On the Trail with Your Canine Companion: Getting the Most of Hiking and Camping with Your Dog

Yes, the book may be of little relative interest to those who backpack for many miles and multiple days. But that's not the audience for whom the book was written. This is meant to help those dog owners who consider it daring to sleep in a pull-behind popup camper and walk a couple of miles on a trail through the woods understand how to include their dogs on these trips. For this audience, the book provides the appropriate information. If you would like to share a low-tech low-risk camping experience with your dog, this book will help you do that.

From suggestions on conditioning to tips on what to bring, this book tells you what you need to know to prepare yourself, and your dog, for hiking and backpacking together. The book also includes helpful first-aid information, but you really should buy a book devoted to this topic. Another very important element that is not stressed enough is trail etiquette. It is clear that Smith loves her dogs and enjoys taking them on outdoor trips, but she also makes it clear that there are others on the trail who may not take kindly to dogs. Smith offers ways to ensure that you and your dogs are courteous trail users who don't detract from the wilderness experience for other travelers. The author includes some of her own experiences, which makes for a better read and also shows the reader real-life situations. Readers also will find the listings in the back of the book indispensible. Smith lists suggested reading, manufacturers of dog-related products and parks information for each state.