The first time a dog came back to me after I’d given up on her, I was elbow-deep in a frozen water bucket and not thinking about anything except breaking i
Author: Helen Corlew
Helen Corlew
Helen L. Corlew runs a team of Samoyeds, Alaskan malamutes and Alaskan huskies. I am a Tellington TTouch practitioner and use this mode of work with training and living with my dogs. Helen Corlew founded Prairie Isle Dog Trekking in Petersburg, North Dakota in 2010, and has spent the fifteen years since doing something most people only read about: teaching real dog sledding on real prairie terrain, at the edge of a landscape that doesn't apologize for being difficult. She is not a weekend enthusiast. She harnesses working dogs in January cold, trains handlers who have never touched a sled, and has built one of the only hands-on mushing education programs on the Northern Great Plains — from a single address on Highway 2, with no marketing budget and no shortcuts. Her writing on Prairie Isle Dog Trekking reflects the same philosophy. Whether she is covering trail safety across the Rockies, breed behavior in extreme conditions, or what it actually takes to trek with a dog in the Alps, Helen writes from the position of someone who has done the work before writing the sentence. She lives and runs dogs in Nelson County, North Dakota. Kindly follow me on Social Media!
Hiking with small dogs is safe and physically beneficial when trail distance, terrain difficulty, and gear selection match the dog’s size and fitness level. A 2020 study by the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences found that small dogs engaging in regular trail activity show 28% lower rates of obesity-related joint conditions than small dogs with sedentary routines.What Is Hiking With Small Dogs?Hiking with small dogs is the activity of taking a dog weighing under 25 lbs (11 kg) on outdoor trails, with adjusted distance, terrain, and gear to match its smaller frame and shorter stride. Small dogs cover…
Border Collies are ranked among the top 3 hiking breeds due to their high stamina, agile build, and exceptional trail responsiveness. A healthy, conditioned adult Border Collie covers 25 to 35 kilometres per day on moderate terrain. A 2020 study in Applied Animal Behaviour Science confirms that Border Collies show lower cortisol recovery times after sustained physical activity than 87% of other domestic breeds tested, indicating superior aerobic resilience.Hiking with a Border Collie requires managing 5 breed-specific traits: high energy output, strong herding instinct, heat sensitivity, obsessive focus, and exceptional intelligence that demands mental stimulation alongside physical exercise. For the…
Five Hundred Miles Ozark went lame on a Tuesday in March, third week of a training stretch, and I almost missed it because he hid it well and I was moving
Dog-Friendly A woman brought her goldendoodle out to the yard two summers ago, which isn’t unusual, people bring dogs all the time, but this one was wearin
Which Way to Go Kep went missing in February, just before a front came through, and I found him three days later sitting at the gate of the yard like he’d
Flat Country The Pembina County start line smelled like diesel and dog and something else I can never name, that particular cold that comes off the Red Riv
What the Dog Knows The harness came in from overnight at negative eighteen and I had to run it under warm water before I could work the buckles. Frozen nyl
Hiking with a Labrador Retriever combines outdoor endurance activity with one of the most physically capable dog breeds. Labradors are athletic, obedient, and built for varied terrain. A well-prepared hike strengthens the human-dog bond and supports long-term canine health.What Is Hiking with a Labrador Retriever?Hiking with a Labrador Retriever is structured outdoor trail walking that uses the breed’s natural stamina, muscular build, and social temperament. Labradors, also called Labs, are classified as sporting dogs by the American Kennel Club (AKC). They excel on moderate to challenging trails and adapt to diverse environments, including forests, mountains, and coastal paths. For the…
There’s a particular look a working dog gets when it’s locked onto a job. Not excitement. Not the frantic energy people mistake for enthusiasm. Something q