Phoenix is blessed with some great in-town hiking areas that you can share with your dog. A class being offered at North Mountain Visitor Center gives you and your canine buddy some great advice and training in a beautiful desert setting.
Classes are taught by Leslie Spencer-Snider and cost $15 each or four sessions for $40. They are held every Saturday morning through the end of June. Look for Leslie and the dogs near the picnic tables behind the center.
Topics include:
- Conditioning your dog and yourself for the trail
- Proper etiquette on the trail with your dog and you!
- Emergency first aid and how to handle an emergency
- Hiking with a backpack on your dog
- Proper care for your dog’s paws
- How to handle wildlife encounters
- How to handle horseback riders
- How to handle mountain bike riders
Heat misery in metro Phoenix: 115.
My willingness to do anything constructive: negative 115
Instead, I wasted five precious minutes and took this quiz: What kind of dog breed are you?
The results surprised me — I would have never guessed that I would be considered this breed. I was sure I would be a fun-loving, food-focused Beagle, like a certain other Beagle I know and love.
Instead I am something completely different. Who knew?
If you tell me your breed — I’ll tell you mine
Thanks to a Most Loyal Reader for sharing this delicious waste of time.
It’s getting a little warmer out there and that means earlier starts for you and the dog on the hiking trails. Or maybe it’s time to start heading up North outside of Phoenix to check out some new cooler spots.
One question I get asked a lot is about getting cactus off the dog. I always suggest hemostats (they’re the cross between scissors and needle-nose pliers) Where to get them? Try any drugstore or place that sells home health equipment.
Another question is rattlesnakes: Yes, it is that time of year again, especially because central Arizona temperatures have already warmed up. Rattlesnakes are another great reason to keep your dog on a leash while on the trail and to stay on the trail. It’s also a good idea to know where the nearest vet is and if that vet has rattlesnake anti-venom available.
If you live near the desert or hike frequently there with your dog, consider taking a rattlesnake aversion class. It can cost less than $100 and could save your dog’s life or prevent a lot of heartache.
What a gorgeous Arizona day!
This morning was a perfect time to get the pooch and hit the hiking trails around metro Phoenix. It’s unclear what kind of wildflower season this is going to be (rainy November and December but not so much in January) but already you see sprigs of lupine, brittlebush and desert marigolds popping up.
And as much as you want to, be careful not to go off trail to get the perfect of photo of the dog with the wildflowers – gotta leave the scenery beautiful for everyone else! Another good reason to keep your dog on the leash: where there’s wildflowers, there can be cactus.
A tip from the Arizona State Parks department: if you are craving seeing golden Mexican poppies, get out between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a sunny day –but make sure to bring plenty of water for you and the dog.
Here are some very helpful up-to-date links to show you where to see the best wildflowers in Arizona:
