We have seen many climbers who adore their dog and even take it climbing. But we have seen these climbers many times to see if they have the right thing when they bring a dog for climbing. That is why in this article we are going to talk about whether it is advisable to take your dog with you when climbing.
Do you also have a dog? Then you might be wondering: “Can I bring my dog to climb? Sure, but it depends on the dog. Read on to learn more!
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Best Dogs for Rock Climbing
According to dog experts, there`s really not one breed that`s better than another for rock climbing. They should have certain characteristics though which will make them an honest climbing companion. you would possibly love your dog and love climbing, but your dog won’t be into it and that`s ok. Read on to find out what kind of dog personalities are best for taking to the mountains.
– Relaxed Posture
Ideally, your dog is in a mega-chill mood just like you. He stays away and just relaxes, enjoys the outdoors. He’s not a great thief either. Other climbers will complain of a loud barking dog. If something is happening like a bear, it is understandable, but a dog that barks every time the wind whispers through the leaves of the trees is agony, especially when you are not there to calm it down.
– Good Behavior
Before taking your dog to the climbing center, hopefully you have spent time with him in nature, perhaps on a hike. If he stays away from creatures like spiders and snakes during these times, you can probably trust him to be a good climbing partner. Also, you should literally show him the strings. Nobody wants a dog to go over the ropes or sniff out other climbers’ lunch when no one is looking.
Take a good and honest look at your dog’s temperament and behavior. A good test is to go on a hike or take him to many picnics in the park to see how he performs. You should also think about how your dog will behave around other dogs in case someone else brings their dog to climb. Other climbers may like dogs, but they won’t love yours if it starts barking constantly from the moment you go up until you come back down.
-Prepare Your Dog for Climbing
If you think your dog would make a good climbing companion, there are a few things you should do before yelling “Here, boy!”. And let him get in the car with you. These tips will keep you safe, as well as yours and that of other climbers.
– Get a Checkup
It’s always a good idea to make sure your pet is in tip-top shape, but it’s a good idea to get your vet’s stamp of approval before taking him to the cliff regularly. Taking flea baths and taking preventive measures against ticks is helpful. Your vet will also tell you if your dog’s bones are developed enough if your dog is just a puppy. It’s best to wait until your dog is about a year old or so to make sure he’s testing himself.
-Make sure all vaccinations are up to date
If his bones are fine, make sure your dog has all the vaccinations he needs to keep him safe. If you live in the city, you have less concern that he will drink from a polluted lake. Your vet can offer you vaccinations and preventative treatments to keep your dog safe in the wild. Your vet will also tell you if your dog’s immune system is developed enough to be safe on the boulder.
– Check Park Rules Before Bringing Your Dog
Many national parks in the United States have strict requirements for our dog lovers. You should always check what is allowed. Some national parks do not allow dogs, while others require that your dog be on a leash at all times. Do some research before you go!
– Make sure your dog obeys
Keeping your dog on a leash is only part of it. How does your dog react when other people pass by? Or other dogs? Does he growl and get mean or is he licking excessively and jumping all over the place? You want your dog to be in the center where calm is.
– Bring What You Need to Order
Just as you must be environmentally friendly when climbing by picking yourself up, you must be ready to do it for your dog. Bring bags to clean up when you poop. It’s a good idea to bring a disposable bag that can hold any smaller poop bag so you can toss it in one go without leaving anything behind.
Overnight stays for a multi-pitch tour with a dog? Follow the same rules as when camping. It will dump and bury your dog’s feces in a hole six to eight inches deep. This hole must be at least 60 meters from any water source, store or road. When urinating, you should be careful not to do so near or in water sources.
– Try Drying Exercise
First Once you have your dog ready to climb, you should do it. It is always better to do short, easy climbs with your dog just to make sure he would obey and get out of the way. When you think that you could trust him that he was a good boy, then you can start climbing with him more and finally camped with him too. Well, there may be few cases when you might not take him along with you.
– Using microchips
Always install a microchip on your dog and make sure it stays there. If your dog ever gets separated from you then you can find him easily with the help of the microchips. It is painless and easy. We highly recommend it.
