Long Haul Trekkers is an award-winning multi-media brand owned and run by Jen Sotolongo. The blog features content about trying new outdoor activities with your dog, dog-friendly travel itineraries, gear guides, and dog training tips.
This blog began during a two-year bicycle journey across Europe and South America that Jen took with her dog, Sora and partner at the time. It has since evolved into the resource she wished she had when she first began getting outdoors with her dog.
Jen went from thinking that “all dogs love me because I love them” to “please don’t touch my dog.” In the decade she has had dogs, all four have had reactivity issues, teaching her to unlearn everything she thought she knew about dogs. Her dogs inspired me to learn as much as she could about dogs and become a dog trainer.
Blog readers can find their next dog-friendly adventure, have confidence in bringing their dog along on a new activity and can trust her training advice because of her experience of over a decade traveling, adventuring, and working with her dogs.
Our Mission
Jen wants to help dog owners enjoy outdoor and travel adventures with their dogs by giving them the skills, knowledge, and confidence so they are prepared to handle whatever comes their way.
Vision
Her hope and dream for this blog is to create a resource where dog owners can come together and share their knowledge and resources about training, health and wellness, gear, and trail etiquette in a respectful manner. She envisions a world where those with reactive dogs can feel safe on the trails without worry about other dogs coming into our space and where dogs and their humans can live their best lives together.
Values
Long Haul Trekkers is a safe space for people of all backgrounds to discuss different training methods, including the use of aversive tools like e-collars and prong collars. You are welcome to share your opinion, as long as you are not putting me or other readers down and calling them names. Abusive language toward other people will not be tolerated. Long Haul Trekkers aims to equip you with the resources to make your own decisions about responsible dog ownership, both at home and on the trail.
Meet the Team
Jen Sotolongo
I am a dog mom to Sitka and the founder of Long Haul Trekkers. I’m also a freelance journalist, content marketing writer, and author of the Falcon Guidebook The Ultimate Guide to Hiking with Dogs, and lead dog trainer and owner of Libra Dog Training, based out of Portland, Oregon.
I have had dogs for over a decade and have had pets throughout my life. I’m also an enthusiastic dog trainer in training who has a soft spot for reactive dogs and loves working with them to shift their mindset and show them the world isn’t such a scary place, after all.
I live in Portland, Oregon, where you can find Sitka and me trail running, exploring the mountains or camping down a dirt road. I’m also a fantastic vegan cook and sourdough bread baker if I do say so myself.
Sitka
Sitka is a Red Heeler mix rescued from Hood River Adopt a Dog. When Jen picked him up, he nipped a hole in her favorite jacket, was famous for hopping six-foot fences, and was notorious for destroying socks.
He’s never done any such poor behaviors under Jen’s guidance and instead directs that energy to preferred outlets like trail running, rolling in any snow patch he can find, and swimming in any and all forms of water, except the bathtub.
Sora 2005-2018
Sora was the dog who inspired this blog and who was part of the cycle touring team across Europe and South America. She was an Australian Shepherd adopted from Family Dogs New Life in Portland, OR in 2008.
After a recurring battle with cancer, she went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2018 at the age of 13.
Sora traveled to nearly 30 countries on her adventures, graced the cover of a magazine, and served as the face of adoption for an animal rights group in Medellin, Colombia.
Sora was the original adventure dog, Jen’s heart dog, and the love of her life.