Great Dane forms wholesome bond with grandma he met while hiking. Now, they hike together every week

Hiking can be a very rejuvenating activity. Add a canine companion to the act and it just makes the adventure wholesome. It allows individuals to set aside their worries and take in the beauty of nature. Alyssa Berkovitz and her Great Dane, adorably named "Kernel," found their love for hiking recently when she came up with a program called Wagnificient Co. for walking dogs off their leash.

As reported by The Dodo, the duo ran into an older couple during one of their routine hikes. Berkowitz reflected on the encounter, saying, "I saw this old couple walking through the woods together and smiling at my Great Dane. Kernal does have a thing for old ladies." They continued to see the couple on their treks. Berkowitz decided to get to know the old lady once she learned that her husband had passed away. 

The next time they met, they exchanged contact information. Soon enough, the lady whom Berkowitz simply refers to as "Grandma" on her social media began joining them on their hikes at least once every week. Interestingly, Berkowitz was not too fond of trekking or exploring the outdoors until she adopted Kernel. The old lady takes pictures of Kernal as she used to be a professional photographer back in her days. 

She spoke about the dog's unique name, saying, "Kernel was also a figment of my imagination at the time — I had him all picked out, named and ready in my head for at least five years before I got him!" Berkowitz decided to take up hiking regularly because she knew that it would be good for her and her dog. She began to notice how her dog positively responded to their explorations, which made her think about offering other dogs the same experience. 

Berkowitz talked about her initial phase, saying, "A lot of dogs I initially worked with were trained and deserving of more freedom, or they weren't trained and it felt like an accident waiting to happen." She also mentioned how she completely committed to the idea in 2017 and how it's been very fulfilling since then. Off-leash hiking with a lot of dogs can be tricky, so Berkowitz only introduces one dog at a time to the group to ensure that they get along with each other, after which she trains them over time.

She shared how Kernel never missed a hike and always acted like every hike was the first in his life. Kernel also helped Berkowitz with keeping the other dogs in check if they were misbehaving. The old lady tried to attend as many hikes as she could but missed a few because of a back injury.

The group keeps changing to keep trails fresh and interesting for the dogs and the people involved. Having some experience training dogs, Berkowitz shares that it is ideal for pet parents to train their dogs for outdoor exploration from their homes. She also mentions how individuals can utilize body language to communicate better with their pets. Berkowitz's efforts show just how mentally relieving it can be for people and dogs to take a walk in nature.