Hiking Dog Co. Des Moines, IA

03/10/2025

Beware of incoming allergens! With spring approaching here are some steps you can take to make sure your adventures are itch and sneeze free. 🤧

Check Pollen Count 🪻
Before heading out be sure to check the pollen count! Avoiding peak airborne pollen windows can drastically reduce allergy symptoms.

Wipes and Washing
For skin and coat sensitivities, try using WiPees to quickly wipe away pollen and grass allergens off of face, ears, skin, and coat or use the Mud-Buster to quickly rinse off paws.

Supplements and Dietary Additives 🐝
Adding probiotics to your dog's diet can boost their immune system to give it a helping hand when allergens strike. You can also try giving your dog up to a tablespoon of local honey to naturally introduce them to local allergens.

Happy, sneeze-free, adventuring! ⛰️
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03/09/2025

We can't help but "awww" at dogs that share their owner's love for sports. Like this adorable quarterback from our Superbowl event! 🥹

We're having another sport-themed event next Sunday! Our Bark-etball Challenge will test your dog's treat catching abilities! There will even be prizes...🏀

We'll see you there!
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03/08/2025

April showers 🌧️ bring May flowers🌸, but we'll be celebrating spring early with our Pawcasso event on April 5th!🎨👅

We'd love for you and your pup to join us--💓!
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03/07/2025

Teaching your dog to retrieve or play fetch with a weighted dumbbell or bumper has physical and mental benefits for your dog! 🫶

Strength Building 🧗
Lifting and carrying weighted objects builds muscles in your dog's neck, core, and limbs, which can help build their strength, endurance, and muscle-mass. As a general rule, you start with 5-10% of your dog's body weight, but dogs can lift up to 25% of their body weight in their mouth.

Mental Fulfillment 🙇
While toys go in and out of your dog's mouth without a thought, retrieving weight requires confidence and mental endurance. This gives your high-energy dog a job to do, which will leave them mentally fulfilled.

Steps to Training a Formal Retrieve 🌲
1. Teach your dog a "hold" cue by marking and rewarding when your dog takes a toy or object from your hand. You can also encourage them by holding a treat behind the item.
2. Teach your dog to give you the item out of their mouth by distracting them with a treat while they're holding the object, mark and reward the moment they release. a. You can also use a nose target trick to help them understand to drop it in your hand. 3. Cue them to "hold" or pick up an item in your hand while slowly bringing your hand closer to, and eventually on, the floor, this will help them learn to pick up items off the floor.
4. Chain the behaviors together by asking them to "hold" an item on the ground and then "give" it to you. Mark and reward heavily after they have completed the full chain. Once they understand, slowly remove the "hold" and "give" cues and add the cue word "retrieve."
5. Work up to your dog retrieving the item from further away from you and eventually add weight!

*Be sure to consult with your Veterinarian to make sure your dog's teeth and health are in good shape before beginning weight training.

Let us know if you are interested in purchasing a weighted dumbbell or bumper set or if you would be interested in more information about teaching "retrieve!" ⛰️
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03/05/2025

In the spirit of canine health and fitness, we wanted to share Daisy Peel's Agility Challenge & Online Classroom 's idea for these at-home Cavaletti poles! 🐕

Cavaletti exercises can help to improve your dog's core strength, flexor muscle strength, body awareness, balance, joint flexion, stride, and overall movement! 🤸

To make custom cavaletti poles for your dog...
1. Measure from the base of their foot to their hock. This is the maximum height that your cavaletti poles should stand.
2. Purchase 24 PVC legs based on their hock measurement and the difficulty you're looking for. You can also buy PVC leg sets with varying sizes for different height options.
3. Purchase 8, 5-way connectors
3. Purchase 4, 2-3 ft. poles, connect, and voila!

An at home cavaletti set for conditioning, training, rehabilitation, and exercise! Plus, it's fully collapsible for easy storage! Happy training! 🫶
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03/05/2025

Update: We will remain closed today due to hazardous travel conditions for our team. See you tomorrow!

03/04/2025

Our Merle Hay Mall store will open at Noon tomorrow due to weather
(We may update our opening time again depending on how things look in the morning!)

