Hiking Mistakes

I live on the Westside and have been looking for a great, dog-friendly hike nearby.  A friend recommended Mandeville Canyon, so I decided to try it.  Dogs are allowed off leash and there is a free parking lot at the entrance. 

To get there from Sunset take Mandeville Canyon Rd. North.  Make your first left onto Westridge Rd. and continue until the road runs into a parking lot.

First of all, this is essentially the black diamond of hikes.  Keep in mind, I do not work out and this killed me.  As I am typing this, I feel paralyzed from the waist down, haha.  It is about 8 miles total and we went on a really hot day.  I thought I was a good dog pawrent by bringing a bowl for Theo and a bottle of water, but I did not bring enough. 

Here are some mistakes I made:

My friend who came with me wanted to go at 3PM.  This was a huge mistake because it was a hot day.  Dogs can overheat easily, so pawrents should go early in the morning or in the evening if it’s warm.  Theo could handle the walking but it was so hot, I was afraid he was going to overheat.  I had to carry him whenever I saw him panting.

Mistake #2 - I ran out of water before I was even done with half the hike.  One bottle of water is not enough for dog and owner on long hikes. 

Mistake #3 - I went with a friend who works out daily.  She was trying to rush through the whole hike which was way too hard in the 75 degree weather.  The first time you try a new hike, you should go with someone who is willing to go at your pace.  Theo and I were dying!

I only got one picture because I was too hot/tired to focus on pics, but I will try it again when it is cooler and do a full review later on.  

Don’t forget to check your pups for ticks after!