Should Your Dog Come Snowshoeing With You?
Guests ask us this on the phone, and the answer depends far more on the dog than on the trail. All of our trails are dog friendly, and most days there is at least one dog out with a group. We have also turned dogs around a mile in because the snow was wrong for them that week. Here is how to work out which one yours is before you book.
Size, Fitness and the Three-Hour Question
Start with the plainest test. Our longest route runs about three miles with roughly 800 feet of climbing, and it takes around three hours. Can your dog be active and happy for that long?
We recommend dogs of 30 pounds and up for these outings. Snow depth is the reason behind the number. A small dog in fresh powder is swimming instead of walking, and it burns through its energy in the first twenty minutes. Larger, athletic dogs handle almost anything the basin gives us.
Age and fitness do the rest of the work. A six-year-old shepherd who hikes every weekend will outlast most of the humans on the tour. A puppy, a senior, or a dog whose usual exercise is a neighborhood loop will not, and the shorter tours suit them far better than the climb to Palisades Point.
Snow Conditions Change the Answer Week to Week
The same dog can have a great day in February and a hard day in January, and the only variable is the snow.
Fresh snow from a storm is deep and unconsolidated, and a dog has to push through it with its chest. Hardpack, which is what you get days or weeks after a storm, is easy going by comparison. Most athletic dogs cope with both; smaller or older dogs feel the difference enormously. This is why we tell people to look at the snow forecast before committing the dog, even when the human half of the party is going regardless.
Coat type matters too, and it surprises owners. Long or fine fur collects fresh snow into ice balls that hang off the legs and belly, and the dog ends up carrying the extra weight for the whole hike. Short, dense coats stay cleaner.
The Booties Question, Answered Properly
Dog boots are genuinely useful in cold conditions, with one condition attached: your dog has to already be used to wearing them.
A first attempt at booties on a snowy trail goes badly almost every time. The boots come off, which litters the forest, and the dog spends the hike adjusting to two unfamiliar things at once. If your dog walks comfortably in securely fitted boots at home, bring them. If today would be the first time, leave them out and check the paws at the turnaround instead.
Water is the other thing owners forget, because there is snow everywhere and it looks like the problem solves itself. Eating snow is a poor way for a dog to hydrate on a working hike. Carry water and a collapsible bowl.
Where You'll Actually Be Walking
Our trails sit in and around the Tahoe National Forest, which the Forest Service describes as more than 850,000 acres of public land running from the foothills across the Sierra crest to the Nevada line.
That scale is the reason a guided dog hike here feels different from a walk at a trailhead parking lot. The network we use is private and quiet, the routes are scouted ahead of the season, and groups stay small, so a dog is not threading between strangers every few minutes. Our own Bernese mountain dog, Rusty, comes out with his owner Pauly often enough that regulars ask after him.
Tell us when you book that a dog is coming. On the sunrise tour in particular we ask for notice in advance, since that group is capped smaller than the others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are dogs allowed on Snowshoe Tahoe tours?
A: Yes. Every trail we use is dog friendly and we encourage people to bring well-behaved dogs along. Let us know at booking so the guide knows who is coming.
Q: What size dog can go snowshoeing?
A: We suggest 30 pounds and up. Below that, deep snow becomes hard work quickly, and the dog tires long before the group does.
Q: Do dogs need boots for snowshoeing in Tahoe?
A: Only if they already wear them comfortably. Boots that a dog has never worn usually come off on the trail and distract the animal for the whole hike, so a first-timer is better off without them.
Q: Which tour suits a dog best?
A: A shorter route is the safe starting point for a dog that has not done this before. If your dog hikes regularly and handles distance well, the half-day climb is within reach. Describe your dog when you call and we will point you at the right one.
Bring the Dog, Tell Us First
Tell us about the dog at the time you book, and say roughly how much walking it does in a normal week. That one sentence is usually enough for us to put you on the right tour, and to warn you if the snow that week looks wrong for your particular animal.
We are based at 2456 River Rd in Tahoe City, and the booking calendar lives at snowshoetahoe.net.
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