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Sora playing in the snow along the McKenzie Pass Scenic Bikeway

Welcome to Long Haul Trekkers! Discover how to enjoy the outdoors with your adventure dog.

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Jen and Sitka, the team behind Long Haul Trekkers

Hello! We are Jen and Sitka, the team behind Long Haul Trekkers. Our goal is to inspire you to get outside with your dog, show you where to take your dog along on your travels, and tell you all about our favorite adventure dog gear with honest reviews.

Sitka comes along with me just about everywhere I go. If he can't come, then I usually don't go. Instead, I search for the places we can go together.

Sitka and I live in the Pacific Northwest, where we trail run, hike, backpack, and explore as much as we can.

We're so happy to have you along on our adventures!

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Anyone else's dogs follow them into the bathroom every.single.time? #ad ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Little does Sitka know that this isn't just my regular tube of @toms_of_maine toothpaste. Every morning and evening brush, is helping the planet! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I have been using Tom's of Maine toothpaste for a VERY, very long time. Like decades long time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Not only do I love the flavor and lack of sweetness I find in conventional toothpaste brands, but Tom's of Maine is a business for GOOD! Here are just a few reasons I love the brand: They're a B Corporation (you know that's my favorite!) They're cruelty-free (that has been a requirement of mine since I was a very little) They share the purpose of every ingredient on their website And... Tom’s of Maine is proud to donate $100,000 to support the @nationalparkfoundation. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In addition, from August 1, 2021 to February 1, 2022, Tom's of Maine is donating 25% of net profits from the sale of this Limited Edition Fluoride-Free Antiplaque & Whitening Toothpaste to NPF, up to $25,000. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Learn more at tomsofmaine.com/national-parks. #getintonature
GIVEAWAY! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you haven't gathered already, I love my @gunnerkennels. #ad ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ And, I want one of you to have one, too! #12DaysofGunner #MansBestFriend ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I am so delighted to partner with GUNNER to give one very lucky winner a G1 Kennel + Tie-Down Strap Kit bundle! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ HOW TO ENTER: 1. Follow @gunnerkennels and me, @longhaultrekkers 2. Tag at least 2 friends (one per line) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Contest will remain open until 12/15/21 and I will pick a winner at random on 12/16/21. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ **DISCLAIMER: This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Instagram. Must be 18 years of age of older to enter. Open to the lower 48 US.**
❄☃️🎄WINTER GIVEAWAY 🎄☃️❄ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We’re partnering with @voyagersk9apparel to give away a $100 gift certificate to one of my favorite minority and woman-owned shops that just so happens to make the best winter jackets for dogs! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let’s #protectyourpup together! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ RULES: 1.Follow us and @voyagersk9apparel 2.Tag a friend! (or two, or three, or 50!) Each comment + tag = 1 entry. One tag per line. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That’s it! Contest will run for 72 hours. 💫 Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on 12/13/21 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ***DISCLAIMER: this giveaway is in no way affiliated with Instagram. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Open to United States and Canada***
Might I suggest a little book I wrote if you're in need of gift ideas this holiday season? #shamelessplug My book is $5 off this week in my shop! I’m also having a sale on coexist stickers. See link in bio. My book, The Essential Guide to Hiking with Dogs includes so much more than information about hiking with your dog. When I wrote this book, I thought about everything that goes into hiking with a dog, including: 🐾 Essential skills 🐾 Building endurance 🐾 Trail safety 🐾 Essays from experienced dog owners and hikers talking about topics like hiking with a reactive dog, muzzle training, and managing unwanted greetings from other dogs. The book is available everywhere books are sold, as well as on my website. Please consider supporting your local bookstore. (If you buy from me, I earn the money right away vs waiting six months for royalties, AND you can get a signed copy!)
Join me at 12PST today for an IG Live with @gunnerkennels! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If I had known how a Gunner Kennel would change my life when I first got Sitka, I would have purchased one the day I got him. #ad ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Until I had Sitka, I had never really thought about the need to restrain my dog in the car. My other dogs lay quietly in the back, so I didn’t think twice. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ However, Sitka has severe car anxiety. When I picked him up from his foster, they had drugged him with prednisone. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The following day, we went for a trail run and I was certain we would get into an accident on the way to the trailhead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He whined and paced constantly back and forth across the back seat. He lunged and barked at passing cars. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It drove me insane and it was incredibly distracting. I was certain it would cause an accident one day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I tried a seat belt and harness combination, but that didn’t work. He could still stand up and turn around and I’d have to pull over frequently to detangle him. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After some research, I realized that the best option would be a crate for the car. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Sitka still has a little car anxiety, but because Gunner Kennels are dark and cozy spaces, Sitka is WAY more calm in the car. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He's a completely different dog and I feel so much safer driving and knowing that he will likely be unharmed in an accident. #12daysofgunner
