If you have a single canine companion or a full pack, you know how much they would love to join you on your hikes! Read along to learn some tips and tricks for safely taking your pups with you on a hike in your wheelchair. Whether you’re riding your GRIT Freedom Chair or another kind of all-terrain adaptive equipment, it is important to make sure both you and your pup(s) are safe, moving with control, and—of course!—able to enjoy all of the joys of outdoor recreation.
Determine if your dog is trail-ready
First, decide whether your dog is up for this kind of adventure! Dogs love to exercise, and some breeds seem to be able to run forever, but before you aim toward the trailhead, consider your dog’s current degree of discipline.
Puppies or newly adopted dogs may not yet know you as the alpha of their pack. This will develop over time, but taking a puppy or new dog on a hike comes with some increased risk—especially if your dog is strong! Nobody wants to be pulled off of the trail by a pup sprinting full-speed at a [squirrel, tennis ball, stick, falling leaf, etc…], so before you embark on a hike, make sure your dog respects your verbal and physical commands. Their immediate response to commands like “Sit,” “Stay,” “Leave it,” and “Off” will make the hike enjoyable and safe for all.
Better as a pack?
Let’s face reality, though: We don’t all have K9-trained dogs! If your dog is still learning their commands, a popular way to test things out is to take a friend or family member with you for the first few hikes. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need someone to join you every time you hike, but an extra human can be helpful when you’re getting used to wheelchair hiking. If you do ask someone to join you, below are a few things you can ask them to do while you’re hiking:

- While you’re riding in your wheelchair, have your friend hold the leash and walk your dog on your left, on your right, in front of you, and behind you. Goal: To familiarize your pup with your hiking wheelchair! Your all-terrain hiking chair is likely different from your everyday chair; make sure your dog is both comfortable walking near the new chair and of the understanding that keeping a safe distance is important, too!
- Keep the leash in your hand and ask your friend to observe your dog’s behavior. Does the dog seem comfortable? Skittish? Does he/she respond immediately to your commands? Are they struggling to keep a safe distance from your wheels? Goal: With you focusing on safely maneuvering/propelling your chair and your friend focusing on your pup, you can see what adjustments might help everyone walk better together.
- Keep the leash in your hand and have your friend assist by pushing you 100% from behind. Goal: Your focus should be on communicating with your dog and finding the ideal hand/leash position that allows you both to be safe. With your friend doing the pushing, you can focus just on your pup!
- Keep the leash in your hand and have your friend walk far ahead and far behind you, intentionally being a distraction. Have them walk off-trail, throw sticks, make noise—anything that might catch your dog’s attention. Goal: Make sure that, even in the face of the most exciting distraction possible, your dog obey’s your command to stay by your side.
If you’re already going on solo hikes, or if you and your dog are confident with the above, your friend/family member may be there simply to enjoy the outing. Everyone has different hiking goals, so it is always okay to ask your friend to assist less and less as you get more comfortable rolling with your pup. Having an extra person there just in case can be a huge help, especially when you’re just beginning to hike with your dog. There’s also a good chance the whole outing will be more fun with another human, and that’s wonderful, too!

Preparation
Just like us humans, your furry friends will need some preparation before you set off on your hikes. This preparation should come in the form of physical prep, training prep, and equipment prep. Continue reading for more.
Stamina and the “work of play”
One of the best things about hiking is experiencing the sights/sounds/smells/etc. of society fade away behind you. As you go deeper into the trail, the roar of engines on the highway may become softer until it perhaps vanishes altogether. You no longer see (or smell) the bathrooms at the trailhead. You hear only the sounds of your wheels beneath you, your pup panting beside you, and of the natural world surrounding you.
…but yikes! This also means you and your dog are way out there. This is where both you and your dog’s stamina are crucial. Hiking is often more strenuous than pavement-riding, so make sure you and your dog are prepared for the journey out and back. Long and tiring hikes are long and tiring for dogs and humans, and you may both be exerting more energy to stay alert to your surroundings.

Start with shorter hikes, an hour or less, with little to no incline so you can get an idea of how far might be “too far.” Slowly work your way up to longer and more intense hikes.
The “work of play” is also crucial here. Have a backyard? A local dog park? Use these open areas to work on your verbal commands, to establish yourself as the leader of the pack, and make sure your pup is physically fit and mentally attuned to the realities of a trip to the trail.
Protect your and your pup’s paws!
First, protect your “paws”
Have you ever caught your fingers in the spinning wheels of your wheelchair? Ever drag your knuckle against quickly spinning tire rubber? It ain’t fun! If this were to happen while holding your dog’s leash, would you be able to keep a tight grip? If not, there are tools that can help. From grip aids, to wrist leashes, to bicycle attachment arms, to hands-free leashes, there is likely an accessory that will fit your needs. Depending on your injury, diagnosis, or personal preference, some of these may be worth a look. We’ve compiled a list of dog-walking wheelchair accessories here.

