Geocaching: Treasure Hunt with Your Dog
Posted by Dan Hinds on 16th June 2016
In the current day and age, there are more new opportunities to flex
your creative muscle and come up with new programs, events, games and
distractions than ever before. One of these was the invention of
Geocaching, a great opportunity to get out into nature and exercise your dog and do some exploring!
But what is Geocaching? According to Geocaching.com, it’s an anytime
activity that resembles a nature treasure hunt. What’s not to love
about a nature hike with a prize waiting for at the end?
Sound like a fun new activity? It’s incredibly simple to get
started: create a free Geocaching account via computer or phone, search
and find a Geocache location near you, lace up the shoes, grab Fido and
his leash, get out of the house and go find that sucker! Geocaches come
in all different shapes, sizes and locations, letting you set your own
pace for adventure. This is a perfect activity for families and their
dogs to get out and have some good old fashioned fun in a high tech
world.
Getting Started
The best part about geocaching is that the barrier to entry is
incredibly low. It doesn’t take a rugged mountain man in order to truly
enjoy the experiences that Geocaching can offer. Some are hidden in
valleys, atop mountain ranges and secret away in dark caves, but for the
most part, the majority of geocaches are actually located urban areas.
This is a huge perk for those interested in becoming part of the
geocache community but live in cities. This is an excellent example of
taking things to the level where you feel most comfortable with and then
exceeding it from there.
Wherever the search takes you, eventually you’ll find your
prize. Now that you’ve completed the quest, it’s time to reap the
rewards! Feel free to take something from the container but if you do,
make sure to replace it with something of equal value for the next
adventurer. There are a couple guidelines to follow here: don’t include
any drugs, alcohol, firearms, ammunition or foods. Please respect
local legal rules and don’t jeopardize the opportunity of the geocache
by stuffing it with food! Animals have better noses that we do. Please
note that if the geocache is lost or damaged, there is a support system
where you can contact the geocache network administrator, who will then
replace it.
Once you’ve successfully completed a number of geocaches, feel free
to take it a step further by creating our own! There are only a couple
of steps needed to take to do this, which include entering a submission
to the network administrators who will then validate our cache and set
it live for the rest of the community.
The Benefits of Geocaching
This is an incredible opportunity for mental and physical exercise
with our pets. Geocaching provides an exciting activity to help
motivate you to get out of the house and explore nearby towns, cities
and woods. Walking, running, hiking and backpacking are all excellent
opportunities to keep yourself and dog fit while exploring the great
outdoors. There are few things that can be more rewarding than spending
time with your canine companion by getting out and exercising.
These activities help dogs stay active, fit and healthy, shedding
those pounds that they can accumulate easily in the winter or if they’ve
been lazy around the house. These are relative to the level of
difficulty that you want to set for yourself and your dog. It is
important to not overreach yourself or exhaust your dog; the amount of
benefit gained from intense physical activity is never worth burning out
or possibly placing yourself in a situation where someone could get
hurt. The normal precautions for any outdoor activity apply here:
prepare accordingly, make sure to have all the necessary supplies but
don’t over pack, be sure to have a method of contacting someone in case
of emergency, let others know where you are going and be sure that you
possess the skills necessary to be victorious in our quest.
Hopefully this article has inspired you to get out there with your
dog and to try something new! We like to think that Geocaching is an
excellent activity and recommend that you give it a shot. Besides, who
knows what kind of sweet treasure is hidden out there?
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