I'm that wild child you see out with a group of unleashed dogs romping around and sniffing about on some trails. I don't know which I love more, being in nature or being with dogs, so I created an environment where I get to be with both safely! I've been exploring nature since the day I learned to walk, and I've been spending time with dogs since the day my folks brought me home from the hospital where I was born. I've been a dog walker and pet sitter for over a decade, and I've been hiking with groups of dogs for over four years. I love to be outside, rain, snow, or shine, and becoming your dog's best friend might just be my biggest goal in life.

This girl has endless energy, the highest prey drive, and an excellent recall. Bo is the OG hiking dog and one of the first big reasons that Pack Mentality Hiking came to be. This girl taught me that I have the skills and knowledge to be a Pack Leader. Rainbow is incredibly smart and has more determination than any other dog I know. She belongs to our small hiking group, where she can get a little extra attention and care. In the small group setting, she's been able to thrive and even make friends with other dogs, something that wasn't in her cards with a larger hiking group or in daycare. She has aided in training the other dogs to recall, and I absolutely cherish her wild nature.

This boy is about as laid back and nonchalant as he is scruffy. He's been adventuring with me outside of pack hiking for almost a year now and has shown nothing but fierce loyalty. Only straying to do his business and roll in the most smelly of finds, he tends to stay right on my heels throughout every hike. He's a natural leader by consistently sticking close by, reminding all the other dogs to check in frequently and grab a snack. Chase is a part of our large group, and he never mind sharing his portion of the treats with all his friends.

This sweet southern belle is one of the newest pack members. What she lacks in prey drive, she certainly makes up for in play drive. This girl loves a good game of chase and will win the endurance challenge almost every single time. She started out shy but quickly opened up to new friends. She's super food motivated and will check in frequently if she knows there's a snack involved. Her recall is above par, and we're so happy she's thriving with the big group.

This silly girl has the biggest smile and a personality to match. We've been hiking together for over a year, and she told me quickly that she prefers the smaller pack with less stimulation and more personal attention. When it comes to rolling in something interesting, she has the most enthusiastic wiggle and will kick her legs to and fro. She likes to walk herself by carrying her leash in her mouth and also does this to initiate a game of chase with her friends. She almost never needs to be recalled but is perfectly on point any time she does.

This happy girl is as loving and sweet as she is jolly. We've been hiking together for almost two years now, and we've developed an incredible trust in each other. Cocoa rarely requires a recall because her food motivation is so high. She is the least picky when it comes to treats, and she checks in the most frequently. Her butt wiggles, and giant grin at pick-up let me know that she's always down to adventure.

This spunky girl is as funny as she is cute. Silvie and I have been hiking together in a large group for almost two years. She has proven to be the most independent and prefers to go home as stinky as possible. She sets the standard when it comes to treats and does not hesitate to let me know when I've chosen incorrectly. Her favorite snacks are freeze-dried lamb lung, pill pockets of all flavors, and freeze-dried bison bits from Nutzy Mutz. She has the happiest little trot and knows just how to make me laugh every hike.

This handsome boy is as silly as he is adorable. His perfect little ears point closer together the more he concentrates, and he's as prey-driven as his bestie, Bo. He and I have been hiking together for about nine months, and he's made the most progress regarding recall. The first time we hiked together, I watched his mind get blown by all the nature, smells, and sounds around him. He would not acknowledge his name, and I worried he'd never go off-leash. Fast forward to today, and he always comes with a whistle. Because of his prey drive and relationship with Rainbow, he sticks to our small group, where he can get extra training and attention while thriving off-leash.

This striking Dobie is as docile as a daisy and sweet as honey. He joined the pack with perfect recall and enjoys any treat offered to him. Ares loves making new friends, and it's hard to tell which he prefers - dogs or people, because he wants to say hello to everyone! His energy is super playful, and he loves a good game of chase with anyone who will indulge him. I've been watching him learn parkour out on the trails, and he makes me laugh every day. His smile is as bright as his personality, and he's been an absolute treasure to have on the trails.

This joyous fellow is as playful as a puppy and wiggly as a worm. He is the most musical at pickup. His excited, flute-like singing all the way to our hiking spot lets me know that he is absolutely down for adventure. Being a bird-dog, he is extremely prey-driven and is constantly surveying the land for something to chase after, but he also frequently surveys for a treat and checks in when he sees one. As wild and playful as he is on the trails, he is also the first to crash in the van on the way home.

This girl will look directly into your soul and completely melt it. She is the most bashful of our group but has easily made friends with everybody. She wants you to believe that she's slow like the turtle but will prove you wrong on the trails when she joins a game of chase and moves quickly like the hare. She's a beautiful mixture of Falkor from The Neverending Story and Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, both in looks and in personality. Her recall is spot on, and she takes treats so gently and with the cutest little grunts.

This handsome lad is my regular Solo Sunrise guy, and he hikes with me three mornings a week. He's pretty selective in who he chooses to be his canine friends, so he likes to stick to one-on-one adventures. He loves to chase anything that moves and does not discriminate regarding leaves blowing in the wind. We've been working on focus, leash reactivity, recall, and endurance. He is one of the most distracted daisies and will try to stop and smell every single flower along our 2+ mile run. While I am his teacher, he has taught me patience, reminding me to slow down and enjoy all the beauty around me. Though he doesn't hike with a Pack, he is a member of my pack.

This adorable little fellow is as chatty as he is snuggly. He loves to sing along with me on the trails and will snuggle up next to me, making a nest between the seats in the van. After our first couple of hikes together, I thought he would be Mr. Independent and frequently venture off on his own. After joining the group, he quickly decided he wanted to be my sidekick, and he sticks with the group almost one hundred percent of the time. As one of our older gentlemen, he definitely loves treats more than he likes to play but is very nice about telling the others he's uninterested in their puppy energy.

