Have a dog and want to start adventuring? You’re in the right place! Here are my top tips to get started:

Choose Your Adventure Type

You might have one idea of adventure in your head, but in truth there are endless ways to “adventure.” Not every adventure has to be difficult, and dirty, and filled with adrenaline — an adventure can be relaxing and easy! Here are some things to consider when choosing your type of adventure:

Your personal lifestyle and what brings you joy

Are you the kind of person who likes getting your heart rate up, your hands dirty, and your feet wet? Consider an adventure like canicross, hiking, or backpacking!

Prefer a quieter adventure with time for relaxation, eating, and comfort? Consider paddleboarding, state park/paid camping, and park walks!

Your dog’s energy levels and drive

Have a high-energy dog who loves physical exercise? Canicross, dock diving, and hiking are all great ways to fulfill these needs.

Have a senior or lower-key dog? Camping and paddleboarding are great ways to get your dog outside and provide mental stimulation while keeping physical strain to a minimum.

Your lifestyle limitations

We all wish we had endless time, money, and access to pursue adventure, but the reality is that we don’t. You may live somewhere that’s harder to access nature, or face challenges affording things like camping equipment, a paddleboard/kayak, or even campsite fees. Maybe you live in a climate that’s hazardous to be outside in certain seasons. Whatever your challenge, it’s okay to stay within your means. The important thing is that you have fun with your dog, whatever that looks like to you.

Start with the Basics

Gear

I know it’s tempting to see an awesome adventure on the internet, do your research, and immediately go out and buy everything on every list telling you what the “essentials” are. But overconsumption is not the way to appreciate the outdoors. Yes, you probably will have to get some gear for many activities. However, you probably don’t need as much as you think, and you can probably get most of it used. It’s better to start with the basics and ask yourself this:

Do you own something already that you could use?

Before you go out and buy specialized gear, consider whether you already own something that you could use. You don’t need a new Rumpl blanket when you have that old quilt from your mom that you never use and don’t care about getting dirty. Your dog doesn’t need an overpriced “dog sleeping bag” when you could find an old Coleman from the nineties and throw it on the ground. Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of these cool niche products! But you don’t need all of them for your first camping trip 30 minutes from home in mild weather.

Can you get this thing secondhand?

You would not believe how many things I’ve gotten from thrift stores that I use all the time. Heck, my actual couch in my apartment is from the curb. Search Facebook Marketplace, join buy-nothing groups, and peruse your local thrift stores before going out and buying something new. My zero-degree sleeping bag that I am obsessed with came from a condo giveaway that I got to browse as a seasonal employee there. My super comfy folding memory foam mattresses in my truck I got from Facebook Marketplace. I could go on, but point is that there’s a lot of stuff out there to reuse, and reducing overconsumption is an important way to take care of our world around us.

Training

When it comes to preparing your dog for adventure, you don’t need to be a professional dog trainer to get the basics down. It might sound ironic, coming from a dog trainer, but most of the time you only need the basics.

Management

You thought I was going to list commands like recall, heel, place, etc didn’t you? No! While those behaviors are nice things to have and can make adventures easier, they’re not absolutely necessary to get started. The only real basic you need is management. What does this mean? It means you know how to manage your dog so that they and others are safe and free from physical and mental harm. It might mean keeping your dog on leash or tethered at all times if they don’t have a solid recall (or even if they do!), ensuring they don’t run up to, lunge, or bark at others around you (maybe book a more secluded campsite or hike a less crowded trail to be sure), and being able to assess their state of mind so that they are not overly stressed by the experience. Commands can always be worked on — safety and state of mind are my first priorities whenever I start any adventure.

Conclusions

Adventuring with dogs can seem intimidating at first. There’s so much content out there showing the absolute pinnacle of high-energy dogs and people that it can feel like something unattainable. But never fear — it’s not all Malinois and mountain bikers. Adventuring with dogs just means getting outside and enjoying nature with your dog — whatever that looks like for you. A quiet dinner by the fire in a cozy glamping site is every bit as much an adventure as backpacking in the wilderness. So grab your dog, your beat-up leash, some comfortable shoes, and head out your front door.