Adventure Dog Podcast

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Today’s episode is with Kevin, the dogdad to Nola @catahoudat, a beautiful blue merle Catahoula leopard dog from Cleveland, with quite a few trail miles under her harness. Being a working breed dog, Nola has been an enthusiastic partner in Kevin’s marathon training this past winter and spring.

After searching online, Kevin found Nola on a working farm in Maryland, and drove to bring her back to Ohio to be his hiking and exploring buddy. What started as just getting out on hikes and runs for stress relief eventually evolved into trail running and training. Close to home, they visit the Cleveland Metroparks park system, which includes more than 23,000 acres across 18 reservations in Cuyahoga County. Running through the parks are more than 100 miles of trails!

Also, just south of the city, is Cuyahoga National Park, a 33,000 acre park that follows the Cuyahoga River. The park has many beautiful waterfalls including the 85 foot (26 m) tall  Brandywine Falls. Though the park is relatively small for a national park and offers very little camping, Kevin and Nola are not far from national forests in Pennsylvania.

About three to four hours away is the Allegheny National Forest, with much more access to backcountry trails and camping. Specific trails to check out would be the Morrison Trail loop, Minister Creek Trail, Hickory Creek Wilderness Trail, and many more. Since the National Forest is also a popular hunting area, it’s a good idea to be aware of current hunting seasons and to dress appropriately for safety.

For Nola, Kevin uses the Hurrta Dazzle harness, which comes in a high-vis yellow. When trail running on leash, they use a Ruffwear leash with stretch webbing. For camping, they have a Hurrta sleeping bag. Kevin’s shout outs go to Tucker @tuktuk_theberner, his sister’s Bernese Mountain dog, Scott at Evolution Canine @evocanine in Cleveland for Nola’s training, and the happy couple @britamousprimee and @steveuuolf and their catahoula Niko. Another trainer Kevin follows is Jeff @solidk9training.

For a cool catahoula sticker, check out PurplePineDesign on Etsy @missfrancocatahoula. And finally, for more info on catahoulas, I’ve included a list of some of the facebook groups that Kevin has found useful:

Catahoula Leopard Dogs

Vestibular Disease in Dogs Support Group

Catahoula Leopard Dog Lovers

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Sue @ruff_bar & @kairosfordogs, the dogmom to Theo and Monty, and doggygrandmom to Oakley @oaktreeoakley. Sue is the co-owner of Kairos For Dogs and Ruff Bar brands, located in Seattle, Washington.

Because of my interest in raw feeding and sustainable products for adventure dogs, we covered a bit of history of her company and the two brands. We delve into the process of creating Ruff Bars, including the introduction of a couple new products: the EcoBar and Ruff Food. I’d like to add that this not an advertisement and I’m not sponsored by Kairos or Ruff Bar.

The Eco Bar was conceived and developed out of the desire for a high quality and sustainable dog treat made from cricket protein. Though the Eco Bar is still a work in progress, they have produced some in small batches for sampling and are working to bring it to full production. The same cricket protein in the EcoBar is also being used to make the new freeze-dried raw Ruff Food, which will also be hitting their online shop soon. For now, a limited number of samples are available with orders of Ruff Bars.

Since we didn’t talk much about adventures, it’s worth mentioning Sue’s dream trip would be to load up a Kairos/Ruff Bar sprinter van with the dogs and plenty of treats and head out to the Big 5 National Parks in southern Utah.

Sue’s shout outs include her business partner Karen who handles the look of both Kairos and Ruff Bar, Julie @tuckerleo_da_huskies who handles the Ruff Bar Instagram, Molly @voyagewilder who manages the Kairos Instagram, Ashley @5280coloradodogs and all of the awesome Kairos and Ruff Bar ambassadors. For helping with packaging, she thanks her friends Allison, Merle, Barbara, and Olivia. She gave special thanks to her husband Mike, daughters Kendra, M’Lissa, and Jaime @jaimeshank and her dog Oakley @oaktreeoakley. Last but not least, Sue gave a shout out to all the customers who help make Kairos and Ruff Bar a successful small business.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is with Ashley, the dogmom to Socks and Echo @wanderingridgebacks, two trail trekking brothers in Washington state. Though Socks has been with his family since birth, Echo was recently rescued and miraculously returned after several years and tough circumstances. Echo is a “tripawd”, having had his right rear leg amputated at a young age. But his condition definitely doesn’t slow him down.

