Adventure Dog Podcast

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Today’s episode is with Carla, the dogmom to Stella the beagle @stellathe_beagle in beautiful British Columbia and certified in pet first aid!

After moving to Canada, about four years ago, Carla was introduced to the outdoors of the PNW through the family she was staying with. Once she moved into her own place, she was able to get a dog and Stella came into her life. Almost immediately, she was getting outside with Stella’s first big adventure at Squamish, a mountain valley town just north of Vancouver.

Around town in Vancouver, they frequently walk through the False Creek area, which includes many waterfront parks, urban trails, and dog parks. Another, sort of local, favorite trail would be the North Shore Eagle Bluffs trail from Cypress Mountain, in Cypress Provincial Park. The trail passes along several lakes and has an amazing view of Vancouver from the north. To the north east is Mount Seymour Provincial Park. And even further from Vancouver they head to the previously mentioned Squamish, Whistler Mountain, and Pemberton.

Two of the bigger adventures that Carla and Stella have made have been to the dog very dog friendly Banff National Park, in Alberta, and Jasper National Park just north of Banff. But more than just visiting mountains, they also enjoy heading to the beach. One of the places they’ve visited recently is Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, just north of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Tofino is known as a popular surfing location.

For her first aid certification, Carla recently took two courses through Walks N’ Wags Pet First Aid @walksnwagspetfirstaid, which is based in Canada, but also has instructors throughout the U.S. They also offer online courses at walksnwags.com. Currently, Carla uses a Kurgo RSG Dog First Aid kit with additional items. She really loves her Mountain Dog Products leash @mountaindogproducts.

Her shout outs go to her trainer Tara and Chevy @spooktricksntreats. A couple of friends they’ve met up with include Loki and Roxi @thedailyloki, and Pacho @pacho.the.derp.

Two phone numbers Carla keeps on hand are:

ASPCA Poison Control Center at 1 (888) 426-4435

and Pet Poison Helpline at 1 (888) 746-7661

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Mel and Argos @mel.runs.with.dogs, the service dog team that loves the adventure of training and running the marathon and half marathon together.

Now living in Pennsylvania, Mel spent quite a few years of active duty, and reserve duty,  in the U.S. Navy. During that time, she suffered a traumatic experience and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD after struggling with the mental disorder. The great news is that once she had a diagnosis, she was able to begin healing! Part of that process was training her dog at the time, Jäger, to be a service dog. Unfortunately, Jäger passed away at a young age, but not before Mel had already begun training her current partner, Argos.

Argos, who is a service dog in training, is specifically learning to be a medical service dog that can respond to Mel’s disabilities, which include anxiety and disassociation. Argos uses physical touch, along with his body weight to help Mel. Through the VA, service dogs are a relatively new resource for assisting those with disabilities. More than just guide dogs for the visually impaired, service dogs are able to perform many types of medical assistance and tasks. More information can be found through the VA’s Mental Health Mobility Service Dog Initiative.

Another side of Mel’s therapy includes running with Argos! Together they have trained and run several half marathons. While Argos has not yet completed a full marathon, due to his age and still conditioning, they do have plans to complete his first marathon at the Virginia Beach Shamrock Marathon in March of 2020. Argos has taken part in Pittsburgh Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, Shamrock Half in Virginia, Scranton Pennsylvania Half, B.A.A. Half in Boston, Air Force Half at Wright-Patterson in Ohio, and Syracuse Half in New York.

For running with Argos, Mel relies on Musher’s Secret paw wax to keep his pads conditioned over the miles. For eye protection on sunny days, Argos wears Rex Specs goggles. And to stay cool on hot days, they like the the T-Cool cooling collar.

Her shout outs go to her running club CINAO (Can’t Is Not An Option) in Scranton Pennsylvania. Also she is friends with Skeeter @ptsdog_skeeter, and a moderator for the PTSDog Facebook group. Skeeter’s dogdad has written the book PTSDog: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Service Dog.

