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You are no doubt familiar with the daily walking services offered by most pet sitting services that provide a way for your dogs to get out for some regular exercise and a midday break.

But did you know that some pet sitters also offer fun dog adventures such as hikes and swimming excursions. These type of trips usually last 2-3 hours and give dogs a strenuous work out – in fact some services even provide these activities as part of a fitness training program for your dog!

Some of the benefits of getting your pooch involved in these trips other than the exercise are:

• Socialization – adventure trips usually involve several dogs that are taken together so your dog gets to spend some quality to with canine companions.
• Fun – your dog gets to explore new places and get involved in activities that normally they may not be exposed to.
• Mental stimulation – many of these trips also engage the dogs in training such as agility or water games so that your dog comes home mentally and physically tired. This may aid in combatting any behavior issues arising from boredom in your home.

Before signing your dog up for this type of trip ensure that you do our research and ensure that the company offering the service is experienced and well prepared. You will want to check that they:

1. Offer an upfront interview where they get to know the temperament and fitness level of your dog so that they can make sure they will fit in with other dogs and are taken on a trip that meets their needs and physical capabilities
2. Have the right equipment and first aid supplies. These type of trips are inherently more dangerous that regular walking due to the environment. Ensure that the trip guide is trained in pet first aid and carries first aid supplies, food and water so that they are prepared to handle any situation that occurs during the outing.

If your dogs are high energy but you don’t always have the time to get out and tackle adventure in the great outdoors – take some time to research the fun adventures offered by your local pet sitting service. Get them out and having fun and reap the benefits of a fit and happy companion!

Here is some more information about the types of dog adventures offered by pet sitters:

Sarah Gorman

I am doing dog outdoor adventures for my Seattle clients. It’s so fun!

I pick them up in my SUV. They each get a seat. No shoving them all in the back. We hike at a park (in Seattle there are trails everywhere!) for about 45 minutes, and we usually end up at a dog park where they can rest or play. Get water, stretch, etc. Then we hike it back. Some days we just hike. I like the on leash structure rather then a complete dog park trip. Some dogs go to the park and just sit there, lol. And I’m OCD and worry about safety of the dogs in my care, so I have to keep an eye on my pack at all times. In the dog park that can be impossible (Seattle has HUGE dog parks).

I take clients that have friendly dogs of course. I do a consult and meet the dog, so I will know if it is a good fit for group. I am dog behavior expert of sorts so I can take dogs that are less them perfectly friendly (like have on leash issues/dominance issues like humping, etc) because i can help train that out of them. I bond the new dog to the group with a longer perfect heel hike on the first visit. Walking bonds dog/dog and dog/human. It also establishes that I am the dogs temporary pack leader.

I also do solo hikes for dog aggressive dogs or dogs that need extra training. These consist of 1-2 hr on leash hikes. I have back packs for the crazy dogs too.

Djuka van der Velde

We hike up to 6 dogs on the trails. It helps we have the dogs committed to one hike a week (at least) so they hike in the same pack every time. We hike them an hour or more. They are dead tired after…LOL

Pamela Ranheim

I personally do not offer dog adventure but I have a close colleague who does and have had extensive talks with him. He always does an interview with the potential client/dog. Asks a lot of behavioral questions, what their exercise level is etc On the first pick-up he takes the dog alone and sees how he does with the rest of the pack. He has several employees who go every day. They take about 10-20 dogs at a time. He will then match the dog’s personality and stamina with similar dogs.

Each of the people that work with him have a climbing harness on and they connect the dogs to the clip on the harness. The harness goes between their legs and then wraps around their waist. Quite the system. He takes the dogs for about a 2-3 hour hike and on the hot days will take them swimming.