News & Information

With it comes the opportunity to get back outside and enjoy the fresh smells, sounds of the birds returning and the wonders of nature. As trainers, one of the messages we talk with people about in managing any dog’s behavior is providing ample opportunity for exercise, both physical and mental. It’s often a challenge to come up with new ideas to keep everyone active when we’re focused on day to day family life, the household, career, etc. I thought I’d introduce you to a fun activity that has become quite popular over the last 10 years with people of all ages; geocaching. Geocaching (pronounced geo-cashing) is a worldwide game of hiding and seeking “treasure”. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches using GPS outdoors and then share your experiences. In most cases, the treasure is just the satisfaction of having found what you’re looking for, typically not treasure of any real dollar value, although there are exceptions to that. The wonderful thing about geocaching is that you can “cache” alone or with the family and almost always, with your best canine companion! All you need to go geocaching is a GPS and a little sense of adventure. There are currently over 955,000 documented geocaches around the world and I’m willing to bet there’s at least one or maybe even 10 within 15 minutes of your home! They are typically located in a public place or in a location the property owner has given permission and can not be buried below ground. You can choose the difficulty level of the find as well as the terrain you’re comfortable with. You can even decide if you’d like to do one that happens to be within 2 minutes walk of where you park or a two hour hike, the opportunities are endless and fun! Geocaching has taken me to many places I would have never known about otherwise and brought about some fun and exciting adventures with my dogs! It’s an exercise and adventure opportunity available whenever I have the time to get out there and all I have to do is find it! For more information on geocaching visit www.geocaching.com.