Hiking Dogs

[frieden]

Hello, Class of 2007! Just wanted to see everyone's thoughts on hiking dogs on the AT. I rescued a black lab over the holiday season and have been busy bonding and training with the him, preparing him for a future hike. If you have experience hiking with a dog over long distances I'd love to hear pointers. What does everyone here think of dogs on the trail? Thanks.

To answer your original question, I had a problem with Ed pulling me down and off the trail. He is very powerful, and could pull me off my feet. I tried a suggestion from the Monks of New Skete, and it worked like a charm. Start walking down the trail/sidewalk/whatever. As soon as the dog pulls, say "let's go", turn, and walk in the other direction. Don't wait for the dog to turn, just start walking. The dog will bolt ahead of you, and as soon as he pulls again, do it again. Do this everytime. It is very time consuming, but it works.

Avoid boots, if your dog isn't used to them. It removes their ability to grip with their paws.

Long distance hiking is just as psychological for your dog as it is for you - bring a ball/Frisbee/tug.

Be the spokesperson for blaze orange, and your dog can still get shot. Unlike most responsible gun owners who only shoot at what they can identify, hunters claim they don't have time for that, and shoot at whatever moves (they try to avoid humans, because of lawsuits). This is another reason Ed stays on lead.

Use cat food, instead of dog food. It is higher in nutrition, and lighter. Gradually start your dog on cat food about a month before going on the trail.

Many dogs will wear packs. Ed will not. Good luck with that.

For general tips, contact a K9 search and rescue group. I am still trying to get long-distance advice myself.

Good luck, and if you find any good advice, email me. See ya out there!

[frieden]

I understand your fear, Ridge, and many others. My big fear on the trail is stupid people, and my biggest fear is stupid people with dogs.

A couple of weeks ago at work, we had a scary encounter with another service dog. Ed has always been a non-barking dog. I couldn't even get him to bark during training. He also failed out of bite work training, because of his non-aggressive nature. That's ok. He's proven that he will protect me if I'm in danger, and since he is a service dog dealing with the public everyday, I don't want an aggressive dog anyway. We've seen this service dog come in before (yellow lab), and she seemed very old and docile. What I didn't know, and what her owner did, who has had her for 8 years, is that she is dog aggressive. We walked by to put some magazines away, and she lunged up barking, and tried to attack Ed. Luckily, her owner grabbed the leash in time (Ed's leash is attached to my waist). Poor Ed. He tried to run away, with his tail between his legs. He was confused and scared. A couple of weeks ago, the owner came up to the register where we were at, and asked if he could bring her by to get her over this. I can't control who walks by the register, and I thought he wanted her to get over this "new" problem by smelling the other dog, but not seeing him. We had a long line, and all the registers were busy. He got at the end of the line, met my eyes, and said "I'll wait here". Unless you are going to cut in line, I don't know where else you'd wait, I thought. Next thing I know, he is behind the counter, with his dog going nuts (barking and lunging) at us, only 2 feet away. Ed got up tail wagging, but soon realized that the dog didn't want to play, and Ed barked back to defend me. The idiot owner was just standing there saying "Look at her! She doesn't normally do this! I wonder why...." ?!!!!!? If his dog would have gotten lose, I would be in the hospital, as well as anyone who tried to help me. Ed would have been hurt, and his dog would be dead. The owner thought it was funny. My manager, who was at the next register did nothing to protect us, yelled at me, but has since been talked to by the general manager. The owner knew his dog was dog aggressive, and was extremely irresponsible about it. Can you imagine that scenario out on the trail, with his dog off lead?!? Hospital? Where?

Instead, it set us back months in training. It was such a shock that Ed is always on alert for danger. When the security people knock on the office door at work, he jumps up and barks to defend his office. When someone walks by on the sidewalk, he runs to the window and barks to defend his home. Getting him over this is going to take me months. If that guy comes in again, I'll beat him over the head with the first chair I find. Jerk.

We have many service dogs that come in there, and we've never had a problem with them. Luckily, that hasn't changed. Ed has seen other service dogs in the store since then, and he still ignores them.

My sister has professionally trained dogs for 20+ years, and I have met many handlers and dogs. If I see a dog running loose, yes, I'm worried. As soon as I see the owner say the command, and the dog is back at their side, I'm fine. I expect to see loose kuntry-dawgs on the trail, which is why we carry bear spray and hiking sticks.