Some of their favorite local spots to adventure include Little Si Trail in Mount Si Natural Resources Conservation Area, Point Defiance Park,  and Paradise Valley Conservation Area, with a 13 mile network of trails. For some longer trail runs, they like the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs all the way from the Mexican border to Canada and is well known for through hiking.

For some of their bigger adventures, they enjoy heading to Bend, Oregon, to explore the many trails there. They are also only a few hours from North Cascades National Park. An upcoming adventure will be a backpacking trip to the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Ashley makes her own line of biothane leashes and collars, which can be found @HandletheHound. Ashley uses the EzyDog Car Harness for car trips with the pups.

Her shoutouts include her friend Amanda and Leilani @adventurepup_leilani, her husband for being an amazing and supportive dogdad, and her friend Connie with Addie and Obi @goodenoughdogs. Some awesome family photos in Ashley’s feed are taken by Stephanie Keegan @stephkeeganphoto.

And here is Ashley’s list of Trail Etiquette Tips that she provided:

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Today’s episode is all about raw diet, following the process of research to implementing, including the pros and cons.

The first part is from my conversation with Cassidy, the dogmom of Honey @hiking.with.honey. She talks about how she started with freeze dried raw and made the switch to a DIY raw diet. Specifically, she mentions her source in Colorado Springs for fresh animal products from Primitive Choice @primitivechoice. For air dried raw treats and chews, as well as raw diet education, she recommended Real Dog Box @realdogbox.

In the second conversation, Gillian, the dogmom to Mally and Apollo @blackdogsadventuring, talks about how she started with raw toppers to their meals. After seeing improvements in their energy, both dogs now eat a full raw diet with very specific percentages of main ingredients. Besides sourcing ingredients from a local butcher in Oregon, she and her husband get plenty of fresh meats from hunting and fishing. She mentioned @mister_mogul as a friend and source for learning about raw diet.

The third conversation is with Dr. Angie Zinkus, co-medical director at Germantown Parkway Animal Hospital @germantownparkwayah, in Cordova, Tennessee. Dr. Zinkus gives her professional opinion of raw diet and raw treats. With more than 20 years of experience, beginning as a veterinary technician and becoming a surgical veterinary doctor, she has seen it all, including the rise of raw diet in pets.

Below are some helpful links to sources I used in my research for this episode, including the latest information on canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) from the FDA.

FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy

What Dog Owners Need to Know About the FDA’s Grain-Free Diet Alert, American Kennel Club

Raw Dog Food and Salmonella Risks, Whole Dog Journal 

Overview of Salmonellosis, Merck Veterinarian Manual

Most recently, the CDC has released this alert about a Salmonella outbreak in the last couple of days:

Outbreak of Multidrug-Resistant SalmonellaInfections Linked to Contact with Pig Ear Dog Treats, CDC.gov

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Today’s interview is with Gillian, the dogmom to Mally and Apollo @blackdogsadventuring, a mother and son duo of black labradors that work and play in the PNW. Both are trained retrievers for duck hunting and also spend a lot of time hiking, and exploring amazing places!

When they aren’t swimming at the river near their home close to Eugene, Oregon, they like to hike at Spencer Butte and Mount Pisgah. Not too far away, in the Bend, Oregon area, is Smith Rock State Park and the wonderfully named Misery Ridge Trail. They also make an annual camping trip to Summer Lake for the opening of duck hunting season. As pack hike leaders with @thenorthwestdog, they’ve hiked at McDowell Creek Falls, and Spencer Butte. Future trips include Painted Hills and Newbury Volcano in Deschutes National Forest,

We talked extensively about where to go and what to do at Banff National Park of Canada. Their favorite hikes were Sulphur Mountain, Johnston Canyon, and Lake Louise. They stayed in Canmore, on the south east edge of the park, and visited Quarry Lake, which has a large off leash area for dogs! Gillian especially mentioned the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel as a cool location to visit with your pups if you are interested in history and architecture. The hotel is amazingly dog friendly!

