09/01/2026
First & Second hike of the day
First hike of the day was with Charlie, Odin, Beowulf, and Henry. Four adventure hounds hitting up one of their favorite trails, and everyone was getting along wonderfully.
Mr. Charlie had decided he wasn't going to have his listening ears on today, so he stayed on leash. Sometimes that's just the way it goes. When there are other dogs around, excitement levels can go up quickly, and knowing when a dog needs a little extra management is just as important as having good recall.
I also had a lovely friend walking with us today, and he was understandably pretty excited. New people, new dogs, new places, and getting out for an adventure can be a lot of stimulation. That's okay. He was perfectly content walking on leash, playing, hanging out with me and the dogs, and doing his check-ins.
Everyone got along absolutely fantastically, as per usual, and it was a really good day.
And honestly, sometimes the most uneventful hikes are the best hikes.
Which brings me to hike number two.
Odin number two, Whisper, and Rosie joined me for what started as another very chill, familiar hike. This is an area we know well and have explored many times, so everything was going along exactly as expected.
Until we rounded a corner and found ourselves sharing the trail with a very large black bear.
It was one of those moments where everyone stopped and assessed the situation.
I called the dogs.
The dogs immediately came back to me.
The bear looked at us.
We gave the bear space.
And thankfully, the bear decided that it had absolutely no interest in continuing the interaction and moved away from the trail.
I used my bear whistle and verbal voice to encourage the bear to continue moving away while keeping the dogs with me and behind me. Once the bear had moved on and we had a safe opportunity to leave the area, we continued out with all three dogs leashed.
And this is exactly why recall, calm handling, situational awareness, and knowing how to respond to wildlife are such important parts of hiking with dogs.
All three dogs get enormous gold stars today. They responded immediately when called, stayed with me, and did exactly what I needed them to do.
Their owner gets a gold star too, because that kind of response doesn't happen by accident. Reliable recall is built through consistent training, repetition, and reinforcement long before you ever need it in a real-world situation.
As we head into September and the fall months, it's especially important to remember that the forest is becoming a very active place.
Bears are preparing for winter, deer and elk are moving around more, and rutting season is approaching for elk. Wildlife may be feeding more actively, travelling different routes, or simply being encountered in places and at times you don't normally expect.
That doesn't mean we need to be afraid of going into the woods.
It means we need to respect the environment we're entering and be prepared for it.
When I'm hiking with dogs, I'm constantly watching the trail and surrounding area, listening for wildlife, paying attention to changes in the environment, and managing the dogs accordingly. I carry appropriate wildlife-safety equipment, including bear spray, a bear whistle, a bear horn, first-aid supplies for both humans and dogs, and extra leashes.
And perhaps most importantly, I don't rely on equipment alone.
Good preparation starts with the dogs.
Strong recall, reliable check-ins, the ability to quickly leash up when needed, and dogs who are comfortable following their handler's direction are incredibly important when you're sharing the outdoors with wildlife.
Today's encounter was actually a fantastic example of how a wildlife encounter should go.
We saw the bear.
We recognized the situation.
The dogs responded.
The bear moved away.
We gave it space and left the area safely.
No chasing, no barking frenzy, no panic, and no need for anyone to be afraid.
Wildlife encounters are one of the realities of spending time in the beautiful places we get to explore here. My job is not to eliminate every possible risk from the wilderness. That's impossible.
My job is to understand the environment, recognize potential risks, make good decisions, and keep the dogs in my care as safe as reasonably possible.
Get outside. Explore. Enjoy the trails.
Just make sure you're prepared, know how to respond, and give wildlife the space and respect it deserves.
Today, the bear got the trail.
We got the adventure.
Everybody went home happy and healthy.
And honestly, that's a pretty perfect day in the woods.
Hayleys Adventure Hounds LC
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