03/03/2025

Supplements are a great way to boost your dog's health and behavior without having to change their food or medication! ☺️

Probiotics💩📈
Probiotics help improve your dog's gut health. Improved gut health can increase their nutrient absorption so your dog gets the most out of their food. Gut biome has also been linked to energy, behavior, and immune health. Most importantly, it helps keep your dog bloat-free with healthy stools!

Calming Chews⚖️🧠
A well balanced calming chew can help to reduce hyperactivity and hypersensitivity without causing drowsiness. Look for a calming chew with at least 3 or more active ingredients such as chamomile, Valarian root, passion-flower, h**p seed extract, and L-Theanine.

Chew-sing the Right Supplements🥦🍗
Not all supplements are created equally. Try contain majority active ingredients with less fillers will yield better results! We carry Pet Parents SoftSupps as they contain more active ingredients than leading brands and have traceable inactive ingredients include whole veggies and meats, which are delicious and good for your pup.

As always, please consult with your veterinarian prior to adding supplements to your dog's diet. 🧑‍⚕️
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03/03/2025

Supplements are a great way to boost your dog's health and behavior without having to change their food or medication! ☺️

Probiotics💩📈
Probiotics help improve your dog's gut health. Improved gut health can increase their nutrient absorption so your dog gets the most out of their food. Gut biome has also been linked to energy, behavior, and immune health. Most importantly, it helps keep your dog bloat-free with healthy stools!

Calming Chews⚖️🧠
A well balanced calming chew can help to reduce hyperactivity and hypersensitivity without causing drowsiness. Look for a calming chew with at least 3 or more active ingredients such as chamomile, Valarian root, passion-flower, h**p seed extract, and L-Theanine.

Chew-sing the Right Supplements🥦🍗
Not all supplements are created equally. Try contain majority active ingredients with less fillers will yield better results! We carry Pet Parents SoftSupps as they contain more active ingredients than leading brands and have traceable inactive ingredients include whole veggies and meats, which are delicious and good for your pup.

As always, please consult with your veterinarian prior to adding supplements to your dog's diet. 🧑‍⚕️
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03/02/2025

Can you guess what we have up our sleeve for the bark-etball challenge based off this diagram🤔?

Leave your guess in the comments! 🏀
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03/01/2025

Green is definitely your color 🍀

02/28/2025

Try these Bird-Dog yoga flows before exercise to stretch multiple muscles, increase your mind-muscle connection, and feel one with your 🦆🐕!

1. Traditional Bird-Dog 🦆🐕
This flow strengthens your lower back and abdominals while improving balance! Starting in the tabletop position, lift your opposite arm and leg off the mat and upwards. As you lift, engage your core, press upwards through your heel, and imagine you're push the ground away from you. Keep your lower back flat and your leg level with your hips. Take several deep breaths and resume tabletop position. Repeat five times, then switch sides and repeat again!

2. External Rotation Variation 🧘🤸
This variation actively rotates your shoulder and hip joints, strengthening and stretching your spine, shoulders, and hips. Start in a modified tabletop position, by bending one arm at a 90-degree angle so that your forearm is parallel to the floor. Lift your opposite arm and leg outwards, hold for several breaths, return to the modified tabletop, and repeat 4 times. Switch sides and repeat. 🔄

3. Tiger Tucks Variation 🐅🛏
This flow targets your spine, hip flexors, and hamstrings. Starting in the table-top position, curl one knee toward your nose, then extend it back into a 90-degree angle in one smooth motion. Hold for several breaths, then return to the tabletop. Repeat five times on one side, then switch sides and repeat. 🫶

If you try out this flow or one of the other challenges from our let us know how it went! We love helping dogs and their owners find ways to stay strong and healthy!
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02/28/2025

