What to take along on your next hike with the dog?

Pliers.

A good sturdy pair of pliers. Because if your dog is anything like the Beagle who gets her snout into cacti, you will need them.

Also, bring along some good friends. You will need them as well because it takes at least one person to hold the Beagle, one to do the pulling of the cacti and another kiss the dog’s boo-boo. True story.

Nonetheless, the weather is beautiful and the trails beckon for you and the dog. So here are some common-sense guidelines to follow on the trail with your dog. Of course, if you have a Beagle, then all bets are off.

• Keep your dog on a leash. Oh yes, it is just wonderful to have the dog roam free. Except of course when she gets attacked by a snake, coyote or anything else that thinks she is trespassing on their turf. Also your dog can get easily tangled up with other hikers and cause them to fall on the trail.
• Bring water. No, bring more water than what you are thinking. You just never know and plus you can help out some poor dog whose human didn’t bring enough water.
• Hike early in the day and select trails that offer some shade along the way.

Liz Illg, owner of Puff and Fluff Grooming and Pet Sitting in Phoenix, says a mini first-aid kit is also a must-have. “There are so many things that can happen on the trail and I like all pet people to be ready if anything were to happen, worse case,’’ she says.

Basic first-aid supplies:

• Absorbent gauze pads
• Adhesive tape
• Antiseptic wipes, lotion, powder or spray
• Blanket (a foil emergency blanket)
• Cotton balls or swabs
• Gauze rolls
• Hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting—do this only when directed by a veterinarian or a poison-control expert)
• Ice pack
• Non-latex disposable gloves
• Rectal thermometer (your pet’s temperature should not rise above 103°F or fall below 100°F)
• Scissors (with blunt ends)
• Sterile non-stick gauze pads for bandages
• Sterile saline solution (sold at pharmacies)
• Tweezers

And now that you are fully prepared, get out there! The weather won’t be cooler much longer!