Guinness Hits the Trails

A few weekends ago, Francis and I, and our two big dogs, Guinness and Cinnabar, went for a trail run at the Glasshouse Mountains, about half an hour north of where we live. Many parts of Glasshouse are national park, and dogs aren’t permitted there, but there is enough state forest where we can take the dogs on a leash.

It was a lovely cool morning with a drizzle of rain and some low cloud as we set out. Our plan was to run two loops of trail that were in a figure 8, then go for coffee and brunch afterwards. I was glad it wasn’t too hot, Guinness doesn’t like the heat.

As it was, we only ended up doing one loop due to some umm navigation challenges which saw us go out of our way several times. It was warming up, and if we did continue on the second loop, we wouldn’t have had time for a latte.

Trails are great for dogs. The ground is easier on their feet for long distances, and after rain there are plenty of puddles for them to splash in. There are often trees for a bit of shade along the route, which Guinness really appreciates.

Dogs enjoy trails so much more than suburbia, but you do need to keep them safe. If you’re going to go trail running with your dog, keep him on a leash. We have nearly lost Cinnabar when he took off after a wallaby. Not only that, but we have come across snakes on our trail runs and they may be dangerous to a curious dog. Take extra water in your hydration pack, and a fold up dog bowl just in case there aren’t any puddles for your dog to drink from. Although they don’t need electrolytes, a bit of Gatorade or similar in their water will encourage them to drink more.