This stunning young guy is truly as happy as he appears. Always ready to adventure, he is thrilled when he hears the dog van in his driveway and greets me with a big hug every time. With equal parts energy and respect, Frankie wants to play chase with anyone willing, but he always waits for his friends to initiate first. Just as quickly, he always backs off when told that playtime is not welcome, especially with his little big brother, Alto. Reminding me a lot of Petrie from The Land Before Time; he's a little bit weary but never passes up time with his favorite crew. His recall is fantastic, and though he doesn't wander far, he loves to please his Pack Leader. Watching him spread his wings with his new group has been a great joy.

This divine little diva is as playful as she is pretty. Still a puppy, she is undoubtedly among the most playful and has figured out quickly who will play with her, who can keep up with her, and who not to antagonize. She has given the other youngsters a run for their money in every game of 'catch me if you can,' it's been great to see how much she can learn in a short period. She loves getting covered in burs and still decides whether she likes having them gently combed out or if that weird comb is supposed to be a toy. The temporary hiker turned permanent, and we are so glad she decided to stay.

This joyous lad is as cool as a cucumber. He wants to be everyone's friend and has learned who likes to leisurely walk, who he can join in a game of chase, and who will bark at squirrels with him. He loves to stay in the middle of the pack, never straying out of eyesight and he has a wonderful recall, though it's rarely needed. Initially he was the most picky about treats, but he has since broadened his palette to almost anything I offer him. It's been so much fun watching him build relationships with each other member of the group.

This heart-melting little Frenchman is as nonchalant as he is adorable. On our first hike together, Linkin insisted I let him be a naked baby and frozen right in his tracks the moment I put a harness on him. Fast forward to hiking alongside his new pack, he forgot all about his distaste for wearables and ran around like he didn't even know he was wearing a harness. Super sleepy, he almost always immediately takes a nap after he launches himself into the front seat of the van at pick-up. His recall is as impeccable as his manners, as he always checks in and loves to play with everyone. Truly a smooshy-faced gem of a gentleman, we love having him.

This little lady is filled to the brim with spunk. What she lacks in size she makes up for with speed and personality. She is the first to get covered in burs and loves to vanish into the tickets where none of the bigs can follow. Her recall has progressed tenfold in just a short amount of time, and she'll come running from an acre away when she hears her name. We're working on taking treats nicely, sharing treats with friends, and using our inside voice when we meet someone new. She's giving Silvie competition when it comes to finding something smelly to roll in, but luckily, she hasn't made it a regular habit. We're so glad we could give her an outlet to burn off some of her endless energy daily.

This ambitious little hunter is masterfully skilled in her trade. She is the first to spot any moving creature in the woods and is even more likely than Mango to catch it (though thankfully she has not). She recalls brilliantly from acres away and loves a good game of chase through the trees. She is the most wiggly upon pick-up, clearly overjoyed to see me each week. She does really well with all of the other Pack members and is very tolerant of their shenanigans. She's down to play with the puppies, share treats with the older crew, stalk with her fellow hunters, and roll in the smelliest of things with the dirty kids. She fits in like a cookie in a bakery, and we love how sweet she truly is.

This beautiful charcoal babe is easily the most energetic of our crew. She never tires of running circles around all of us and is happy to initiate play with anyone and everyone, though she's easily intimidated by the little dogs. She used to hate her harness and was weary of butt scratches at first but has quickly warmed up to both and sits patiently at pick-up to be dressed and loved on. As wild as she is on the trails, on the other end of the scale, she is very calm and relaxed in the van. Respecting all the other dogs' space, she chooses a bed and happily curls up for the ride. We're so glad to be able to give her an outlet to get out all of her zoomies.

This handsome young man is the most wiggly wormy. He doesn't just wag his tail at pick-up, he wags his whole body. His favorite pastimes are zoomy zooms, rollie-pollieing around, and chewing on tree chunks. He loves running through the thickets and the thorns and never seems phased by the unruly rose bushes. If he's not zooming around, you can often find him rolling around on his back, kicking, thrashing, and joyously grunting about or chewing on a chunk of tree root in the grass. He loves to share and learned quickly and respectfully who don't. He's still learning to be patient at gate thresholds, but the other dogs are great teachers, showing him how to sit and wait for the go-ahead. We love that we get to watch him live his best life on the trails.

This red-headed lass is as quirky as she is feisty. She's sassy, she's independent, she's a lil awkward, and we love her! Being a hound, she has a unique vocalization, making it very obvious when she's onto something. Whether she's asking for space or narrowing in on an innocent critter, we all know who the bays are coming from. Often found in the caboose with Silvie, Hazey's bestie, these two are the queens of rolling in the less desirable, yelling at the youngsters, and frolicking only on their terms. I often think of them as the "too cool for school," kids telling everyone else they can't sit with them as they roll their eyes and scoff at anyone admiring them. Whenever I can't find Hazel, she turns up in a hole she's dug for herself to cool off in, looking like the cutest little baby deer. She absolutely loves getting picked up for her forest school adventures and gives me the excited tail wag every time she sees me come through the door.

This golden girl is sweet as honey and shy as a mouse. What she lacks in social confidence, she makes up for with her playful nature. In typical golden fashion, she gets along well with everyone, running with the youngsters, rolling around with Silvie, and rooting through the thickets with Hester. She loves collecting burrs and enjoys even more having them gently combed out of her luscious coat. She recalls perfectly from acres away and never says no to any kind of treat. Though she is bashful, she never hesitates to jump in with the rowdy kids and never shies away from getting a little dirty or a lot dirty. She's a total natural when it comes to Pack life, and we love watching her break out of her timid shell.