On our final day on the @bendaletrail with @visitbend , we stopped at @threecreeksbrewing to pick up some beer for later. #sponsored ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Obviously, I had to get the hazy, because hazy (my favorite!), but more importantly, the can art features a person paddle boarding with their dog! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I wish I could have stayed to enjoy my brew on their quiet patio nestled among the trees, but I'll have to save it for my next visit. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I love that the Bend Ale Trail features breweries outside of Bend and includes Perfect Pairing adventures nearby. It's a really fun and creative way to get to know the different towns in Central Oregon! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You can do the Bend Ale Trail any time you like, and November is #bendaletrailmonth, with even more fun prizes and a special tankard if you visit a brewery in each of the seven territories. There's even prizes for designated drivers!
On Day 2 of my @bendaletrail adventure with @visitbend , I decided to visit some breweries I had never been to before. #sponsored ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bend has one brewery per 4,500 residents, making it the beer capital of Oregon and one of the top beer towns in the country. There are always new places opening and I was excited to try out some new dog-friendly places! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ First, I decided to take advantage of a Perfect Paring and head to the Badlands for a short run. Just east of town, the Badlands are a rugged region formed by lava flows with plenty of trails showing off twisted juniper trees. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ After our run, we hit up @bevelbeer, created by a husband/wife team who are also professional disc golfers with a passion for IPAs. As an IPA lover myself, I had to get a sample tray to try as many as I could! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The patio was large, with lots of tables and several food carts, but not too busy, making it a great place to take your dog. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Next up, we visited @spidercitybrewing, a female-owned brewery formed by longtime friends whose beers are inspired by their travels together. Lucky me, the downtown location was across the street from my hotel! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The downtown location is situated in Tin Pan Alley, which features award-winning art from talented artists with a deep love for Bend. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you visited Bend? What is your favorite brewery in town?
We spent three marvelous days in Bend exploring the @bendaletrail with @visitbend last week! 🍻 #sponsored ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ November is #bendaletrailmonth, where you can earn a special German tankard when you complete a visit to a brewery in each of the seven territories. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You can also win prizes like brewery gift cards, hats, @hydroflask , and more when you share your beerventure on Instagram. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Bend Ale Trail was the first ale trail in the west, and started with just 8 breweries. Today the Ale Trail consists of over two dozen breweries throughout seven territories in Central Oregon. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In addition to a trail of breweries, the Ale Trail also includes Drinkable Diversions, featuring wineries, cideries, distilleries, and kombucha breweries, as well as Perfect Pairings that feature non-beer adventures like hikes, river floats, and cave explorations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We managed to pack a lot into our short visit, starting with a stop at @wildridebrew in Redmond where we enjoyed lunch on the huge patio next to a fire. We stayed in the amazing @theoxfordhotelbend which was super dog-friendly and included treats for Sitka, daily poop bad deliveries at our door, and a @ruffwear dog bed for Sitka to hang!
One of my favorite ways to help Sitka gain confidence is by taking him to a playground. #ad Playgrounds have a lot of strange surfaces and fun obstacles that can help insecure or anxious dogs get over some of their fears. They’re also great for helping dogs feel more comfortable on unstable ground, which is great preparation for the trail! A few tips: 🐾 Go slowly if your dog is nervous and encourage them using high-value treats like @purbitespettreats. I personally love PureBites because they are made with only 1 to 3 human-grade ingredients and freeze dried to lock-in all the natural taste and aroma without losing any of the raw nutrition. Also, Sitka can’t get enough of them which is the best incentive to keep him focused during training! 🐾 If you have a confident dog, ask them to go slowly up stairs and over bridges, rather than bounding up or across. This will teach them to slow down, which is especially great for high energy dogs. 🐾 Don’t go when kids are playing! Return during an off time so the kids can get their playtime in. Do you take your dog to playgrounds? Have you tried PureBites treats? Let me know in the comments ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #allforthePureBites #PureBitespurelove #purebites #purebitespettreats