It’s a beautiful spring day at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreational Area in Fremont, and on the trail is a group of about 30 dogs, mostly Pit Bulls, walking proudly, peacefully, and very properly alongside their people. It’s impossible not to notice them, and you can’t help but feel their joy, optimism, and passion.
This scene repeats itself frequently on various Bay Area trails. The group is HikeABull, a hiking group for Bay Area dog lovers. Founded in 2008 by Pit Bull owner and advocate Tracey Cutler, HikeABull provides a safe, fun, supportive way for people to socialize and exercise their dogs through hiking. The group welcomes all dogs, regardless of their breeds and training issues.
A natural alliance builder, hiking helps reduce tension and promotes dog-to-dog sociability. It’s also a great way to keep dogs in shape and their minds stimulated. Of course the benefits extend to the human participants, too, who get to exercise and make new friends that share their love for Pit Bulls and dogs in general.
One characteristic that sets HikeABull apart from many other dog social groups, and that appeals greatly to its 319 and growing members, is that socialization of the participating dogs takes place on-leash, safely and naturally throughout the course of each hike.
“It’s a fun social activity with structure,” says Lark McIntosh, one of six HikeABull organizers. “We want all our members to feel welcome, even if their dogs are working on some training issues.”
An accepting, positive environment that welcomes “work-in-progress” dogs was exactly what Lark was looking for when she joined the group in 2008. After adopting her first Pit Bull, Lola, from Humane Society Silicon Valley, Lark needed a place to socialize and exercise her while also practicing training. They attended classes together, but this energetic dog needed more. The one obvious solution – dog parks – was not an appropriate one for them.
“Lola loves other dogs and people, but we still had a lot of training to work on,” Lark explains. “She had no recall, was overly enthusiastic, couldn’t sit still, and would jump up at people for attention. So my big issue was ‘How do I socialize and exercise my dog around other dogs and people when we are still working on our training skills and manners?’”
Lark and Lola found the perfect outlet in HikeABull. And so have many other people and dogs.
Nigel and Alžbĕta Stolting, a young married couple living in San Jose with their two rescued “Bullies” – American Pit Bull Terrier Abbey and American Staffordshire Terrier Jake – love the fact that HikeABull understands and respects the needs of each individual dog-person team.
“We wanted a safe environment in which we could exercise our dogs with other like-minded, responsible dog owners,” Nigel says. “We like the structure that’s in place. There are no ‘nose-to-nose’ greetings, no play sessions, just a mutual respect among the dogs, dog owners, and other trail users.”
The Stoltings really appreciate the camaraderie they experience with other human members of the club. “We’ve met some great people and share our stories and experiences, talking about issues we’ve faced since the last hike. It’s great to hear how other people have dealt with issues that you’re currently facing,” Nigel says.
Besides promoting responsible dog ownership, HikeABull members are passionate advocates for the welfare of dogs, especially their beloved “Bully” breeds that are often misjudged due to the way they look and to plain old prejudice. To accomplish this goal, HikeABull participates in special events that aim to educate the public on the true, wonderful nature of dogs mislabeled “bad” because of their appearance and their unfair reputation. Most recently, on April 16 HikeABull participated in “Walk for Awareness,” an event organized by a local high school student at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreational Area to show support for all the “Bullies.”
“We have quite a few dog breeds in the group that many people judge negatively because of how they look. People notice us when we are out and they see our happy dogs hiking in a great group. It really is a positive statement,” Lark says. “I hope HikeABull in some small way helps people change their minds about these amazing dogs.”
Marthina McClay, a certified dog trainer from Dog Training for People, and founder of Our Pack Inc., a South Bay Pit Bull rescue and advocacy group, values the positive impact HikeABull has on Pit Bulls and other dog breeds.
“These people hike with their happy dogs and passersby often comment on how well-behaved the dogs are. It’s great when people can view these dogs and their owners in a positive way,” she says.
Additionally, HikeABull supports animal rescue and adoption by regularly taking adoptable dogs from local nonprofit rescue groups out on hikes.
“It gives dogs who are waiting for their forever homes more opportunities to socialize with other dogs and with people besides their loving foster parents,” says Lark, who recently adopted one of these dogs, Bernie, a senior Pit Bull rescued by Our Pack Inc. from an alleged dog fighting cruelty case in Ohio.
Marthina agrees, “I think the dogs benefit greatly from these hikes by getting socialization, training, and exercise around a variety of people and other dogs and in different environments. This socialization makes them more likely to get adopted.”
Polite dogs, beautiful friends, and the great Bay Area outdoors – it doesn’t get better than HikeABull.
For more info about or to join HikeABull, visit www.meetup.com/HikeABull.
Jennifer Zhang is the owner of Sirius Republic (www.siriusrepublic.com), an online shop offering locally-handmade dog collars, leashes, tags, and more. Jennifer is also a longtime animal rescue advocate and volunteer, and she writes about dog-related topics for Examiner.com. Contact her at jen@siriusrepublic.com.
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