I’ve heart that toy poodles can be good hikers. I actually thought they were on the list. I’ll add them next time I update it.

Hi Carla. I’m glad you found my blog and that I changed your perspective on small dogs. It’s taken a couple years to work up to it but my 10 lb Dachshund can currently hike 15 miles in one day. Probably more if I pushed her but I try really hard to keep her within her current fitness limits.

That’s awesome. It can surprise people what some small dogs are capable of when given the chance. Have fun!

I agree. My Dachshunds are always leashed for this reason. There are a few scenarios where I feel ok giving them a bit of off-leash freedom though like fenced dog parks, the beach where I can see for miles, and very wide dirt paths where we are the only ones around.

Hi Del. From what you describe, it sounds like Guimauve is perfectly capable of the distances you are currently doing. You may want to read this article I wrote about the distances small dogs can hike though. https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/is-it-ok-to-take-my-dog-for-a-long-hike. As far as the back-to-back hikes, it can certainly be done. I’ve hiked 2-3 days in a row with my Dachshunds where each day was 10-12 miles. However, those trips were done near latter part of the hiking season so they had time to get in shape for it. Before we committed to that effort – we were backpacking for multiple days so once we hiked in somewhere we had to hike out too – I did a couple day-trips of 10-12 miles back to back. Sometimes we had to cut the second day shorter than I had hoped if they seemed tired. But, eventually, they were ok with that longer distance multiple days in a row. That’s when I felt confident we could do it. Still though, I always “hike your dog’s hike” and let the dogs determine how far or long we can go instead of me insisting on reaching our goal every time. I hope that makes sense.

Hi Edward. I’ve known several hiking pugs and they are indeed little beasts 🙂 Percy sounds like quite the little athlete. It’s true that it’s more of an exception though. I didn’t list them here because some pugs have severe breathing problems, especially when excited or during exercise, so I didn’t want to encourage someone getting one thinking they could easily keep up with a little training.

Thanks for the tip.

Our little boy is a “Jackhuahua,” or Jack Russel/Chihuahua mix who has had surgery on both back legs to correct hip dysplasia. He also has a heart murmur, and does the “slow down” thing you describe a few miles into hikes (more so when he doesn’t like the area or weather:)).

Due to his health conditions, we never “push” him on trails, and instead carry along one of those wrap-around baby carriers that are a long piece of cloth with two rings on one end to loop the cloth through and form a sling. Once he slows down, it’s into the carrier where he enjoys the rest of the hike from Dad’s chest. That way, we know he’s safe, and I get to spend more “close time” with him along with an even better workout for myself (he weighs about 13lbs.).

My guess would be that assuming your pooch is healthy and just needs to “work up” to the terrain, using a similar carrier to relieve him until then may be a good way to go.

That’s awesome! Our first non-Dachshund hiking friend was a Chihuahua.

I love hearing that you take your littles out on the trail 🙂 It seems normal to me to hike with any dog, no matter the size, but it’s true that I encounter people shocked that a small dog can hike more often than not (like 90% of the time it seems).

I’m sorry for your loss but glad to year that Cactus got many fun, adventurous years with you.

My cairn partner (Cactus) of 13 years died just two months ago. We spent many many many days/weeks in the big woods and never on a lead. His nose sometimes caused him to wander off 75-100 yards but he would always come looking for me (often winding the air to find me because i hid). I am now at the place where i can consider getting another pal and the only reason it won’t be a Cairn is sometimes Cactus had trouble with tall obsticals due to his short legs (we did a lot of remote bushwacking rather than trails). I think a Rat Terrier is my next buddy.

Hi Nikki. I actually have an archaeologist friend with Dachshunds 🙂

I don’t generally recommend that a Dachshund be off leash, no. Especially if the owner is not paying keen attention to them. They are independent-thinking hounds that have a high prey-drive so they wouldn’t think twice about running off on their own. However, with a lot of training, they could be mostly reliable off leash… or at least the chance that they would come back to eventually could be more reliable. If I was in your situation, I wouldn’t hesitate to get a Dachshund. However, I would bring a long leash and tie one end to a tree or something while you go about your business. That way they have room to roam but won’t run off. The main drawback is that the leash could get caught on something so you might need to check on them periodically. Also of note: my recommendation would be the same for any type of hound or terrier.

Hi Betty. That’s great that you are going to take Lilly hiking. My recommendations for small dogs that are not Dachshunds are generally different because other breeds don’t have such high risk for back injury. That being said, it’s always been a challenge to find a dog backpack or carrier that is comfortable to hike in and also let’s you carry some regular hiking stuff like water and snacks. I would look at the K9 SportSack. There are only 1-2 small pockets on that one so you can’t carry much else but it’s comfortable to carry. The Muttmover from Timbuk 2 is a better option for dog comfort and carrying stuff but, still, the extra carrying space is not large and I didn’t find the pack very comfortable. The Outward Hound PoochPouch Front Dog Carrier might also be an option if you don’t mind wearing the pack in the front and your regular hiking back in the back. Good luck!

That I don’t know because I’m not familiar with the breed. They ARE hunters but I think terriers can be trained to be off leash more easily than hounds. In general anyway.

I’m glad it worked out. I definitely think it’s best to err on the side of caution.