Mally and Apollo’s biothane collars are from @goodwolfdesignco. Gillian uses organic paw balm and bandanas from @thenorthwestdog, @cedarcide bug repellant for both the pups and humans, and @whyld_river Doggy Bag sleeping bag for their camping adventures.

Gillian’s shoutouts go to her family (mom, stepdad, and brother) for their continuous IG support, her husband for raising and training two fabulous dogs, and real life friends @aksel_the_gsd who’s always down for a hike, and @mister_mogul with lots of raw feeding info. Another shoutout to @thenorthwestdog and the pack for all of the dog community support and awesome photography.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s interview is with Jane, the dogmom to Mollie @the_marathon_mutt, a Chicago area dog that makes ordinary marathon training runs much more special. Jane, who is currently training for a fall marathon, finds motivation from her runs with Mollie and shares that inspiration with others through their instagram account.

Other than the very popular Lake Front Trail along Lake Michigan, they frequent a number of trails in Chicago including the North Branch Trail System in Skokie Lagoon Forest Preserve. The North Branch is more than thirty miles of paved and unpaved trail and connects to the Green Bay Trail. Another Forest Preserve that they like is the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. Chicago is dotted with many Forest Preserves, and in Cook County alone, has more than 200 miles of paved and 100 miles of unpaved trails!

Further from home, Jane and Mollie have visited Petrifying Springs park in Kenosha, Wisconsin for the Pups & Pints event benefitting Safe Harbor Humane Society. Jane has plans to visit one of her favorites, Starved Rock State Park, about two hours from Chicago and one of Illinois most popular state parks. Also on the calendar is a trip to St. Louis to visit her cousin and her three pit bulls.

Mollie wears a Ruffwear harness for her daily runs, along with her SparklyPets hands free leash. She stays hydrated with a folding water bowl from Canine Equipment. For traveling Jane uses @bringfido, available in the app store, as a good reference point for finding dog friendly hotels and restaurants. Her shout outs go to her husband Ari and her mom, who always asks about her granddog first. On instagram, Jane gives a shout out to her friend Jason @i_eat_spinach, an inspiring runner and his daughter with their own pack @ourpackruns in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jane has also collaborated with @maesmenu for her #fuelfriday running recipes.

And here is one of Jane and Mollie’s recipes for “Stripped to the Bone” dog treats:

Ingredients:

Mix first 3 ingredients by hand or in stand mixer until fully combined. Add flour gradually (by the half cup or so) until dough is formed and isn’t too sticky. Knead 3-4 times and roll it out on flat/floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into fun shapes or just squares and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. They will last 2-3 days or freeze and thaw for a snack later.

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Today’s interview is with Amanda, the dogmom to Leilani @adventurepup_leilani, a Seattle bully breed hiking her way around the PNW!

Originally from the island of Kuai and adopted in Washington, Lani has some favorite local hikes including her first big adventure at Rattlesnake Ledge, Snoqualmie Pass, and areas around Mt. Rainier National Park. Amanda included @sniffspots in her local favorites. By using their app or online at sniffspot.com, dog parents can find local private places to play and explore without having to worry about reactivity problems with other dogs.

Further from home, Lani has visited areas of the North Cascade National Park, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Oregon, with a yearly visit to the Oregon coast for her Gotcha Day celebration. They plan on doing some camping in Oregon later this summer, and backpacking in North Cascades National Park soon.

For products that she uses, Amanda spoke about the Wonder Walker harness for training, the Hurtta Trail harness for hiking in, leashes and collars from @dogdoggoose, and her doggy sleeping bag from @whyld_river.

Her shout outs include @pnw_minimutts, @adventurewithmonsters, @riverthewhylddog, @wanderingridgebacks,  @sunsets_unleashed, and a super special shout out to her husband Brian @bigvu247.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s episode is a bit special, with TWO interviews about running with your dogs. The first is with Leigh and Kodiak @aufklarung1650. Kodi is a young husky malamute mix who is just starting into trail running in the Toronto area.

