I have 3 Australian Shepherds. They are beautiful, intelligent and highly energetic. They can also be very mischievous if they are bored. Because they are so energetic, I find myself trying to come up with new ways to entertain them in every season. Geocaching or as we call it “dogcaching” has become my answer.
If you are not familiar with the term geocaching, it is the “not so” new high-tech sport, that has swept the country and the world. The great thing about this sport, is that you do not have to be a technical person and your dog does not have to be specially trained. You only have to have an appreciation of nature and the desire to get out and enjoy it.
In the sport of geocaching, a container (called a cache) is hidden somewhere and the longitude and latitude coordinates are recorded. The container, can be anything from an army ammo box, 35mm film canister, piece of Tupperware, a plastic jar or something more creative. The rules of the game are simple, the cache must contain a log book or a way that a person can acknowledge their find and it must be clearly marked with the official geocaching documentation so that it is not mistaken for something sinister. If the container is medium to large, it usually contains some small items for trade. This can be anything from key chains, figurines, toy cars etc.
Participants in the game use their GPS to find the hidden containers using the longitude and latitude coordinates. When they find it, they sign the log book and then go online to record their find. If you take an item from the cache you must also replace it with an item.
Why is this a great sport for your dog you might ask. Dogs are inquisitive animals. They enjoy new sights, smells and sounds. When you take your dog geocaching, they get to go to a different place every time and their senses are stimulated by the new surroundings.
I used to do a perfunctory 10-15 minute walk with my dogs in the local dog park. They always enjoyed meeting up with their friends and running down the familiar trails. Now, however, each excursion is a new adventure with new trails to explore and new friends to meet. Sometimes, our walks last 3 or 4 hours and when I arrive home, I have two very happy but tired Aussies. At the same time, I am feeling good as well. It is nothing for me to walk 5 or more miles in a day to find 3 or 4 caches.
Not every geocaching adventure has to be a long walk. The wonderful thing about this sport is that you choose your challenge. You can pick from urban or rural caches. There are ones that take only 15 minutes to find or ones that are extremely difficult to find.
Your geocaching adventures can also be geared towards your dogs needs. My dogs crave a good run but they also enjoy games that stimulate their minds. When I know that I am getting near a hidden cache, I will ask them “where’s the cache”? This has become their cue that we are looking for something. After hours of watching me hunt for something buried under a log or a rock they will look too. Although, they have yet to find one before me, I think it is only a matter of time. Some fellow geocachers have scent trained their dogs to seek out the caches and although I know that is possible, I prefer to just enjoy the time I spend with them exploring.
To get started geocaching with your dog he or she does need some basic training. Any dog that travels with you off leash needs to have 100% recall. That means they must return to you each and every time you call. This is not a typically difficult command to teach, but so many dog owners never teach it or accept less than 100% from their dog. Other commands your dog should know are “sit”, “down”, “wait” and especially “leave it”. If you are out exploring new places with your dog you may encounter snakes, snapping turtles or other animals. You will need to be able to call your dog off if it begins to chase something unfriendly. You may also encounter glass, sharp rocks, drop offs or other dangerous situations for your dog and they must be able to stop or wait for you to get to them. If in doubt keep your dog leashed. This is a sport that can be enjoyed on a 20- or 30-foot tracking lead.
To get started geocaching all you need is an inexpensive handheld GPS or your cell phone and a basic membership on the www.geocaching.com website. There you can download geocaches directly to your GPSor the app from your computer. We also recommend checking on whether the cache is dog friendly and to get specific dog related information about the area. We do not recommend using an older automobile GPS (if anyone still has these) as the coordinates may be slightly off because a cars GPS expects that you are moving at approximately 4mph at least.
Other equipment you will need to get started geocaching is a backpack with a few items in it. We recommend a small first aid kit, a flashlight, bug spray, sunscreen, items to place in the cache when you find it, a pen, a camera and water for yourself and your dog. Don’t forget the bowl.
There are over 1,000,000 caches hidden around the world and there are an estimated 3 – 4 million people that geocache. They range from the extreme cachers, who program their computers to notify them when a new cache has been hidden so they are the first one to find it, to the casual cacher who hunts for a couple over a weekend. Then there is everything in between.
Our philosophy at wiggle butt nation is “taking the time “not” first to find”. So what are you waiting for? Grab your pack, grab the dog and grab the leash lets go dog (geo) caching.
We rate this activity 5 Butt Wiggles
