Hiking With Dogs in Summer: The Complete Safety and Gear Guide

Everything I learned from eight years of hiking with Alice and the early lessons from bringing a seven-month-old Chowdoodle puppy onto trails. Covers heat safety, gear essentials, trail hazards, and building up distance gradually.

Hiking With Dogs in Summer: The Complete Safety and Gear Guide

Dodo turned seven months old last week, and I finally felt ready to take her on a real trail instead of our usual neighborhood loop. Alice, at nearly ten years old, has been my hiking buddy since she was two, so I figured combining the two of them on a moderate trail would be straightforward. I was wrong about several things that morning, and those mistakes taught me more about hiking with dogs than any gear list ever could.

This guide covers everything I learned across eight years of hiking with Alice and the early lessons from bringing a young Chowdoodle puppy onto trails for the first time. I am writing this in mid-July because summer is when most people get excited about outdoor adventures with their dogs, and summer is also when most trail emergencies happen.

Is Your Dog Actually Ready for a Hike?

Before you load up the car, you need an honest assessment of your dog's fitness level. A puppy under twelve months old should not be doing strenuous hikes because their growth plates have not fully closed. For large breeds and doodles, some veterinarians recommend waiting until fourteen or even sixteen months for anything beyond flat, short walks.

Alice was about eighteen months when I started taking her on longer trails, and even then we built up gradually over several weeks. Dodo is still limited to flat trails under two miles with frequent rest stops. Your vet can tell you exactly when your specific dog is ready based on their breed, weight, and joint development.

Alice falls into the senior category now, so our hikes look very different than they did five years ago. She gets winded faster, her joints stiffen on steep descents, and she needs more water breaks. Recognizing these changes and adjusting expectations is part of responsible hiking with an aging dog.

The Gear That Actually Matters

I have spent more money than I care to admit on dog hiking gear over the years. Some of it was worth every dollar. Some of it sits in a closet collecting dust. Here is what I bring on every single hike now.

The Non-Negotiables

A well-fitted harness matters more than almost anything else on the trail. I use the Ruffwear Front Range Harness for both dogs because it distributes pressure across the chest instead of the neck, has a handle on the back for scrambles or creek crossings, and the reflective trim helps me spot them in low light. A collar alone is not safe on trails because a dog that lunges at wildlife or slips on rocks can injure their trachea.

A collapsible water bowl and more water than you think you need. Dogs cannot sweat. They rely entirely on panting and drinking to regulate body temperature, and on a warm day they can go through water twice as fast as you expect. I carry a separate 32-ounce bottle just for the dogs on anything longer than an hour.

Poop bags, obviously, but also a small dry bag or ziplock to contain them until you reach a trash can. Leaving bagged poop on the trail "to pick up on the way back" is the number one complaint trail maintenance crews have about dog owners, and honestly it is just lazy.

The "I Learned This the Hard Way" Additions

A basic canine first-aid kit saved us on a hike in Malibu two years ago when Alice sliced her pad on a sharp rock. The kit does not need to be fancy. Mine contains gauze rolls, self-adhesive vet wrap, antiseptic wipes, tweezers for ticks or foxtails, and a pair of old socks that can serve as emergency booties taped over an injured paw.

A lightweight long line (15-20 feet) for areas where off-leash is allowed but you still want some control. This gives your dog room to sniff and explore without the risk of them disappearing around a blind corner toward a rattlesnake or a cliff edge.

Dog booties for extreme terrain or hot surfaces. I resisted these for years because Alice hated them, but the QUMY Dog Boots with the rubber soles actually stay on and protect against sharp rocks, hot sand, and the foxtail grass that grows along California trails in summer.

Summer-Specific Dangers on the Trail

Summer hiking with dogs carries risks that do not exist in cooler months. I am not trying to scare anyone away from getting outside, but you need to know what you are walking into.

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

This is the big one. Dogs overheat much faster than humans because their only cooling mechanisms are panting and minor sweating through their paw pads. A dog's normal body temperature sits around 101-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and anything above 104 degrees is dangerous. Above 106 degrees, organs start to fail.

Signs that your dog is overheating on the trail include excessive drooling with thick or ropy saliva, bright red gums, stumbling or refusing to walk, and glazed eyes. If you see any of these, stop immediately, get into shade, pour cool (not ice cold) water over their belly and paw pads, and head back to the car.

Breeds with thick double coats like Alice (Chow Shepherd mix) and curly-coated dogs like Dodo are at higher risk. Brachycephalic breeds, overweight dogs, and seniors are also more vulnerable. I never hike with the dogs when the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and even between 70-80 I stick to shaded trails and go early in the morning.

For a deeper dive into heat management, check out our post on how to keep your dog cool in summer heat.

Hot Ground Surfaces

The pavement in a parking lot or a sun-exposed rocky trail can be significantly hotter than the air temperature. At 85 degrees Fahrenheit air temperature, asphalt reaches approximately 130-135 degrees. That is hot enough to burn paw pads in under a minute.

The seven-second rule works well as a quick test: press the back of your hand flat against the ground and hold it there. If you cannot keep it down for seven seconds, it is too hot for your dog's paws. Stick to dirt trails, grass, or shaded paths, and consider booties for unavoidable paved sections like trailhead parking lots.

We covered paw protection in detail in our Dog Paw Care 101 post if you want the full breakdown on balms, booties, and seasonal pad maintenance.