– Consider a dog pack
We really like the Mountainsmith K9 Pack (which is also affordable at about 70$ on Amazon) because it`s got a nice handle at the top so if we have to cross water, you can grab hold of it and keep him safe and it is also nice to have him carry his own load of gear. This is particularly useful for longer climbs and multipitch. You`ll want to bring a collapsible water bowl, extra water for him to drink, food, and how to wash up his poop.
Take care, however, that it is not too tight. You may want to try it at home first to see if you like it. For short climbs you can take it all yourself as you won’t be gone long but if you make it a full day or even overnight (or multiple days) then you really need to get a pack of dogs.
– First aid kit always with you when climbing
You should always have a first aid kit with you even without a dog when climbing. You should also add important things for your dog. A good idea is to ask your vet for what should be included, aside from any medications your dog might be taking. We once saw another climber with a dog that brought along old, holey wool socks to use for bandages. Not a bad idea. Tweezers are great for removing burrs, splinters, and other painful items.
– Bring the comforts of home
If you see that all the shorter climbs have been a success to you with your dog, staying overnight should be the next step. But now you need a bigger tent like this one from MIER so he can sleep. But if you prefer to sleep directly under the stars, this large screened-in hammock is a must-have for just $ 70 and your dog will be able to sleep on a collapsible dog bed. We recommend this one from Pawer .
We have covered some of the things you will need if you take your dog climbing, but here is my ultimate list of things to bring.
– Water and a Water Container
Water is most important thing for you and your dog. You will die out of thirst if you don’t carry water for yourself. So always bring water along with a water container with you.
– Dog shoes
Depends on where you are climbing. If it’s cold and there is ice and snow on the ground, don’t let your puppy suffer. Get him waterproof dog boots like this one. The same goes for places with sharp rocks or prickly spots. If walking barefoot off the road is uncomfortable, protect your dog’s paws.
– Towels
Do you really want to share your towel with your? Use an old towel that you will give your dog to clean his paws if they get dirty before he gets into his dog’s bed or tent with you. Use another dedicated one if you get wet in the pouring rain or decide to shoot in the nearby lake.
– Nail Care
You don’t need it for a half day trip or even a whole day when you come home to your own bed. But in a tent, you’ll want to file your dog’s nails (this is by far my favorite) and trim them to avoid damaging the fabric.
– Flashlight
Again, it`s a good one for overnight, but you won`t want to be left in the dark trying to keep tabs on your furry best friend when he has to go to the bathroom at night, we absolutely love Anker products and their bright tactical flashlight is just amazing, you can also charge it with a micro USB cable, when the battery gets low, we simply use my 26800 mAh Power Bank.
– Coat/clothing
If the temperatures are cold, it never hurts to take along a coat, sweater, or some other type of covering your dog can wear.
– Cooling collar
If you go for climbing in a place where the heat is intense at that time put a cooling collar on your dog to cool your dog down.
– Outdoor toys
It`s not all about you and your climb. Bring dog toys that can handle some dirt so they can go fetch and have fun when you return.
– Dog Collar
You should never remove the collar from your dog when you are away from home. Always. Please make sure all information on this necklace is up to date.
– Leash
As already mentioned, most parks should keep your dog on a leash. Even if you think your dog is good and may scratch you, if he takes it off the leash, it is possible that he is barking up the wrong tree. Better to play it safe. You don’t want him to go crazy, annoy other climbers, or get lost. A microchip will help if it comes off, but you don’t want it to slip off easily.
– Bring a photo
Even if you keep your dog on a leash, you should always have a photo on your phone and print it out in case the battery is lost (a power bank is helpful). Sometimes the dog runs off and God forbid, you have something to show other climbers, nearby campers, or rangers.
– Dog Litter Bag
As we said, please clean up your dog’s litter. These excrements pollute the ecosystem. Let’s be kind to nature and use dog garbage bags!
– Snake Defense
Snakes are geat creatures to admire from a distance or in a glass container, but not great if you walk up to the rock. This will protect you both, trust me. And this snake protection is even environmentally friendly and safe for your dog.
– Schatten
On day trips, if you don’t bring a tent, you should bring something to provide shade that you can easily set up. It gives your dog a cool place to sit and wait for him.
– Dog Bed
The most important thing is to see the reasons why this is a great idea.
Extra long rope to tie your dog while climbing
– Extra long rope
Take an extra long rope (this is 15 m, which makes it perfect) to be able to tie your dog to a tree. The long rope gives you more length to roam and explore without running away.