Next, protect your dog’s paws!
Without the right preparation, rough terrain can be harmful to your dog’s paws, too. Sharp rocks, hot surfaces, and small pieces of debris can take a toll on your friend’s sensitive paw pads. This is especially the case if your pup isn’t used to walking on tougher terrains.
Frequent outdoor play is a great way to get them used to sprinting around less-predictable terrains, but you may also want to consider taking some extra measures.
Paw pad wax is a simple way to offer protection to sensitive paw pads—a big bonus of wax is that it won’t influence how your dog will walk. A more protective but more intrusive alternative are special hiking booties designed for hiking, like these options from REI.
If you opt for hiking booties for your dog, you can’t just put them on and start. Your dog is going to need to get used to them! Gradually introducing the booties over a few weeks will ensure that your dog can get used to them. To start, have your dog wear the booties a few minutes per day while indoors. Then, head outside into the yard, and eventually have your pup wear them for full walks and hikes.

Prepare other equipment and supplies
So you are prepared with training, with stamina, and with some paw-and-hand-protection. Great! What else will you need? Just as you’ll want to bring water and snacks for you, and simple tools for your wheelchair, you’ll want to bring supplies for your four-legged companion as well. The kinds of supplies you’d need with of course vary based on the kind of hike you’re on, but below are some items to consider:
- Training treats
- Harness and leash
- Food and drink
- Portable water bowl
- Favorite blanket
- Medication
- Doggie first-aid kit
Folks who hike with their GRIT Freedom Chair tend to store their hiking supplies in one or some of a few places. The most popular option is to load up a backpack and sling it over the seatback. The GRIT Freedom Chair Trail Handles prevent the bag from falling off. Another option is to use a bicycle frame bag (like these) and secure it to the frame of the chair. You can also consider getting a saddle bag or hiking bag for your pup! Many dogs will be more than able to carry the extra weight, and this will certainly help take some of the load off of you!

Find the right location
Once you’ve got everything together, it’s time to find the perfect hike to enjoy with your dog. But how do you choose the right one?
When you’re first getting started with wheelchair hiking with your dog, you generally want to stay on flat, even, and predictable terrain. A great place to start is a wide-open park space, where you can experiment staying on the trail but have the flexibility to take your pup for some off-trail sniffing adventures, too. Start small and work your way to the bigger and more demanding hikes. Also, make sure that whichever park or trail you hike is dog-friendly!
Ready for a bigger adventure? Check out this article about Dog Mushing from New Mobility, featuring GRIT rider, Jared!
If you’re pursuing a more data-driven trail-selection process, below are a few things to consider. Over the past 10+ years, trail builders, state parks, national parks, and towns/cities around the world have been improving their signage and trail information; while there is a ton of work to do, here are some pieces of trail information that will help you make the right trail choice!
- Bathrooms – Proximity, quality, and accessibility. Will you need to stay close to a bathroom? Is it crucial that the bathroom be fully ADA compliant? Make sure the on-site bathrooms fit your needs.
- Total trail length – Start small and build up to longer outings.
- Minimum trail width – Make sure the trail offers enough space for you, your hiking equipment, and your pup!
- Overall grade – How steep is the trail? Are you unknowingly headed toward an Everest-like incline?
- Average and max cross-slope – Cross-slope or side slope is a measure of the horizontal incline/decline on a trail. Most wheelchairs will take the path of least resistance, so if you’re not comfortable combatting that, look for a flatter trail with lower cross-slope.
- Surface type – Does the trail start as pavement and then change to dirt or gravel halfway through? Are there any streams to cross? Are you and your all-terrain wheelchair capable of navigating each of these?
The research and information being done to improve trail signage is continually improving. If you haven’t been to the International Trails Summit (ITS) Accessibility Hub recently, check it out! There, you’ll find webinars and other resources about the specific work happening beyond the tree lines.

Connect with and learn from a larger community
With a bit of preparation, you could soon be out on the trail with your pup! One wonderful reality about hiking is that people do it often, all over the world, with all kinds of equipment, with any number of canine companions, and on the full spectrum of terrains and locations. If you’re not feeling totally confident, or if you are confident but want to learn about how others hike with their wheelchairs, come on down to Beyond the Pavement, a Facebook group dedicated to getting outside with you all-terrain wheelchair. Ask questions, read previous posts, and even meet up with other riders for a hike!