Introducing a Puppy to the Trail

Recall on trail is challenging, mainly because there are SO many smells and distractions. However, you need to always be in control of your dog and recall back when necessary. Wild animals, mule trains, aggressive dogs, people are always out there, and we need our dogs to come back to us when we call them. This is still a work in progress for puppy Taquito, but I use treats as much as possible to recall him back to me. I carry a squeaky toy bone on the trail as Moo learned recall from squeaky toys. Whenever I want to recall Moo, I squeak the bone, and she comes back. Every dog is different, so you have to experiment on what works and what does not work. If you are not confident in recall, then I would recommend keeping your dog on leash. I always leash my dogs in the morning and evening on the trail and at camp, as I call these times “coyote hour.” Although my dogs are off-leash most of the trail, I always carry a leash in my hand, and I am always ready to leash a dog when I need to.

“Okay he is scared of the wind and people”, I thought to myself as I jogged down the pass. We can work on this!

I immediately bought Taquito a collar and leash and took him on walks around the yard, starting from day one. I wanted him to be comfortable and confident on a leash, and the earlier you start this, the easier it is. As he grew bigger, I transitioned to a harness, which he wears 24/7. Yes, he hated his collar and harness at first, and it took him a few days to adjust, but it slowly became a part of his everyday “uniform.” Once he finished all four rounds of puppy shots, I took him for as many leash walks around the neighborhood as possible before I introduced him to the trail. I wanted him to become comfortable and confident in multiple surroundings. I took him to stores, bars, the post office, the nursery, and every dog-friendly place in town so he could see, hear and smell all the things!

It just so happens my puppy, Taquito, LOVES the backcountry, which means I need to be hypervigilant about training him so he remains safe and we both are happy on our adventures.

I adopted an 8-week old chihuahua mix puppy named Taquito and nicknamed “little man.” He adores Moo and loves being outside, and although I wanted him to be my little adventure buddy, I was unsure if he would enjoy it.