My dog Bullet has been a little off lately. He’s got an ear infection and is acting all ornery again. Besides the infection, his current mood could also be due to the fact it’s been a little chilly outside and he’s missing most of his hair. At his once-a-year grooming appointment, the groomer absolutely butchered him—literally. She returned him to me bleeding in several places, and then had the audacity to say it was my fault because his hair was matted. “It was the only ethical thing to do,” she said. As someone who uses clippers to cut his own hair, I know there were a number of other routes she could have taken. Needless to say, we won’t be taking him to that groomer ever again. Or probably any other, since they all want a small fortune now for something I can do in fifteen minutes at home.
But I digress. Whatever the cause or combination of causes getting him down in the dumps, he’s been off. And there’s only one thing that ever really cheers him up when he’s in a rut like this—a good hike.
Doctor Says…
There is an increasing amount of literature and studies presenting the positive effects of walking in nature for us humans, especially if you can do it barefoot. Doctors are increasingly advising patients to go for walks outside, and especially to do it in the woods if they can. Only a few years ago, my doctor was advising me to drink wine and limit alcohol to two or three drinks a day. Now they’re telling me to skip alcohol altogether and go forest bathing. Since I haven’t had a drink in years, this is no problem.
But I’ve found that when I’m out hiking, in addition to bringing me a sense of calm, it also does wonders for my dog. It makes sense, of course, but the effect is extremely noticeable in him. He is, after all, quite the nervous fellow. Since he’s been a pup, he’s always had a hind leg shaking like crazy. Sometimes it means he’s excited. Sometimes he does it because he’s scared. But whatever he’s feeling, one leg is always shaking—except when we’re hiking and in the hours immediately following a good trek in the woods.
Not from the same day obviously, but here’s a pre-hike photo of Bullet on the left and a post-hike photo of him on the right.
The Magic of Hiking
Whenever we go for a hike, Bullet’s body energy lights up. After hours of moping around the house all day, he actually prances across the driveway to my truck, like one of those show horses Snoop Dogg said was “crip walking.” Meeting me at the passenger door, he leaps into the truck with boundless exuberance, every single time. Even on the days when he’s limping from a cut or a thorn he stepped on. When he knows we’re going hiking, he suddenly feels no pain. He’s nine, by the way.
After walking for up to sixty minutes in the woods, we return to the truck smiling and at peace. Bullet’s usually smiling more broadly than me. I’m not joking—he absolutely loves it. And as the single moodiest canine I’ve ever met, it is absolutely clear when he is beyond ecstatic. There is no mistaking that he is actually smiling. Just like there’s no mistaking when he’s not happy and wishes he had opposable thumbs so he could strangle you. Or at least some middle fingers to flip you off.
But just as it does for me, hiking allows Bullet to hit the reset button on his life—to relieve his anxiety and get some much-needed exercise. Dogs are social creatures, and the camaraderie of an adventure with me, as well as the array of new smells to check out, enthralls him whether we meet anyone on the trail or not. Hiking gives him a place, and smells, to meet. Those encounters are precious to him. And as long as he wants to go, I’m happy to take him. I just wish he wasn’t so needy. I didn’t take him hiking today, and he’s going to be shooting eye daggers at me until I correct my ways.
A Little More Proof of the Effects of Hiking…
A dog walker in our area shared this picture. I can’t even get humans to relax enough to line up this way for a good photo—that is, of course, unless they are all out on a hike.