Hiking with a Husky and Chow Chow together

Hiking with a young Husky and a 9-year-old Chow Chow at the same time is genuinely tricky — you've got two very different dogs with two very different agendas. The essentials for any hiking dog are a well-fitted harness, a collapsible water bowl, and depending on the terrain, boots — paw protection on rocky or hot ground matters more than most people realise, and Chow Chows especially can struggle on rough surfaces as they age. Before I suggest anything specific, can you tell me what terrain you're usually on, how long your hikes tend to be, and how much the Husky is actually pulling — are we talking persistent leash pressure or full lunging?

That's a really common pattern with Huskies — they're bred to pull, so it's not defiance, it's just instinct. Constant pressure over a 2-3 hour hike is exhausting on your shoulder and your wrist. The Chow stopping is worth paying attention to at 9 — that breed can carry a lot of weight in their coat and they're prone to joint issues, so the stopping might be heat or discomfort rather than stubbornness. What harnesses are they currently in, if any?

A back-clip harness on a Husky is basically giving them a sled harness — it encourages the pulling rather than managing it. And a collar on a Chow Chow on rocky terrain for hours is asking for neck strain. The single most useful change you can make for the Husky is switching to a front-clip harness. My recommendation is the Ruffwear Front Range Harness. It clips at the chest as well as the back, so when the Husky pulls forward, the leash redirects them sideways rather than letting them power through. It's padded, secure, and built for long days out rather than casual walks. For the Chow, a padded harness will take pressure off her neck and give you something to physically support her on steep sections if she's struggling. The Front Range comes in sizes that will fit a Chow Chow well too, so you'd be buying the same harness twice — one in a larger size for her — which keeps things simple. I'd get the Husky sorted first since that's the more urgent handling issue.

Possibly, but I'd trial carefully. Chow Chows often hate boots initially and you can end up with a dog that flatly refuses to move at all — which isn't ideal when she's already stopping. If the rocky sections are fairly short and she's not visibly sore afterwards, the harness upgrade is more impactful right now. If she is showing signs of soreness on her pads or you notice her hesitating specifically on the rocky ground rather than on easier sections, then it's worth trying something like the Ruffwear Bark'n Boots Grip Trex — but start with the harness, get her used to that, and reassess.

Good call. Measure both dogs around the deepest part of their chest before you order — Ruffwear sizing is accurate but Chow Chows in particular can be deceiving because of the coat volume. The harness sits against the body, not the fur, so go by the actual chest measurement. And bring more water than you think you need for the Chow — older dogs in dense coats overheat faster than you'd expect on forest trails, especially in summer. Enjoy the hikes.