Visit the ADA.gov website to read the ADA guidelines on Service Animals.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Megan, the dogmom to Apollo @Golden.Apollo.Rocket, a golden retriever from Charlottsville, Virginia. Megan, along with her partner Liam, gets out nearly every weekend with Apollo to explore the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Parkway.

Megan, who grew up in the area, is very familiar with some hidden gems in the Shenandoah Valley, having visited them as a child. Now, with Apollo, she regularly visits some of her favorite local spots including the Monticello trails and Carter Mountain Orchard, just a few minutes from her home. Nearby is the Charlottesville Reservoir and the Sugar Hollow Trail to Blue Hole, accessible from outside Shenandoah National Park. With the entrance to both Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway only 45 minutes away, they are able to drive and explore many turn outs and trails that aren’t normally visited by tourists and sometimes not even listed on the maps! One favorite in Shenandoah is Hawksbill Mountain. Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, they like Humpback Rocks and Sherando Lake.

On a recent trip to the western side of North Carolina, they went to Grandfather Mountain and Roan Mountain in the Cherokee National Forest Area, and stayed at nearby Linville Falls. Towards the east side of North Carolina, Megan has spent quite a bit of time with her grandparents who live near the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks are a 200 mile (322 km) long strip of barrier islands along the Atlantic Coast. Some of the beaches include Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk, site of the first manned flight and home to the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The area is also dotted with coastal reserves and wildlife refuges. Croatan National Forest is one such area, located at the southern end of the Outer Banks.

Megan is a big fan of her Kurgo car hammock for the back seat of her car. She uses a biothane long line from Sloppy Chops Co. And though she is not sure of the brand, they keep a fabric folding kennel in their car while traveling for situations where dogs aren’t allowed.

Her shout outs go to Lindsey and Togo & Charles @blueridgehusky, who live and explore in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and to the whole crew at @pacifichound.

My own shout out for this episode goes to @redrivergorgeouscabinrentals, who helped me find an awesome spot to stay the night in Red River Gorge.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Kat and Johnny who made it their business to explore offroad with their awesome pack of dogs: Charlie, Goomba, Lilo and Stitch @TheCanineExplorers in Southern California. They are also found online at www.TheCanineExplorers.com.

Kat, who’s had dogs since she was six years old, has had Charlie in her life since 2007. Not long after, Kat and Johnny met, and together they have grown their pack with Goomba in 2012, and then Lilo and Stitch in 2016. At that point, Kat who had been working with dogs, became a professional dog caretaker. Together, Johnny and Kat walk with their clients dogs in Orange County, and do overnight camping excursions as well! With their love of camping and being outdoors with their own dogs, camping trips with their clients dogs came quite naturally. Johhny’s experience with customizing their company Jeep and overland driving has allowed the pack to get out to some secluded spots, even in California.

Some of their favorite local spots include Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, with a thirteen mile loop around the bay and near Newport Beach. Another dog beach they frequent is Huntington Beach Dog Beach. Silverado Canyon,  just a short drive east of Newport Beach, offers a couple of off road drives that they like. Further east, in San Bernardino National Forest, is Thomas Mountain, with more off road driving and plenty of primitive, dog friendly camping.

Recently, their first Canine Explorers Jeep was hit and totaled, but thankfully, everyone was safe. Kat and Johnny have quickly bounced back with another Jeep and are in the process of getting it fully outfitted again to get back on… or off the road! They recently took their newest jeep to Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area for the Front Runner Outfitters customer appreciation event. The event offered all types of off road courses from beginner to expert, as well as camping! For next summer, they are planning a trip to Mojave National Preserve for a more than 140 mile 4×4 drive through the Mojave desert!

Their shout outs go to Nikki and Xyla @california.tails, Brandi and her crew of “Fluffy Adventure Pups” @pbj_pack, Jillian with Mally and Apollo @blackdogsadventuring, and Thuy and Hiro @iamasuperhiro and also from SoCal.

