Taking Your Four-Legged Sidekick On An Amazing Adventure

Hiking invigorates the body, clears the mind and refreshes the soul. Even if you’re not particularly adventuresome, after hiking once, something in the experience just makes you want to do it again. Whether you’re alone or with friends, seeing nature at its finest always feels so wonderful and refreshing. But your best hiking companion is at home, patiently waiting by your door every time you leave! Your dog. Now the question is, where and what’s the best way for me to go hiking with dogs?

Living The Southwest Dream

The Southwest is known for its arid deserts, crimson landscapes, unique mountains and other natural wonders. When it comes to hiking with dogs, this region surely has some of the best places to offer. Read through to find out some bucketlist-worthy hiking spots!

1. Grand Canyon

I know, I know. Most national parks are not super pet-friendly, and the Grand Canyon National Park is not an exception. They allow pets, but only on the paved areas and trails. However, the South Rim of this majestic Wonder of the World welcomes dogs as long as they are leashed. There are miles of paved trails along the rim with the most amazing views you could imagine. Plus you have access to all the essential services nearby that you might take advantage of during your hike, like restrooms, restaurants, post office, and of course the ice cream parlor!

patrick hendry dog adventure in little grand canyon
Dog Adventure at the Grand Canyon
Photo by Patrick Hendry

The South Rim is open year-round, 24 hours a day. There are many trails and viewpoints to explore, with different levels of difficulty! But aside from hiking, there are  heaps of other activities you can enjoy with your dog, such as seeing the sunrise from the Desert View or the sunset from Hopi, Yaki or Mather’s Points. Even after dark, you can’t miss out on stargazing or joining one of their evening ranger programs.

2. Kodachrome Basin

From the name itself, the Kodachrome Basin State Park is known for its multi-colored and red-tinged rock cliffs and formations. This pet-friendly park allows dogs on no more than a 6-foot leash. Apart from its naturally colorful aesthetics, the Kodachrome Basin boasts 67 monolithic stone spires, popularly known as the sand pipes.

A day in this park is not enough to cover all the wonderful landmarks that it offers, from the jaw-dropping Chimney Rock, the amazing Shakespeare Arc, and campground, to the different trails that you and your dog will enjoy. They have five trails to choose from: Nature Trail, Angel’s Palace Trail, Panorama Trail, Grand Parade Trail and Eagle’s Landing Trailhead. For your convenience, they have basic facilities that you may need such as parking area, comfort rooms, restrooms, telephone access, picnic tables and more. This year, they have added camper-style bunkhouses and a full-service laundromat for tourists who wish to stay longer.

3. Bryce & Zion

luca-bravo-bryce-canyon
Bryce Canyon National Park, United States
Photo by Luca Bravo

Did you know that it is possible to visit both of these parks in one day? YES! Bryce and Zion National Parks are just an hour and a half drive away from each other. As Utah’s first national park, Zion has definitely preserved its natural beauty along with its rich history. They allow dogs in the Pa’rus Trail, which runs for 1.5 miles from the South Campground to the Canyon Junction. Then you may proceed to Bryce Canyon, a sprawling reserve famously known for its crimson-colored rock formations shaped like spires. Pets are allowed on the paved trail between Sunrise Point and Sunset Point as well as all paved viewpoint areas.

sapan-patel-zion-national-park
Zion National Park, United States
Photo by Sapan Patel

Ready for an adventure of a lifetime?

After the successful launch of our tours in Charlotte NC, Happy Tails Canine Adventure Tours has expanded into the Southwest with our Coyote 8 Day tour and we are ready to take you and your canine best friend on an amazing adventure. Beyond the happy memories, this once in a lifetime experience will transform your life and your dog’s! The Grand Canyon, Kodachrome Basin, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon are just few of the places we will visit on The Coyote – A Southwest USA 8 Day Tour. If you want you and your dog to be a part of this wonderful experience, join our waitlist at: HappyTailsTours.com/Coyote.

 

 

To find out more about our tours: happytailstours.com/tours/

Don’t forget to share this article with your dog lover friends and like us on our  Facebook page:
facebook.com/HappyTailsTours

Follow us on Instagram here:
instagram.com/happytailstours/

Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
happytailstours.com/youtube


Dog parks are a great and necessary concept, especially as more and more apartment dwellers that don’t have a yard become dog owners. Dogs need a place to run and get exercise and its great for them to socialize with other dogs as long as its in a structured environment. But, over my years as a dog owner and dog trainer I’ve had more knowledge and experience than I would like of the negative side of dog parks. That’s yet another reason that the subject of last week’s blog, “Dog Communication; Calming signals and Dog Body Language” is so important. It’s essential if you are going to take your dog to a dog park to be able to understand what’s going on with them and the other dogs.

Another must if you are going to visit dog parks with your dog is that a dog park is a place for people to go with their dog and enjoy time with them off leash. It’s not a place to take a dog and sit on the phone or chat up friends and ignore their dog, which way too many people do. As a result, dogs can get hurt or traumatized and that trauma can be permanent. We experienced it with our own dog Margie. She was always sweet, friendly and passive, excited to see and meet other dogs, both known and unknown, welcoming and introducing herself in proper dog speak. She’d had a few scuffles with other dogs, but none that were severe or traumatic.

girl and dog at the dog parkThen a woman came with her very ball aggressive dog to play fetch. No one realized the issue and the woman was completely irresponsible about it. A responsible owner should and would never bring a ball or toy with a dog with a ball aggressive issue like that. When Margie approached the dog to say hello, a white Lab at least twice here size, the dog exploded with no warning and attacked her. I was there in an instant and she wasn’t physically injured, but there was a very clear shift in her personality after that. She’s still sweet, and gentle, but she’s a bit more standoffish now and doesn’t tolerate any inappropriate behavior from other dogs.

 

Full moon kayak adventure tour
Join us on an outstanding full moon adventure on the Catawba River at Tailrace Marina.

 

Seeing a trauma based shift like that in my own dog was really heartbreaking. It’s something no dog should ever experience and so while dog parks are great and a relatively safe way to spend off-leash time with your dog on a daily basis, make sure to pay attention, have a good recall and voice control over your dog, learn dog communication, and error on the side of caution. I always encourage dog owners that if they feel or sense any issue at the park, keep your dog close and if you can’t be sure, leaving is a good option.