to mention that those apparels are king of cool


So true, they are very nice looking coats. The best I've found are the ones from Ruffwear, but they don't come in as many nice colors. I'd love to see about getting one for Gunnar for this winter. This one is being worn by my lovely boy Sam, who passed away suddenly summer of 2016 of GDV or Bloat. Absolutely devasting for me. He was an amazing dog and also quite a hiker.


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