Hiking with your dog: a how-to guide with Alice and Helly!

Thinking about hiking with your dog but full of questions? Between the gear and the no-dog restrictions at certain sites, it can all seem a bit daunting. But don't worry — to help you get started with confidence, Alice, an experienced hiker, and Helly, her loyal Malinois, are here to guide you. A native of the Northern Alps, and after a first long adventure of canicross hiking with a golden retriever over 16 years, she now explores summits across every Alpine massif with her wonderful Helly. From family walks to committed alpine hiking using appropriate gear, she shares her essential tips for starting this activity with your four-legged companion!

How to hike well with your dog

Where can you hike with your dog?

It's simple — in the Alps, there are two rules to remember:

• the core zones of the 11 national parks — such as the Vanoise or the Mercantour — are strictly off-limits to dogs. However, the buffer zone surrounding each park's core is permitted!
• nature reserves have their own specific regulations. Some formally prohibit the presence of pets, while others allow them on a lead.

To check, you ideally need an interactive map app on your smartphone, such as IGN – Visorando, Osmand, Fatmap, etc. — which lets you view park boundaries and identify areas to avoid. You can also always find guidance online if in doubt. Beyond that, the possibilities are endless! We manage to hike somewhere new every weekend without any difficulty.

How to handle flocks and livestock guardian dogs?

During the summer grazing season, from June to September, you may come face to face with flocks and livestock guardian dogs. They are impressive in size and often have a bad reputation. Bear in mind, however, that accidents remain rare if you adopt the right behaviour: move away from the protected flock, stay calm and avoid making large gestures. It's easier if your dog, like Helly, is sociable with other dogs or even timid. We walk straight through without stopping, talking to them in a gentle, reassuring tone to signal our good intentions — and it usually goes well! Sometimes we get followed for a bit, with some barking and growling, but we've never been attacked, even though we encounter them very frequently. However, if your dog is reactive, we strongly recommend checking with local tourist offices, who are sometimes informed of where flocks are currently grazing, as the encounter could be considerably harder to manage.

What gear do you need to hike with your dog?

For hiking with your dog, you can mainly use these two harnesses, as we do with Helly:

• a lightweight canicross-style harness, ideal for short, easy walks
• a Y-harness with a dorsal handle for long and potentially technical hikes — useful for helping your dog over a rocky step, for example!

On multi-day treks, she wears a pack saddle harness — two saddlebags that allow her to carry her own water and some of her kibble to lighten our load. She also has collapsible water and food bowls, and a children's sleeping bag when temperatures drop below zero! In winter, if you're worried about the effects of snow on your four-legged companion, there are protective paw balms to prevent frostbite on the pads. Low-quality booties are not recommended: they risk doing the opposite of what you intend. If they're not waterproof and properly fitted, your dog will end up walking with blocks of ice attached to its paws! For cold-sensitive dogs, waterproof coats exist, but they can sometimes restrict movement on longer outings. Helly has no specific snow gear and can stay out for 8 to 10 hours in it without much difficulty. Managing cold and snow ultimately comes down to each individual dog.

How to manage your dog's effort

Elevation gain

With a puppy, take it slowly: build up the elevation gain gradually to avoid health issues down the line — they're still growing! And what does that mean in practice? If you're starting out together, human and dog, the ideal is to aim for hikes with 200–300 metres of positive elevation gain and observe your dog's attitude and energy levels during the outing. Then gradually increase the elevation and distance over the months.

Water management

Bear in mind that a dog drinks more in summer than in winter. You need to plan a substantial water supply: at least 1L on shorter outings, up to 2–3L on longer hikes. Some owners let their dogs drink from streams and lakes along the way. However, you sometimes find no water sources at all, or they've dried up — so it's always best to plan ahead.

Altitude

Be cautious about altitude if you ever plan to take your dog above 3,000 metres. Just like humans, a lack of oxygen can put them in difficulty if they lack endurance — and they can also be susceptible to altitude sickness. The difference is that they struggle to communicate it. You need to stay alert to any unusual change in your dog's behaviour. That said, it's far from off-limits: we've completed around twenty hikes above 3,000 metres with Helly. The panoramas are breathtaking, and sharing those summits with her makes them all the more special. Our 2023 goal is in fact to take her above 4,000m in canicross mountaineering.  

How to stay safe?

On the lead or off?

Where a specific regulation applies, such as a mandatory lead, you must comply. The fine can be hefty! It is usually signposted at the start of a route on signs showing a prefectural or municipal order number. Otherwise, there is no obligation — it's up to you to work on recall so you can walk peacefully off-lead without disturbing wildlife and flora! You'll often encounter ibex, marmots, chamois and other species that need their peace and quiet. While many dogs have a predatory or playful instinct to chase them, it's entirely possible to train them to stop that impulse in its tracks. You'll likely be glad of it yourself — you'll get to enjoy the spectacle of nature undisturbed. Ibex are often very curious around calm dogs and will happily come closer for a look!

How to behave if you encounter a wolf or a bear?

Don't panic — encounters are extremely rare, and spotting one of these animals in the mountains is considered a privilege. Coming face to face with one would be truly exceptional. If it does happen, stay calm, avoid running, and keep an eye on both the animal and your dog. In 30 years in the mountains, I've only ever crossed paths with a grey wolf once, on a glacier in the Northern Alps. It was just Helly and me, 200 metres away — and it went perfectly well. He had spotted us long before we saw him and we posed no threat to him, so we stayed completely still. He carried on with his wolfish life for 10 minutes before letting us watch him make his way back up the entire glacier.

Summer, autumn, winter, spring: the pitfalls to avoid every season!

In summer, the heat can sometimes be overwhelming. It's important to think carefully about keeping your dog hydrated — they can indeed be susceptible to heatstroke. Setting off very early in the morning lets you avoid the highest temperatures, as you'll likely be on your way back down by the time the sun reaches its peak. The effort involved is therefore far more manageable. In autumn, it's prime hunting season. We need to be vigilant for our dogs' safety, as too many accidents still target them. A hi-vis harness and a bell are very practical for making them easy to spot! In winter, if you're a beginner, snowshoes are the better option! Managing your dog will be much easier. Ski touring is great fun but takes practice — watch out for sharp edges that can badly injure your dog: train your dog to stay behind you and never overtake you. In spring, the fine days return and the snow melts. Watch out for the April/May period and its many snowfields which, just as for humans, can be seriously dangerous if crossed without due care. You need to learn to cross them calmly with your dog, who generally has no awareness of the potential for slipping.

Now, the summits are waiting for you and your faithful companion! And to follow the adventures of Alice and Helly, head this way.