1. Assess your dog’s physical fitness level before choosing a trail. For example, your pug probably won’t make it around Runyon Canyon on a hot, sunny day, but maybe would enjoy Red Rock Canyon on a weekday night as the sun is going down.

2. Bring enough water for yourself and your dog. Water is so important to maintaining your dog’s health and preventing heat exhaustion during the summer months.

3. Pack snacks for your dog on longer hikes. Snacks help people maintain their energy levels high during periods of extended exercise and that is true for dogs too. Bring a small bag of your dog’s regular dog food or healthy treats (like Zuke’s Jerky Naturals) with you on longer hikes.

4. Frequently check paws for cuts & blisters. Dogs’ paws can easily blister on hot rock or asphalt surfaces or get cut up on longer trails. So it’s important to keep an eye on your dog’s paws because it might be time to go home and rest. If your dog is suffering from blisters or cuts, clean the wound with soap and water, then apply an anti-bacterial ointment such as neosporin.

5. Watch for signs of fatigue or heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is dangerous. Symptoms include excessive panting, fatigue, sluggishness and unresponsiveness. If you notice that your dog is experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, immediately attempt to reduce your dog’s body temperature by dumping cold water on your dog’s body, make your dog drink water, shade your dog from the sun and if necessary, bring your dog to the nearest veterinarian.

You can prevent heat exhaustion by starting your hike in the morning when temperatures are lower, taking frequent breaks in the shade, offering lots of water, pouring any excess water on top of your dog during the hike to keep his or her body temperature cool, and making sure your dog is not overexerting him or herself.

Elena has over 15 years experience grooming dogs in New York City and Los Angeles and has shared her tips on how to maintain a healthy coat for curly-haired breeds such as Poodles, Goldendoodles and more.

Read about her home care techniques for your curly-haired dog. Click Here > >

After a little research and testing, we narrowed down travel bowls into three categories: plastic collapsible, fabric collapsible and water bottle dispenser.

We’ve reviewed the best of bowls in their respective category and here are our results.

Kurgo Collaps a Bowl ($10) Barely 1 inch thick when collapsed, this sturdy and dishwasher safe travel bowl is our favorite. The bowl shape doesn’t shrink or distort when expanded making it easy for dogs to use. You can stick it in your backpack, purse, or just carry it like a frisbee. Unfortunately, the bowl only comes in one size, so larger dogs might need a few refills. Others Worth Trying: Bamboo Bowls ($12.99), Popware for Pets ($5.99)

Gulpy Pet Water Dispenser ($9):This nifty contraption is a water bottle and dispenser in one. You can clip it to your side or backpack and it doesn’t leak. Dogs drink from it effortlessly. The Gulpy is great for short strolls or runs. However if you anticipate needing water for yourself, you might be stuck carrying two water bottles, one for you and the Gulpy. This one doesn’t sit on the ground, so you have to hold it.Others Worth Trying: Handi Drink Dog Water Bottle ($12.99)

Ruff Wear Quencher ($15) Advertised as the original collapsible bowl, it is a fabric-based bowl that can be folded and tucked into your backpack. The Quencher comes in three sizes to fit the needs of all breeds. It is even machine washable. But because it’s made out of fabric, it moves and crinkles so some dogs don’t like drinking out of it. Others Worth Trying: REI Dog Bowl ($14.50), Olly Dog Lapper Dog Bowl ($12), Bison Designs Fold a Bowl ($14)

Guyot Designs Squishy Pet ($15)This bowl is a little different than your average plastic collapsible. Instead of neatly collapsing on itself, it can be folded and crammed into your backpack and will bounce back to its original shape. Dogs like the bowl shape, which is easy for drinking. However it is a little bulky and not dishwasher safe.

Stainless Steel Bowl with Rubber Base ($6.35) Okay, so this is not a travel bowl. But it does travel well in a backpack and your dog will love it. After trying a few of the fabric water bowls and before discovering the Kurgo Collaps a Bowl, this is what we use to bring on hikes. If you are not trying to conserve a ton of space in your backpack, a good ole fashion dog bowl works just fine!

The simple answer is “yes, if you train them to do it.”

Treadmill training at home or at a facility gives dogs something to do that puts them outside of their comfort zone, so they are forced to engage their minds and their bodies. If you have a hyper active or obese dog and a loaded work or personal schedule, treadmill training could be your answer.

