Puppy Hikes

What is a Puppy Hike?

A hike for puppies 8 weeks – 5 months old. Hikes are short, easy, and safe for growing puppies.

The goal for puppy hikes is to safely teach your puppy some valuable life skills, such as: body awareness, being off leash, and socialization with puppies, people, and environments.

For more information on why Puppy Hikes are so great for puppies, check out this blog post.

Why the Age Restrictions?

Because puppies at this age are more focused on their people, they are likely to stay close to the group, and be friendly with other puppies. Puppies generally become more independent around 6-8 months old and some become sexually mature around the same age. For safety and group dynamics, 5 months is the cutoff age.

Is My Puppy Protected Before They’re Fully Vaccinated?

We hear this concern a lot, and it’s a good instinct to check. Puppies get some natural protection from antibodies passed down from their mother, and that protection fades gradually over the first few months — which is part of why the vaccine series is given in stages instead of all at once. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) puts it this way: “the combination of maternal immunity, primary vaccination, and appropriate care makes the risk of infection relatively small compared to the chance of death from a behavior problem.” That’s the same reasoning behind our own policy — puppies just need to have started their vaccine series, with the first shot at least 7 days before their first hike. Waiting until every shot is finished would mean missing the exact window when socialization matters most.

What do I bring to a Puppy Hike?

• Puppy
• 4-6 foot leash (NO Flexi/Retractable Leads)
• Puppy’s Favorite Treats
• Vaccine record (for a first hike, if it is not already on your dog’s page in your account)

Where?

3572 Hurricane Creek Rd, Hurricane, WV

When do these hikes happen?

Every Saturday at 10:00 am — drop-ins are welcome. If a hike has to be called off, it shows here:

• Sat, Oct 17 · 10:00 AMOn
• Sat, Oct 24 · 10:00 AMOn

We post it on our Facebook and Instagram pages too.

Why would a hike get cancelled?

Weather, lack of interest, family emergency, or weekend travel plans.

Pricing

Want to pay in cash at the hike? That is fine by arrangement — let us know and we will set it up.