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• Every dog is able to navigate their way through a hike within a reasonably safe distance from our human hiker-allowing them to follow their instincts, challenge themselves when ready and feel safe to do so.
• Every dog is able to follow their instincts, have experiences which reinforce them on a biological level
• Adolescent dogs learning from the adult dogs; new dogs observing and learning from those who are seasoned
• Dogs who reliably come when called
• Dogs who respect the other dogs social cues/needs
• Dogs who enjoy being affectionate with our hikers, who don’t show a strong negative reaction from their paws, head, or tail being touched by our team once a relationship has been established

In our goal of providing an experience which is enriching for your dog, we have come to identify these as being critical components to us accomplishing that.

You may be wondering if your dog fits within these criteria. Maybe your dog has pretty good recall, but excellent social skills.  Or perhaps your dog doesn’t prefer the company of other dogs, but loves to hike.  Or doesn’t enjoy being touched… 

Will this work? Is this a good fit?

 We don’t expect any dog to be perfect.  We certainly haven’t met any “perfect” humans!  There are varying thresholds which exist within each of these components.  However, a dog that doesn’t recall or enjoy being touched is at far greater risk for getting lost or experiencing a high level of anxiety when approached by a stranger and biting or running away.  We want to make sure that all dogs are safe and comfortable.  

Our weekly minimum is 2 days a week.  In some cases, we may suggest (or expect) three days a week for your dog should it seem needed.  This is something we would discuss with you.  The intention is that we are looking to have well balanced dogs and for some of them and their lifestyles, two days would be a tease and they would benefit from more time with us.