You, Your Dog, and Nature
You, Your Dog, and Nature
We love our furry friends and want to share our lives with them as much as possible. There are many places around Maryland that welcome dogs and humans to come and explore the great outdoors! A trip though the natural beauty of Maryland can be an amazing experience to share with your dog. It is also a wonderful opportunity to create lasting wonderful memories that will last a life time. There are many different options when it comes to exploring nature with your dog! Here I have compiled a list of natural areas you and your dog can explore together!
Maryland State Parks and More!
Maryland has a lot to offer in the form of outdoor exploration! There are a number of different state parks and nature areas to visit that are dog friendly. Many of these parks’ welcome dogs and humans to come explore nature together. These parks offer a number of different ways for you and your pup to explore! For those who enjoy hiking through the woods there are many different tails to explore. If you would like to check out the wildlife some of these areas have nature centers with a wealth of information on the local wildlife. For those who love to camp and spend the night under the stars some of these parks have areas to set up a tent. There are many more ways to explore and enjoy these parks. Below is a list of just a few of the parks that Maryland has to offer!
Chapel Point State Park – Marbury, MD
Fair Hill NRMA – Elkton, MD
Greenwell State Park – Hollywood, MD
Gunpowder Falls State Park – Kingsville, MD
Mattawoman Natural Area – Indian Head, MD
Sassafras NRMA – Kennedyville, MD
Monocacy NRMA – Gaithersburg, MD
Morgan Run Natural Environment Area – Westminster MD
Rosary Ville State Park – Upper Marlboro, MD
Rocky Gap State Park- Flintstone, MD
How Do I Know What Rules and Regulations There Are?
This is a wonderful question and an important one at that! For the most part these parks do have guidelines regarding responsible pet ownership, these guidelines outline rules and regulations that the state of Maryland has regarding park rules of pets to visit. This link here will take you to Maryland state regulations for responsible pet ownership and rules for individual parks.
Amazing Training Opportunities!
When you are out exploring with your furry friend you may find that they get distracted quite easily by all the wonderful smells and little furry and feathered creatures. They may want to go check it out and pull you with them! I know this can be a frustrating experience when you have to stop and wait every time your pup wants to chase after that squirrel or sniff a spot that smells interesting. Not to worry this is something you can work on with your dog! Take the time to work on the leave it command before you go out and explore! The leave it command can be extremally useful in situations like this. If you already have a command for leave it you can work on it while on your walk, this is called proofing! By exposing your dog to different stimuli you increase the difficulty and help them understand that when the command is given they must listen no matter how temping it may be to chase after that squirrel!
If you and your dog may need a little extra help with this or other challenges you run into feel free to reach out via email or fill out our contact form and we will figure out how to best help you!