Try these Bird-Dog yoga flows before exercise to stretch multiple muscles, increase your mind-muscle connection, and feel one with your 🦆🐕!
1. Traditional Bird-Dog 🦆🐕
This flow strengthens your lower back and abdominals while improving balance! Starting in the tabletop position, lift your opposite arm and leg off the mat and upwards. As you lift, engage your core, press upwards through your heel, and imagine you're push the ground away from you. Keep your lower back flat and your leg level with your hips. Take several deep breaths and resume tabletop position. Repeat five times, then switch sides and repeat again!
2. External Rotation Variation 🧘🤸
This variation actively rotates your shoulder and hip joints, strengthening and stretching your spine, shoulders, and hips. Start in a modified tabletop position, by bending one arm at a 90-degree angle so that your forearm is parallel to the floor. Lift your opposite arm and leg outwards, hold for several breaths, return to the modified tabletop, and repeat 4 times. Switch sides and repeat. 🔄
3. Tiger Tucks Variation 🐅🛏
This flow targets your spine, hip flexors, and hamstrings. Starting in the table-top position, curl one knee toward your nose, then extend it back into a 90-degree angle in one smooth motion. Hold for several breaths, then return to the tabletop. Repeat five times on one side, then switch sides and repeat. 🫶
If you try out this flow or one of the other challenges from our let us know how it went! We love helping dogs and their owners find ways to stay strong and healthy!
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02/26/2025

Does your dog have an inner "Air-Bud"? 🏀

If so, mark your calendar for our Slam Dunk Snacks
Event on March 16th from 1pm to 4pm.🗓️

More details coming soon! 😁

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02/26/2025

RIP my clean floors. They had a good run. How are yours holding up? 🐾

02/26/2025

Tug is a great exercise to stretch and engage your dog's forelimbs, spinal column, and hind-limbs? Make sure your dog’s form is on point to prevent hyperextension and injury with these tug tips. 🐕💪
Pulling Posture
Just like humans, dogs can pull weight "wrong," resulting in hyperextension that can cause injury and strain on muscles. Swipe to see an infographic guide on correct pulling form! 🏋️
Sure-footing
Playing tug on hardwood floors or concrete may cause your dog to slip, which can result in injury or strain. Keep your tug sessions to the grass or dirt for sure-footing. 🐾
Nail-print Rule
Toys used in tug should follow the "nail print" rule: pressing a nail into the toy will result in it giving or leaving a mark. This will prevent dental damage and give your dog the best possible hold. You can also encourage your dog to bite the toy with their back teeth, the strongest and safest grip. 🦷
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02/25/2025

Tug is a great exercise to stretch and engage your dog's forelimbs, spinal column, and hind-limbs? Make sure your dog’s form is on point to prevent hyperextension and injury with these tug tips. 🐕💪

Pulling Posture
Just like humans, dogs can pull weight "wrong," resulting in hyperextension that can cause injury and strain on muscles. Swipe to see an infographic guide on correct pulling form! 🏋️

Sure-footing
Playing tug on hardwood floors or concrete may cause your dog to slip, which can result in injury or strain. Keep your tug sessions to the grass or dirt for sure-footing. 🐾

Nail-print Rule
Toys used in tug should follow the "nail print" rule: pressing a nail into the toy will result in it giving or leaving a mark. This will prevent dental damage and give your dog the best possible hold. You can also encourage your dog to bite the toy with their back teeth, the strongest and safest grip. 🦷
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02/24/2025

Teaching new tricks can not only build the bond between you and your pup, but also stretch and strengthen their muscles to prevent injury! Sit-pretty is an excellent trick to strengthen your dog's core muscles to prevent injury to their back and spine.🤸

Sit-pretty 🐕
Begin with your dog in a sitting position. Place a treat between your palm and thumb and bring it to their nose, lure upwards against their nose until they lean back into the position. The instant they get into the trick click a clicker and reward. If your dog jumps upwards or gets out of position reset them and lure again. If they're having trouble staying in the position you can support them with your hand or have them perch on a chair. After they get the hang of it, add the cue "pretty" "sit-pretty" or "meerkat" before luring. You can increase the duration they stay in the trick by delaying your clicker! 🍖

If you try teaching your dog this trick or another trick from our leave a comment below to let us know how it went! 🫶
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02/24/2025

Teaching new tricks can not only build the bond between you and your pup, but also stretch and strengthen their muscles to prevent injury! Sit-pretty is an excellent trick to strengthen your dog's core muscles to prevent injury to their back and spine.🤸