– Bring extras with
If you are staying overnight, take several extras with or in your car. In case you lose a necklace, dog tag, toy, poop bag, or anything else, you’ll be glad you did.
Planning for Food and Water
Even if you plan on just a halfday, you should overplan when it comes to food and water. You never know when something might come up and it is always better to have extra than to run You never know when something might come up and it’s always better to possess extra than to run out. If your dog is larger, you`ll want to bring along a minimum of 1 ounce of water per pound your dog weighs per day. Dogs but 20 pounds will need 1.5 ounces per pound of weight per day, generally speaking.
Always go by the nose. If it feels dry, your dog needs fluids. Still don’t know how to judge that? Ask your vet!
For food, you should bring the usual amount of food your dog would take for a climb, plus one cup for every 20 pounds of your dog’s body weight. Again, your vet can help you determine what the bare minimum should be. You should always bring more with you.
If you’re hungry, thirsty or tired as a dog, forgive the pun, your dog is probably too. Watch how he behaves and take breaks accordingly.
Other things to consider
In addition to having everything you need for your dog and your climb, you have everything you need to observe how your dog seems to feel. Are you breathing fast and not calming down? Let him rest and be always ready to roll if he gets hot despite his best efforts. Pushing it is never wise.
Please also note:
– Wild Animals
This leash prevents your dog from falling on annoying and peaceful bears or deer. Always be vigilant outdoors and respect the animals that call it home.
– Ticks
Before you go home, check your dog for ticks. You don’t want to take this home with you. They could bite you and give you Lyme disease.
– Poisonous foliage
Do not camp near poisonous plants. Be vigilant when hiking on the rock to make sure your dog is not eating anything that could cause stomach problems.
– Spines and ridges
They can irritate your dog. However, foxtails are even worse because they have barbs and can really get caught in sensitive areas. Ideally, before taking your dog on a big adventure, you should familiarize yourself with the location of the country. If you trip over something, the tweezers in your first aid kit should help. If your dog starts to sneeze a lot, he has a discharge from his eyes, or he shakes his head, interrupt your trip and see your vet quickly.
– Heatstroke
Heatstroke is just as dangerous for dogs as it is for you. Make sure you let it get plenty of rest in the shade and expose it to lots of water.
– Waterborne pathogens
Like you, dogs are susceptible to waterborne pathogens. You need to know what you’re getting into before venturing into your climbing destination, and treat the water accordingly for both of you.
– Swimming
Your dog should know how to swim before you take him on an adventure near water. If he doesn’t, make sure you have a dog-friendly personal flotation device, or PFD. Even dogs that are excellent swimmers should never attempt to cross whitewater. Use the dog backpack to carry it. The temperature of the water is also a problem depending on the climate and the time of year. A cold lake can cause your dog’s temperature to drop to dangerous levels.
Conclusion
If you want to take your dog climbing, first make sure that he is behaving appropriately. You don’t want it to bother other climbers, chew on equipment, or be a headache. You want me to be a cool partner hanging on the rock with you.
As cool as your dog is, in some places dogs are not allowed or are not good to take with you. Know, before you go, visit the destination yourself with your human friends first to see if it is also a good place for your dog.
And don’t forget the essentials! Start small by taking your dog on shorter climbs and then work your way up to nighttime adventures. If you take it easy, you can enjoy your favorite sport, climbing, with your favorite dog!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Why does my dog try to climb on me?
People usually jump up on people who they are excited to see, but some dogs jump up on people out of love and adoration. When a dog is excited, he may jump up to greet you, but it’s a sign of his happiness.
Can you take a dog climbing?
If you want to take your dog along for the climb, make sure he’s able to behave himself first. You don’t want him to annoy other climbers, gnaw at equipment, or be a pain in the ass. You want your climbing partner to be cool and adventurous.
What is a crag dog?
Being the perfect partner for ascending mountains is what makes a crag dog so amazing. “Crag” is the name that’s used for an outdoor steep, rugged cliff or rock face on which climbers can perform climbing. Climbers often take their dogs with them when they go on adventures. Dogs are prepared, trained, and equipped to keep company and assist climbers on adventures.
How do you rock climb a dog?
To know how to rock climb a dog, check out this video.