For more info about driving an off road vehicle on federal or National Park lands, be sure to check out Driving Off Road in National Parks.

And to learn how you can TREAD Lightly while driving an off road vehicle, please check out www.treadlightly.org.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is all about Bella’s trail to recovery from serious injury, and the process of getting back to being an active canine athlete with her dogparents Devin and Pat @colorado_canine in Colorado.

Amazingly enough, Bella was considered a “fearful and undersocialized” dog as a rescue. But since Pat adopted her from Humane Society of Boulder Valley when she was a puppy, Bella has led an active life including trail running, hiking, backpacking, paddle boarding, riding in a bike trailer, skijoring, as well as hanging out on a horse ranch with Devin, and traveling. After a long day on the trails, Pat and Devin like to take her to the brewery patio to hang out and socialize.

Over time, Bella has seen a couple of injuries that are common to extremely athletic dogs. The first was a groin injury several years ago. The most recent was a shoulder injury called Medial Shoulder Instability, or MSI. With the help of an orthopedic specialist at Colorado Canine Orthopedics in Colorado Springs, they were able to discover her condition with an ultrasound. Treatment consisted of Platelet-rich plasma therapy, or PRP. Though Bella’s tendons will never be perfect due to the degenerative nature of her condition, she is in the process of therapy and recovery to live an active and happy life again.

Bella’s ongoing rehabilitation, as well as everyday conditioning known as prehab, include core and stability work. This can include playing tug and tricks like “sit pretty.” Before a trail run or intense workout, she warms up by walking or hiking. Afterwards, Pat and Devin stretch Bella using stretching techniques from Sasha Foster’s The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog: A Physical Therapy Approach. Aside from just running, they  cross train with other activities like paddle boarding and riding in the bike cart. And of course, it’s important to have rest days.

One of their biggest recommendations is pet insurance. While there are many companies that carry pet insurance and research should always be done before choosing one, Devin and Pat chose Pet Plan. Another book they recommend from Sasha Foster is Canine Crosstraining. They keep Pack-A-Paw harness for emergencies.

Their shout outs go to Dr. Katherine Patrick @northerncoloradocaninerehab, Dr. Amanda Hensley DVM @co.animalrehab, Colorado Canine Ortho @coloradocanineortho, and the inspiring Diesel the Adventure Dog @dieseltheadventuredog.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Marie “Bobwhite” and Jeff “Powder River” and their tuxedo pup Cooper @groundbird_gear. Together with their son Wes, they love getting out on the trails as a family and putting their own custom made dog gear to the test.

Both Marie and Jeff have completed an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. In 2011, during Marie’s AT thru-hike, Jeff proposed to her on trail! Shortly after they married, Cooper came into their life from Lucky Dog Rescue @dcluckydog, based in Washington DC. Almost immediately, they were getting Cooper out on adventures including a yearly trip to Colorado and Wyoming, when Marie made Cooper’s first pack.

Marie, a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, and with her backpacking experience, created Groundbird Gear custom tailored harnesses and packs for backpacking with dogs. Though not involved directly in production, Jeff, who also has extensive experience with ultralight backpacking and a self proclaimed gear-nerd, contributes to some of the design ideas. After several years of  hand creating and refining at their maker space at Open Works @open_works_bmore, their product is used by hundreds of adventure dogs for everything from day hikes to Appalachian thru-hikes.

Their adventures with Cooper have included Independence Pass in Colorado, the second highest paved pass of the Continental Divide in the U.S., as well as trips to the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming. Showing off his custom made Vermont Republic Flag backpack, Cooper has hiked on the Vermont Long Trail in the Vermont Green Mountains. More recently, Cooper is all about short hikes with his little brother Wes! Their dream adventure with Cooper would be to hike the Wind River High Route in the Wind River Range of Wyoming.

