Baxter’s Rating System

In general, Baxter loves every hike we take him on. Here’s a simple rating system based on how much Baxter enjoyed the hike for write-ups:

1 out of 4 paws up

Translation: “I wasn’t left home alone wondering what I did wrong, but this was too hot/long/hard guys.”

2 out of 4 paws up

Translation: “This didn’t have enough spots to rest in the shade or had too many scratchy plants poking me in the belly, but of course I still had fun!”

3 out of 4 paws up

Translation: “This totally rocked! Except for when the trail got a little rough and I had to be picked up.”

4 out of 4 paws up

Translation: “OMG! The best! Shade, easy trail on the paws, and my little head was going to explode from so many new smells!”

- Alyse

tags: blog

hello world!

When my husband and I wanted to adopt a dog back in July 2008, we were hoping to rescue a Beagle. Instead, we ended up falling in love with Baxter, a dachshund terrier mutt found on the streets. He plopped in my lap with his short legs, long body, flappy ears, and that was that. He’s part of our family now.

We didn’t know then what we know now. He’s a tough guy with boundless energy and has turned into an excellent hiking companion. He loves going for walks and soon, we started taking him for short hikes in local parks for a change of scenery. As we all got more conditioned, we ventured on longer and more difficult trails. Baxter has become a great little puppy hiker!

When researching hikes in the Los Angeles area, I found a lack of online resources on the best hikes for dogs. Often, you don’t know if a trail allows dogs until you show up to the trail head. Sometimes, the condition of the trail is not suitable for dogs even if they are allowed. The purpose of this blog is to share our experiences hiking with Baxter and provide trail descriptions and ratings in the hope you may be encouraged to go hiking with your dog.

- Alyse

tags: blog