Photo courtesy of Kim Rodgers, Bark Pet Photography, Santa Monica, CA

Your dog first needs to be properly trained to walk (then run) on a treadmill. If you have a treadmill at home, here are some tips for training your dog:

Step 1: Your first goal is to get your dog to be comfortable around and on the treadmill (never forcing your dog to do anything he or she is not ready to do). So first, you want to lure your dog over to the treadmill with something positive like treats or a favorite toy slowly getting him or her use to the track and machine. Once your dog is comfortably standing on the treadmill facing in the correct direction, reward your dog and repeat the next day so that you only need to use positive reinforcement after your dog is on the track and in the correct position.

Step 2: Once your dog can get up on the treadmill without hesitation, place a sturdy harness on your dog and click a leash onto the harness while you hold the other end (NOTE: Never clip your dog onto the treadmill and walk away!!). Now you are ready to turn on the treadmill.

Step 3: Turn on the treadmill at a pace that allows your dog to walk regularly. Too slow is confusing and boring and too fast can be scary. Watch your dog’s gate to make sure your dog is walking naturally. Do this for 5 to 15 minutes. Reward your dog and repeat the next day.

Step 4: Once your dog has mastered walking on the treadmill, you can try to increase the speed to a trot and then run. Some dogs have a difficult time converting from a trot to a full gallop on the treadmill, so make sure the pace is set to meet the needs of your dog’s gate. Start at 5 minutes and work your way to 20 minutes always watching your dog the entire time to ensure there are no signs of dehydration or exhaustion. If your dog looks fatigued, immediately stop the treadmill, give your dog water and wait for another day to resume training.

Step 5: After some practice, you’ll find that your dog really enjoys it and even looks forward to it! Once the treadmill becomes apart of your dog’s routine, he or she will be able to exercise on the treadmill with very little instruction and without a harness.

If you are not willing to take the steps at home or do not have a treadmill, we recommend booking an appointment at a facility, like Fitdog Sports Club. At a facility, you can count on experienced handlers to train your dog for you.

Treadmill training is great for reducing or eliminating behavioral problems, it improves muscle strength and stamina, prevents obesity or helps reduce weight and is a new and fun activity for dogs that require a lot of mental stimulation and exercise.

Post a photo or video on our Facebook WALL of your dog either excited to come to daycare or pooped out after a fun day of play. Photos can be posted UNTIL APRIL 30th. A winner will be chosen and announced in MAY.

The winner will receive a Day at the Spa. Includes a FREE day of daycare PLUS the ULTIMATE Spa Package complete with a cut & style, wash, blow-dry, nail trim, anal glands and ear cleaning!

Restrictions: Must be a Member of Fitdog Sports Club in order to redeem prize. Prize is one-time only. Non-refundable. Non-transferable. Value may not be credited towards other services or products. If you are not a Member, you may become a Member by signing up and passing our Fitdog Doggy Interview.

Before heading out for an off leash hike, owners should have an idea of their dog’s recall (response to commands like “come” or “stay”) at home. For example, if you trust your dog to be off-leash for a quick bathroom break or while you are unloading groceries out of your car, then it’s a good chance they have adequate recall.

If you are still worried that your dog’s recall won’t cut it, you can test your dog by bringing him or her to a fenced in dog-park. There are a lot of distractions at dog parks, so if your dog comes promptly and consistently, then it’s a good bet he or she has good enough recall for off-leash hiking.

For dog’s that don’t have good recall, you can always practice recall at home with your dog by rewarding him or her after they come to you. The more you associate your dog’s name to something positive, the more willing they will be to come to you. And it’s important to avoid using their name when scolding them. This will deter them from coming to you (no one likes being in trouble!).

Other factors to consider when determining if your dog is ready for off-leash hiking, is aggression and physical health. Dogs that are aggressive are not good candidates for hikes and would not qualify for Fitdog Adventures Canyon Hikes unless he or she was apart of an Anti-Aggression program with me. Also dogs that have any health problems that can be triggered due to physical exercise would not be good candidates for hikes.

During on our Canyon Hikes at Fitdog, I do interactive dog hiking, which involves conditioning good behavior for your dog. Recall is constantly being practiced throughout the hike as well as obedience reinforcement. This interaction is incredibly rewarding for you and your dog.

Dogs enjoy being off leash and it allows them to release a lot off pent up energy. By the time they get home, they are exhausted and it provides the perfect opportunity for owners to enjoy and love their dog even more!