Ticks, Snakes, and Foxtails

These three trail hazards peak in summer and each one can ruin your hike or worse.

Ticks are active from spring through fall in most of the United States, and they love the tall grass and brush along trail edges where dogs tend to sniff. I do a full tick check on both dogs after every single hike, paying close attention to ears, armpits, between toes, and around the collar area. We use a monthly preventative year-round, which I wrote about in our flea and tick prevention guide.

Rattlesnakes are a real concern in California, the Southwest, and much of the southern United States. They are most active in warm weather, especially in the morning and late afternoon when they bask on rocks and trail edges. Keep your dog on a short leash, stay on clear trails, and do not let them investigate holes, rock piles, or dense brush. Rattlesnake aversion training is available in many areas and costs around $75-150 per session. It teaches dogs to recognize and avoid the scent and sound of rattlesnakes, and for dogs with high prey drive, it could genuinely save their life.

Foxtails are barbed grass seed heads that appear on dried grasses from late spring through summer. They can embed in paw pads, ears, noses, and eyes, and they only travel in one direction — deeper into tissue. After every summer hike, I run my hands through the dogs' fur, check between every toe, and look inside their ears. If your dog starts sneezing violently, shaking their head, or licking one paw obsessively after a hike, a foxtail is a likely culprit and you should see your vet quickly.

Trail Etiquette With Dogs

Nobody wants to be the person whose dog ruins someone else's hike. A few baseline rules keep things smooth for everyone on the trail.

Always yield to other hikers, horses, and mountain bikers by stepping off the trail and keeping your dog in a sit or close heel until they pass. Not everyone likes dogs, and some people are genuinely afraid of them. Respecting that costs you nothing.

Keep your dog on leash unless you are in a designated off-leash area and your dog has reliable recall. "He's friendly" is not a substitute for a leash when another dog on the trail might not be, or when wildlife is nearby. I have seen off-leash dogs chase deer off cliffs, get sprayed by skunks, and get into fights with leashed reactive dogs whose owners had no way to create distance.

Pick up after your dog every single time. On backcountry trails where trash cans do not exist, bury waste in a six-to-eight-inch hole at least 200 feet from water sources and trails, the same as you would for human waste.

Building Up to Longer Hikes

If your dog is not conditioned for long hikes, throwing them onto a five-mile trail with 1,000 feet of elevation gain is a recipe for injury, exhaustion, or both. Build up the same way you would for yourself.

Start with 30-60 minute walks on varied terrain. Add distance gradually over several weeks. Introduce elevation changes slowly. Watch for signs of fatigue: lagging behind, lying down during breaks and refusing to get up, excessive panting that does not normalize within a few minutes of resting, or limping.

For senior dogs like Alice, I cap our hikes at about three miles now and choose trails with soft dirt surfaces rather than rocky terrain. She wears a supportive harness with a back handle so I can assist her on steep sections, and we take twice as many water breaks as we used to.

Dodo, being young and full of chaotic energy, actually needs shorter hikes than you might expect. Puppies and adolescent dogs tire quickly even though they seem boundless, and over-exercising growing joints can cause long-term damage. Our vet recommended limiting Dodo to about one mile of trail hiking at her current age, with the distance increasing by roughly a quarter mile per month.

What to Pack: The Complete Checklist

After years of refining my hiking pack for the dogs, here is what goes in every time:

• Collapsible water bowl (one per dog)
• Extra water (32 oz minimum for a 2-hour hike)
• High-value treats for recall reinforcement
• Poop bags plus a sealed container for used bags
• Canine first-aid kit (gauze, vet wrap, antiseptic, tweezers, emergency booties)
• Leash and backup leash (I have had a clasp fail mid-hike)
• Dog ID tags with current phone number
• Cooling bandana or vest for temperatures above 70°F
• Tick removal tool
• Small towel for creek crossings or muddy paws

For longer hikes or backpacking trips, I add a dog sleeping pad, extra food portioned into ziplock bags, a lightweight jacket for Alice (she gets cold at elevation even in summer), and electrolyte powder designed for dogs.

Our Favorite Local Trails (Los Angeles Area)

Since we are based in LA, here are a few trails that work well with dogs in the summer months when you go early enough:

Eaton Canyon in Pasadena opens at sunrise and the first mile to the waterfall is mostly shaded. Dogs must be on leash. The creek crossings are shallow enough for dogs to wade and cool off.

Temescal Gateway Park in Pacific Palisades has a shaded loop trail that stays relatively cool in the morning. It is short enough (about 2.5 miles) for senior dogs and puppies.

Franklin Canyon Park in Beverly Hills is flat, shaded, and has a small lake. It is one of the few places in LA where you can hike with dogs and actually find shade for the entire route.

The Bottom Line

Hiking with your dog is one of the best ways to bond, burn energy, and explore together. But summer hiking requires more planning, more water, earlier start times, and constant awareness of your dog's comfort level. Start slow, gear up properly, know the hazards specific to your area, and pay attention to what your dog is telling you through their body language and energy level.

Alice taught me most of what I know about trail safety over nearly a decade of adventures together. Dodo is teaching me patience and the importance of not pushing a young dog too far too fast. Between the two of them, I have learned that the best hike is the one where everyone comes home happy, hydrated, and uninjured — even if that means turning around early.