Woof the pug in New Hampshire.Photo:Erin McMahon
Erin McMahon
One small step for man, one giant leap for pug-kind.
At least that’s what it feels like 10-year-old pug Woof has done, climbing the New Hampshire 48 — the four-dozen mountains in the state that top out at 4,000 ft. or more — with owner Erin McMahon.
Together on their weekends they have even climbed some 6,000-ft. mountains, and hiked up to 22 miles in a day.
“He just loves being with me,” says McMahon. “He gets a really nice lunch at the top and he’s all about lunch.” (Often on the menu: kibble with pumpkin, cheese or blueberries — “a little extra incentive for doing all that work,” McMahon says.)
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Not long ago McMahon adopted another hiking companion, a 3-year-old pug named Lemon, who has also taken to the trails. McMahon chronicles the group’s hikes and other outdoor adventures on Instagram @pugsonamountain.
Her favorite part of hiking with the dogs? Often, it’s the reactions of humans.
“People will say, ‘Oh my gosh. I’ve never seen a pug on a mountain,’ " McMahon says. “Or, ‘Oh, if he can do it, I can do it.’ At the bottom, people will be like, ‘A pug? How far is he going to make it?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, all the way.’ And if you’re local to New Hampshire and New England, I just say, ‘Oh, he’s done all the 48.’ And they’re like, ‘Respect.’ "
Though the pups sometimes do get a lift — especially Woof, if his toes are getting wet — “They’re really little billy goats,” McMahon says of the pups. “They just scamper up!”
source: people.com