Essential gear that Marie and Jeff recommend for hiking with your pup are booties from DogBooties.com along with vet wrap to protect his dewclaws. They use Musher’s Secret paw wax to keep Cooper’s pads conditioned. And for emergencies, they keep a Pack-A-Paw carrying harness from Mountain Dog Ware. For the upcoming winter months, Cooper will be wearing his Groundbird Gear down Turtle Top Quilt.

Their shout outs include photographer Sarah Jones Decker @rootbottomfarm, fellow gear maker Gen @yamamountaingear, Nav and Arrow @hikingwitharrow, Erin and Starr @bookie_and_no_shame, Ethan “Garbelly” and M.E. “Critter” and Milo @ourtrailingthought, Caitlin and Vaida @cmquinn, Grizel and Rue @_grizel_, Katherine and Robin @robinventures, and ALL of their awesome customers!!

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Daysi, the dogmom to Ailee @aileethebordercollie, a border collie from Austin, Texas with a fondness for tennis balls and Flyball! With a focus on mental stimulation as well as physical exercise, Ailee is putting her breed traits to work.

Daysi admits, when she first got Ailee as a puppy, she was completely unaware of what she was getting into with a large, high energy breed, like a border collie. But being a first time dog owner as an adult, Daysi was committed to raising Ailee to her fullest potential. And so with lots of research, socializing Ailee, and consistent training, Daysi has done everything she can to give Ailee her best life!

As Ailee has grown, her personality traits have developed, along with her mental abilities. After realizing her need for more mental stimulation, Daysi got involved in flyball with her local club, Rush! Flyball @rushflyballclub, part of North American Flyball Association or NAFA. Though Ailee is still training and is currently considered a “green dog”, Daysi plans to officially begin competing next spring. Most recently, Daysi and Ailee made the trip to Indianapolis, Indiana for the CanAm Flyball Classic tournament, where she was able to complete warm up runs.

When not training for flyball, Daysi and Ailee love to get out and about in Austin, which is an extremely dog friendly city. One of their favorite activities is paddle boarding and canoeing on Lady Bird Lake on the Colorado River which runs right through the center of the city. For hiking and trail running, they also have visited Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, on the north side of Austin. While we didn’t have time to include it in the episode, Daysi has also introduced Ailee to sheep herding training!

One of the motivation tools that Daysi uses for flyball is a tug, to recall and reward Ailee for a clean run. She bought a custom tug from ITZA tug, which does not have an online store and may be out of business now, but also recommended Etsy for lots of tug options.  Her shout outs include her teammates @nevillethebrave and @littlepug_bigadventures. An app that Daysi recommends is BarkHappy @barkhappy.

For more information, or to find your local flyball club check out North American Flyball Association at www.flyball.org, or United Flyball League International, Inc. at u-fli.com.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with veterinarian Dr. Angie Zinkus and dogmom to Yogi @ahzdvm and @germantownparkwayah. On this episode, Dr. Z and I have a short chat about stress and anxiety in active dogs and ways to manage it.

While dogs can have anxiety or experience stress, the way in which they experience it is completely different than humans. While humans can have mental stress related to things or events in the future or past, dogs live very much in the moment and are generally only affected by situational stress. In other words, a dog’s stress is a reaction to their current condition.

Specific situations that can create stress for your pup while on adventures can include  traveling in a vehicle, extreme weather conditions, general disruption to their normal routine, random encounters with other dogs and people, and more. For the most part, all of the situations that can happen while traveling, or while being on adventures, can be planned for and often times prevented. Training for being in a vehicle for extended amounts of time, carrying adequate warm or dry gear for your dog, having a thunder jacket for storms, and sticking to feeding schedules are all things you can do to prevent and handle stress. It’s always best to work with your dog over time through training and positive reinforcement to solve issues that cause stress and anxiety.

Signs that your pup may be stressed can include shaking, panting, excessive drooling, licking or chewing, loss of bladder control, restlessness, and destructive behaviors. It’s also good to be aware of very subtle body language which includes a tucked tail, pinned back or flattened ears, repetitive yawning, excessive shedding, and of course, physical contact when they shelter up against you.

