Dizzy will be 20 weeks this Friday and I was thinking of taking him on a hike really early on Saturday morning. I was thinking about an easy 2 mile hike without much raise in altitude. Would that be alright, or would that be pushing it for his age?

only way to gauge that is how far do you walk him now when you can? how long do you think it will take you to do the 2miles? is it on dirt and gravel? at 5 months i would say i bet he can do it as long as he has no weight on him and you take breaks and watch him for any changes in his movement that might show you he is getting tired, thing with huskies is they like to hide their pain or if they are tired and just keep going, its up to us to keep an eye out for anything that may be off from normal with them.

Silly thought for little ones: Has anyone toted their pup around in a carrier similar to those back backs to carry kids/babies? I was just thinking about the logistics of still making sure an adult husky gets exercise while letting the pup come along.

Nicole, im sure it has been done, but if i were to ever do that i would be hiking in an area NO ONE would ever see me doing that:lol!: 

jbealer wrote:

only way to gauge that is how far do you walk him now when you can? how long do you think it will take you to do the 2miles? is it on dirt and gravel? at 5 months i would say i bet he can do it as long as he has no weight on him and you take breaks and watch him for any changes in his movement that might show you he is getting tired, thing with huskies is they like to hide their pain or if they are tired and just keep going, its up to us to keep an eye out for anything that may be off from normal with them.  

Normally I limit structured walked to 25-30 min. I know we have gone 2 miles before, but it was more of a meandering pace rather than a real walk, with breaks in shady grass and water breaks. It's dirt/gravel and I don't have a pack for him yet, I plan on getting that for his first birthday next March. It's an out and back trail, so I can always turn around if he starts to tire. I think we could do 2 miles in 30-40 min, it mostly depends on him though. I'll go at a pace that seems good for him.

CavingSiberian wrote:

Silly thought for little ones: Has anyone toted their pup around in a carrier similar to those back backs to carry kids/babies? I was just thinking about the logistics of still making sure an adult husky gets exercise while letting the pup come along.

I have seen people with those in NYC and to be honest, I wouldn't be caught dead with one! I'm with jbealer on that one lol.

I've always wondered because a walk is not a walk is not a walk. I get the time/age rule of thumb but it has to be contingent upon surface, speed, severity, intervals, temperature, health, hydration....etc..

You are knowledgeable and experienced and a great gauge of Dizzy and it sounds like you know how to chop it up and keep a healthy pace, objective distance aside.

seattlesibe wrote:

I've always wondered because a walk is not a walk is not a walk.  I get the time/age rule of thumb but it has to be contingent upon surface, speed, severity, intervals, temperature, health, hydration....etc..

exactly! im doing 15+miles sunday and the dogs are going to stay home, sure they "could" do it but i would not subject them to that as it would hurt them. you are the best judge for your dog, as long as you do know the rules you can decide if and when its time to maybe "break" the rules.

I've seen people just put their pup in a backpack when they hike. It was cute. Lol.

I honestly don't see why a hike would be bad if you don't push him to continue on, go at his pace, and take plenty of breaks. I plan on hiking with Mishka when it cools down a bit and will just keep an eye on him to make sure he's not tiring out too fast.

simplify wrote:

I plan on hiking with Mishka when it cools down a bit and will just keep an eye on him to make sure he's not tiring out too fast.

I can't wait until it's cool enough for us to hike again. I can hike w/o Shaqua but it is just not the same...

^ I wish Clark Creek wasn't so far from you because I would love for us to be able to bring the pups hiking together!

Oh me too! If I'm ever out that way I'll have to let you know. Sometimes I like to take the scenic route when I drive up to MO to visit the family.

Thanks everybody, it may end up being too hot to hike even at the crack of dawn, but I'm itching to go. Nicole, you're right, it really isn't the same without the pup!

If you get out early enough, take lots of breaks, and pick somewhere shady (and maybe even with a creek or stream), I think he'd be fine. I went hiking with Pippa earlier this week and she did fine. It was in the 80s, but it was shady and she played in the water several times.

She was doing better than I was at the end haha.

If you manage 2 miles on a walk, I feel like hiking shouldn't be any different. That being said, I'm used to trails and hiking down here, which is almost always shady and a good 10 degrees cooler because its in the mountains.