When we're not on holiday we also like to have dog friendly adventures such as hiking in Victoria's State Parks. It's like a mini-holiday because for the dogs, it's usually a brand new experience full of lots of new sights and smells.
The R. J. Hamer Arboretum in Melbourne's Dandenong Ranges has some lovely walking tracks to hike along with your pooch.
We did this hike as part of our training for Mojo to earn his Working Pack Dog (WPD) Title, where your dog is required to carry 30% of its body weight in a pack (Mojo is wearing a Ruffwear Palisades pack) on four, 16 kilometre hikes to qualify for the title. Mojo did super well and so did his human, alas we didn't end up completing all 4 hikes before he was diagnosed with osteoathritis in his back leg.
It really is a beautiful spot with trees soaring up to the sky creating a pretty dappled light over the undergrowth and walking track. There's places to stop and snack and rest and is very well sign posted. As with all parks, please make sure you plan to take your rubbish with you - that in includes any toileting by your dog.
In winter it's a good idea to check the websites for any road and/or track closures and as the months warm up to Summer always be mindful of those wiggly stick (snakes). Personally I choose to leave the hiking to the cooler weather :)
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