Some natural ways to treat anxiety would be CBD tinctures and treats for dogs, or herbal supplements that provide a calming affect. One such herbal supplement that has been mentioned on the podcast previously is Kairos for Dogs Harmonious Blend with chamomile. Benadryl can also be used as a mild sedative in some cases, with the dosage at 1mg per pound of body weight. For situations requiring something more powerful, consult with your vet, who may prescribe a wide range of natural or pharmaceutical products. One relatively new product is the Ceva Adaptil Calm pheromone releasing collar.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Crystal, the dogmom to Rex, Maddy, and Shadow @dawg4dog, a trio of California dogs that have recently discovered big adventures with their whole hooman family. Crystal has found that getting her three teenage sons involved in adventuring is easier when it includes their dogs!

Close to home, they love getting out to the dog beach at Huntington Beach, especially at sunrise and sunset. Crystal has an amazing collection of sunset photos and videos. They also love to spend time at their cabin in the nearby mountains. Crystal first got the adventure bug after discovering some nearby waterfalls after hiking with an instagram friend. Their first big adventure, as a family, was a trip to Colorado and included stops in Utah. Near Moab, where they visited  Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch with Shadow.

Since then, Crystal has met up with quite a few of her friends and their dogs from instagram, including some cross country trips! More recently, Crystal took both Shadow and Maddy and drove with her friend @pupfrankie for a meet up in Aspen. There they went camping at Maroon Bells and hiked at Crater Lake!

Crystal uses Ruffwear harnesses and packs, especially for carrying plenty of water for all three of her pups on longer hikes. Aside from just the water bladders in the packs, she also likes to use water bottles with bowls attached. She’s also quite a fan of Biothane traffic leads. Crystal is an ambassador for @Cedarcide products.

Her shout outs include Charlie, Goomba, Lilo and Stitch and their hoomans @thecanineexplorers, travel partner Stephanie @pupfrankie, and Arleen @professorpoppythedog, who they are planning their first backpacking trip with!

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Brynn, the dogmom to Candie and Benny @freckles.and.fur, two Australian cattle dogs from Maine with a love for the desert. Just recently, the three went on a wonderful two month long road trip as an excuse to get back to southern Utah!

Even at home in Maine, both dogs are highly active and have accomplished lots of hiking including Acadia National Park, the NH48 in the White Mountains, NE67 (64 for dogs) and more. These are 64 of the highest peaks in New England. But what Brynn really enjoys is packing up the car with the pups and hitting the road. Their first big trip was to southern Utah for two weeks. Some of the spots they went were Fisher Towers, and Corona Arch near Moab. While in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, they went to Peek-A-Boo and Spooky slot canyons, Big Horn Canyon, Devil’s Garden, and more.

In fact, the draw of the desert was so strong, Brynn planned a two month road trip across the northern plain states, down the west coast, and culminating back at GSENM. Just a few of the stops along the way have included Black Hills in South Dakota, Bozeman, Montana, the Glacier National Park area, Sawtooth Range in Idaho, Columbia River Gorge, Bend and the Oregon Coast, stops across California and eventually ending up again at GSENM in Utah for some more canyon adventures! Stops on the way home included White Sands National Monument and Pisgah National Forest.

Their go-to gear includes the Hurtta Slush Combat suit, DogDogGoose Biothane waist leash, Kairos Pantry freeze dried food from Kairos for Dogs, and Ruff Bar for which Brynn is an ambassador. She also recommends keeping a closed cell foam pad on hand  in many different situations as a spot for the dogs to settle and relax.

Her shout outs include her boyfriend Doug, her friend and hiking buddy Kelsie @kelsielauren16, fellow Ruff Bar ambassador Kelsilyn with Mr. Zeus & Miss Abbey @abbeyandzeus, Sue with @kairosfordogs and @ruff_bar, @dogdoggoose, and @muttcloth.

Thanks for listening!