The second part is with Mike, the dogdad to Rosie @rosievizslaruns. Mike is a professional runner with a busy schedule but always finds time to run with Rosie around the Arlington, West Virginia area.

Leigh and Kodi have an amazing list of trails in and around Toronto, which includes the Mimico Creek Trail, the Humber River Recreation Trail, the Etobicoke Creek Trail, Don River Valley Trail, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, High Park, and the 560 mile/ 900km long Bruce Trail.

Mike and Rosie do their local runs along the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail during the week. On the weekends, they head over to the Potomac Heritage Trail to get some technical trail running for longer distances. Rosie, who has some impressive speed, has run a personal best 16:00 5k and a 26:13 five mile race!

Leigh uses a harness from Lupine Pet. Their shoutouts include @davewiseto for his inspirational lifestyle. Leigh also spoke highly of her psychiatrist Dr. Edred Flak and doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

Mike uses a collar and harness from Ruffwear. Mike has a number of shoutouts including @mywhiskeygirl for some amazing photos, and real life vizsla friends @buckleythevizsla, @ryesutton, @sir_kilian_. Rosie, just like her dad, has a sponsor: @reddogcoffeeroasters! Last but not least, is @bigspoonroasters who are also vizsla owners and help fuel Mike’s runs.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s interview is with Alana, the dogmom of Baxter @baxter.the.lil.gentleman, a miniature schnauzer with some not so miniature adventures in Texas and Georgia.

Baxter started out his adventures on a ranch in the San Antonio area and beyond his many mini adventures around the ranch with Alana, they visited Guadalupe River State Park a number of times to enjoy the water in the hot Texas weather.

After moving to the Athens area of Georgia, Alana and Baxter discovered lots of new places to go including Oconee Forest Park at University of Georgia. Using the trail system there, they built up for a ten mile trek at Max Patch trail, near Hot Springs, North Carolina. Other places around their area in Georgia have included Fort Yargo State Park, Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, and even little adventures such as Harris Shoals Park in Watkinsville, NC. Their future trips include a meet-up with other Instagram dog friends near Medicine Bow, Wyoming!

Alana loves Baxter’s Groundbird Gear harness, his long lead from Sloppy Chops Co and his cooling vest from Ruffwear. Alana wanted to shout out her best friend @afoldedcorner. For some small dog accounts Alana likes @robinventures and @girlmeetsmerle.

We talked a bit about Baxter’s raw diet and Alana uses supplements from Kairos For Dogs @kairosfordogs, as well as pre made grinds from Hare Today @hare.today. And although it’s still in testing, I wanted to mention the meal replacement bars made with cricket protein from Kairos.

Thanks for listening!

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Today’s interview is with Kelly, the dogmom to Finnegan @finnyschminny, an awesome floof of a little guy with lots of big California adventure.

Since the Los Angeles area is pretty busy, one of Finn’s favorite local places to go is to the beach, especially when it’s raining, and he gets the whole beach to himself! Some other favorite local spots would be near Mountain High Resort and the Wrightwood area of Angeles National Forest. Not too far from there, Kelly has adventured in and around Joshua Tree National Park, and a visit to the poppy super bloom at Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve.

At the time of our interview, her upcoming adventures with Finn include a camping trip to Mammoth Lakes near Yosemite National Park and a stop in the San Francisco Bay Area before heading home. Most of all Kelly is looking forward to her trip to Wyoming to meet up with several other dogmoms, including a few from previous episodes of the podcast.

Though we’ve already interviewed many of the people Kelly is friends with, she also wanted to shout out another small doggo @baxter.the.lil.gentleman. And one of her photo inspirations would be @keplerandduke. Kelly mentioned @wanderswild as a good source of information for raw feeding.

As for the rattlesnake aversion training that Kelly mentioned during the show, she shared the website for Natural Solutions in California, that also does training selectively in surrounding states.

Thanks for listening!