Bringing dogs into nature

3/4/2026

When Kim Smith took her dogs on hiking trips in nature, she let them run off the leash. After several hikes, she noticed the activity changed their behavior. After a long hike, they seemed more content and better behaved.

“It really opened up my eyes about bringing dogs into nature,” she says.

Smith worked as a vet tech for a holistic veterinarian and started pet sitting. As the vet needed more dog walkers, Smith began taking the dogs on hikes with her own dogs.

Before long, she established her own dog training service, “Chasing the Wild.” She offers nature “pack” hikes with her dogs as a method to train the other dogs. 

Smith takes anywhere from 10 to 20 dogs on hikes in a private 15-acre prairie trail. She explains why dogs benefit from off-leash, pack work. 

“Dogs in suburban areas aren’t allowed to express themselves, such as rolling around in the dirt or water. When they’re in a neighborhood, dogs are supposed to behave and not react to nature,” she explains.

She says various dog breeds flourish in the outdoors. 

“Certain breeds have a purpose. Suburban dogs walking on a leash have no purpose and aren’t getting fulfilled,” she says.

Some dog owners experience problematic behavior, and it is her job to help a dog work through that. The dogs work together as a family unit. 

“I’m the leader they gravitate to, but I’m not dominating — I’m guiding,” she says, noting how many of the dogs are helpers. 

“Some are assistants, and they communicate to other dogs, ‘You’re not supposed to do that.’ The pack is great at supporting other dogs,” Smith says. 

Various breeds hike together, including Shih Tzu, golden doodles, Great Pyrenees and a French bulldog that wears warm clothes on cold hikes.

She says the dog owners are eager for their dogs to go on hikes. 

“My clients sing praises of how great it is. The entire dog’s life is spent hiking, exploring and having the best time of their life. Their biggest transformation is how their problem behavior decreases with time spent in nature,” she says.

Smith is “not a fan of doggy daycares” since they focus on the owner’s needs and not the dog’s needs. Instead, a coach is needed. 

“It’s not us communicating our language to the dog. Humans should understand their instinctual primal brain,” she says.

Each of her dogs has its own personality, and they are best friends with each other. Meadow, a pitbull, is her soul dog and pack trail guide. Yarrow, a huskie, is a sensitive, intuitive wild child. Persy is the steady, grounded energy dog, while Daisy is the joyful, comedic chaos gremlin. 

“At the end of a long hike, they crash and cuddle on the couch. Dogs are in our lives to support us, guide us and be present with them.”

She says the dogs bring her balance. 

“It keeps me going every day. I have a purpose, and they keep me active and grounded, living in the present moment. I can’t explain the feeling in nature,” she says. “It brings me a lot of joy.” ♦