Dog hiking etiquette, my take
Since last summer when she got all her shots, Mochi and I have been adventuring on morning hikes together about five times a week. It's become one of the best parts of my day and makes me feel more energized, creative, connected with nature, and frankly, happy to be alive.
Most of the time, we hike different trails in the East Bay where she’s allowed to be off-leash and run around freely. I let her roam off-leash because she’s generally calm, friendly, and very responsive when I ask her to come back to me (aka “recall”).
Often, we pass other groups on the trail who are going in the opposite direction.
I've noticed that there are three types of scenarios we'll come across. Here is how I tend to navigate each of them and why:
1. People only, no dogs
Reasoning: Here, I've learned to take the most cautious approach. It's tough to tell whether someone is comfortable with dogs coming up to them. While it seems like the vast majority are, some people really aren't. I've made this mistake several times where I've let Mochi walk toward someone, and the person suddenly recoiled as if triggering some previous trauma. That made me feel terrible, and now actively try to protect against that downside risk.
Response: I'll ask Mochi to come to me and heel (where she walks closely alongside me) as we pass the other group. That way, she doesn't engage.
2. Dog who is off-leash
Reasoning: Here, there's an implication that their dog is friendly (or at least, not aggressive) and will be responsive to being called back verbally by their parent. The most likely scenario is the dogs will engage each other in a friendly way.
Response: Monitor and enjoy. I'll usually greet the owner from a distance and, depending on how the dogs get along, we'll have a short and sweet conversation - typically about how adorable and quirky the other person's dog is 🙂
3. Dog who is on-leash
Reasoning: Their dog is likely on-leash because:
They can become anxious if approached and react in an unfriendly way
They are hard to regain control of, e.g. they might run off if loose
They need some extra motivation to keep up with the hike
Since these warrant different responses, we need more information.
Response: Here, I'll check in with the owner asap. From a distance, I'll semi-yell "Is it okay if she says hi?"
Most of the time, I get a clear yes or clear no.
If no, treat as case #1 and have Mochi heel as we pass them.
If yes, I'll let Mochi engage, monitoring closely.
Takeaways
Prioritize safety by initially defaulting to the most conservative behavior.
A well-trained dog provides a lot of optionality and lowers stress for everyone.
For a food-motivated dog, treats are a great encourager of good behavior ;)
Questions/next steps
How can we get Mochi to heel automatically whenever we’re about to pass any group and only engage if we say it’s safe to do so?
Questions, comments, or suggestions? I’d love to know if you do anything differently!