Sit-pretty 🐕
Begin with your dog in a sitting position. Place a treat between your palm and thumb and bring it to their nose, lure upwards against their nose until they lean back into the position. The instant they get into the trick click a clicker and reward. If your dog jumps upwards or gets out of position reset them and lure again. If they're having trouble staying in the position you can support them with your hand or have them perch on a chair. After they get the hang of it, add the cue "pretty" "sit-pretty" or "meerkat" before luring. You can increase the duration they stay in the trick by delaying your clicker! 🍖

If you try teaching your dog this trick or another trick from our leave a comment below to let us know how it went! 🫶
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02/23/2025

02/23/2025

02/23/2025

02/23/2025

Big thank you to everyone who came out to our Cupid's Canine Clues event yesterday! We had such a blast with all of the lovely detectives and criminals who sniffed for clues, took mugshots, and got fingerprinted!🔎💘

If your dog participated in the photo op, you can find their picture on the events tab of our website under the Cupid's Canine Clues event! 🖼📸

We are looking forward to doing more events like this one in the future! Stay tuned into our Facebook and Instagram as this week we'll be announcing two more events for the month of March! 🥰🐾
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02/23/2025

Is your dog guilty of a crime? Come get their mugshot or detective photo taken today for free from 11am to 2pm at our Cupid's Canine Clues event! ❤️✨

Other activities include:
🔎 A paw "fingerprint" keepsake
🍖 Treat-hunting scavenger box
📸 Mugshot or detective themed photo op

Let the Valentine’s mystery begin! 🔎💘
In our Des Moines location only

02/22/2025

02/21/2025

Is your dog the type to sort out the clues? 🐾🔍 Our FREE Valentine's mystery event, Cupid's Canine Clues, is tomorrow, the 22nd, from 11am to 2pm! ❤️✨

Join us in our Des Moines store for event activities that will include
🔎 Custom paw "fingerprint" keepsake
🍖 Treat-hunting scavenger box
📸 Mugshot OR detective themed photo session

Your dog can choose to be a detective or a criminal—it’s up to you! Let the investigation (and treats!) begin!

02/21/2025

Holding a yoga pose is a great way to stretch and strengthen multiple muscles at once! 🤸
You can hold a pose before cardio to warm-up, after exercise to cool down, or target specific muscles to increase your mind to muscle connection before weight training!💪
The down-ward dog pose stretches the hamstrings, calves, Achilles tendon, shoulders, upper back, and glutes. It also strengthens the arms, shoulders, back, and core!🐕
Maybe it will even give you a newfound perspective on your furry companion. 🧐
If you try a yoga pose to stretch and strengthen muscles or try out another challenge from out share this post to your story and tag us to let us know how it went!
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02/20/2025

🕵️‍♂️Every good dog detective knows the first step to solving a crime is collecting the evidence! 🧐💘

Join us this Saturday, February 22nd, in our Des Moines store from 11AM to 2PM for a FREE Valentine's themed mystery adventure including:

🔎 A custom paw "fingerprint" keepsake
🍖 A treat-hunting scavenger box game
📸 A mugshot or detective themed photo op

Is your dog the best detective or the worst criminal? 🔎💘

02/20/2025

🐾💛 It’s National Love Your Pet Day! 💛🐾

As if we needed an excuse to spoil our four-legged adventure buddies! 🐶⛰️ Today’s all about celebrating the pups who make every hike more fun, every trail more exciting, and every campsite cozier (even when they steal your sleeping bag).

So how are you showing your dog some extra love today?
🐾 Hitting the trails for an epic sniffari?
🐾 Extra treats and time playing fetch, tug or other games?
🐾 A new piece of adventure gear?

Drop a pic of your pup living their best life—we wanna see those happy tails! 🏕️🐕✨

02/19/2025

Holding a yoga pose is a great way to stretch and strengthen multiple muscles at once! 🤸

You can hold a pose before cardio to warm-up, after exercise to cool down, or target specific muscles to increase your mind to muscle connection before weight training!💪

The down-ward dog pose stretches the hamstrings, calves, Achilles tendon, shoulders, upper back, and glutes. It also strengthens the arms, shoulders, back, and core!🐕

Maybe it will even give you a newfound perspective on your furry companion. 🧐

If you try a yoga pose to stretch and strengthen muscles or try out another challenge from out share this post to your story and tag us to let us know how it went!
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