If you have ever been out with your dog walking or hiking through nature’s great outdoors, you have probably recognized a few dangers along the way that can pose a risk to injuring or even killing your dog. These dangers can be easily guarded against if you are properly educated on the terrain you are traveling, as well as attempt to avoid certain areas that are known to be hazardous.
Mountain Lookouts and Dangerous Cliffs
One of the most beautiful places any man can go for a great view and wonderful scenery is to the mountains. And what better way to spend time with your dog than to bring him along the way? However, along with mountains comes dangerous levels of heights from overlooks and drop-off cliffs.
Most dogs have absolutely no fear of heights. Ignorance is truly bliss when it comes to this kind of outdoor danger because a dog will literally walk along the side of a mile high cliff without one bit of concern of falling. And once they begin to slip away and lose their footing there is very little that they can do in order to stop themselves from going over the side. Also, many areas along the edges of the cliffs may be hidden by snow covering which makes it easier for a dog to make a fatal mistake.
High Altitudes
In addition to the risks of falling over the edges of cliffs and scenery lookouts, hiking with your dog in the mountains brings with it the danger of high altitudes. Many older dogs have an extremely hard time breathing when in higher altitudes which can result in death. Health concerns due to high altitudes is also a factor for dogs that have lung problems, heart problems, or if they are a brachycephalic breed (short nose).
As the altitude reaches higher levels, there is less and less oxygen available for breathing. If your dog’s body is not acclimated than he or she may get shortness of breath or even altitude sickness. And keep in mind that If you are hiking with your dog on a hot day and start from a low altitude, both of you may not be prepared for the cold temperatures when you finally reach the peak of your mountain.
Forest Dangers: The natural woodlands and deep forests can be some of the most exciting terrain for your dog to explore. There are endless adventures to uncover and natural curiosities everywhere your dog turns. However, because the forest contains plenty of mammal life, it makes for great hunting and trapping. And this presents a life-threatening danger to your dog if you are exploring terrain that should be off-limits.
For example, in the northern part of the US, many hunters set bait designed to trap fur-type species. Woodland dogs are attracted to this bait which has resulted in many unfortunate accidents with family dogs. Many of these traps are placed in ditches where dogs love to roam.
Did you know that some dogs cannot stand the feeling of people rubbing and grabbing at their ears? While it’s true that the ears can be a soft spot for many dogs, which when rubbed will make a dog melt like butter, but on the other end of the spectrum there are dogs which become very aggressive if their ears are touched.
For these dogs, the feeling of having their ears rubbed would be like a stranger coming up to you and start patting you on your back and rubbing her neck. I don’t know about you, but that would make me feel very uncomfortable! These dogs are not being snobbish or anything like that, it’s just that dogs may have different approaches to relating to one another, and towards humans too.
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