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Wildlife, plants, and water hazards
Wildlife: distance is everything
Dogs change wildlife encounters: animals that would ignore a quiet hiker may react to a dog. Keep your dog leashed and close when you meet wildlife - deer, coyotes, porcupines, snakes - and give everything wide space. The National Park Service's B.A.R.K. principles ("Keep your pet on a leash" is one) exist partly for this: it's safer for your dog, for wildlife, and for other visitors. In snake country, keep dogs out of tall grass and rock piles, and know the nearest emergency vet before the season starts.
Ticks: assume they're there
Tick season can stretch across much of the year. Stay on trail where you can, use the tick prevention your vet recommends, and do a full-body check after every hike: ears, between toes, under the collar, armpits, groin, and around the tail. Remove attached ticks promptly with tweezers or a tick tool, pulling straight out, and note the date in case symptoms appear later - your vet will ask.
Plants and fungi
You don't need a botany degree. Teach a solid "leave it," and keep dogs from grazing trailside plants, mushrooms and berries - identifying them in the field is unreliable, and some common species are dangerous. In the western US, watch for foxtails: barbed grass seeds that burrow into ears, noses, eyes and between toes, and can require vet removal. If your dog is sneezing violently, pawing at an ear, or licking a paw after grassy areas, suspect foxtails and call your vet.
Water: the algae rule
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in warm, still water and can be lethal to dogs. The AKC's prevention advice is simple: no swimming or drinking in water with visible scum, paint-like slicks, or a swampy smell - when in doubt, keep them out entirely. If your dog does contact a suspicious bloom, call your vet or a pet poison line right away and rinse their coat with clean water so they can't lick it; symptoms can appear fast.