[Ridge]

Let me know what the reaction of the unleashed dog's owner is when you spray the dog with "Bear Spray". Better be ready to use it on the owner and hope he's not toting a gun.

[Jack Tarlin]

Let's see.....barking, lunging, inability to deal with other dogs, creating noisy and frightening scenes where other dogs and other people are present.

Leave anything else out we should know in advance?

I know this is not what you want to hear, but on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being perfect and 10 being a menace, a dog like the one you just described rates around a 99 when it comes to suitability on the Trail.

I also note that your immediate response to your dog's problems is to blame other people and even threaten them with violence. This is typical behavior for most Trail-dog owners, by the way. If a problem exists, it's NEVER the dog or owner that's at fault......it's much easier to blame (or threaten) others.

Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure YOU are ready for the Trail either.

At the very least, be aware that dogs that lunge at other animals or worse, at people, or dogs that bark, are uncontrollable, etc. are decidedly unwelcome on the A.T. or any other Trail.

I sincerely wish you well with your dog's training, and I applaud the fact that you realize the importance of the dog's receiving that training before hitting the Trail.

That being said, you both have a long ways to go.

[the_iceman]

I lost my dog a year ago yesterday. An Irish Terrier, big enough to do the trip but small enough to share a tent with. I thought about thru-hiking with him and I did a lot of research. Here was what I concluded. I am sure that someone will argue every point. In the end, you need to put other hiker's comfort and the safety and the comfort of your dog before your need or desire for companionship on the trail.

The hike is usually much harder on dogs than people. You put on boots, but their feet and pads start to wear down.

MOST other hikers do not like to share shelters with dogs. Some are too polite to mention this to dog owners. I really like dogs but have not liked sharing a shelter with dogs in the past.

Dogs not on a leash get into trouble. If they encounter a bear and start trouble they have been known to run back to their owners with an angry bear close behind.

Dogs on a leash could get you or themselves hurt.

Who is the judge of well behaved?

I have seen a dog snag another hiker’s dinner. It was a tense moment. Fortunately the owner had enough extra food to make good on the loss but not without hard feelings.

In the end I had decided not to take my dog.

[roxy33x]

When taking a dog on a thru-hike, you have to consider what is best for your dog long term. If the trail is difficult and rough, it will be for your dog as well... that means the possiblilty of hypothermia, heat stoke(very likely), broken bones, bloody paws, ect. If you go the whole way, just as it will wear down your body, it will wear down your dogs. A big factor in this is the breed, so I would do some research. If they are hurt, they cant tell you whats wrong... its very dangerous. And dont forget the pains of shuttling them through the Smokies, the relative Urban areas of New England and hunting season...(my friend's dog got shot on the AT during a thru hike, and sometimes, ******** dont do it on accident) But, if you feel they can tough it out, it is an amazing bonding experience...

[corentin]

One other thing about hiking with a dog..it will draw every stray and unleashed dog within a mile radius straight to you. I walk a three mile route with my dog around my neighborhood every day and usually encounter at least 2 to 3 unleashed dogs who try to get into it with mine. I swear the next dog that comes up to us is going to get kicked in the head. I take back any positive thing I ever said about hiking with dogs.

[Ridge]

............ I take back any positive thing I ever said about hiking with dogs.

WELCOME to My Planet ....LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

[dreamhiker]

I was just hiking around the Green Leaf hut this weekend and there where three dogs at the hut with there owners the dogs where well behaved while there owners where around but at some point the two owners went into the hut at the same time and the dogs started to fight right in front of the door to the hut where some of us where sitting we ended up in the middle of a dog fight. The two owners ran out and broke up the fight. It ended with no one getting hurt but it could have gone very badly. latter I notice that one of the dogs hiking down the falling waters trail from the ridge, it is a step trail and it looked to be extremely hard on the dog the dog laid down at one point and didn't want to get back up. I love dogs but would never take my dog on a hike with me. the dog fight was over a bowl of water.
DreamHiker

[Ridge]

...... the dog fight was over a bowl of water...

That was my water.....LOL

[Catsgoing]

It is hard hiking with a dog. I hiked and camped with my two dogs Gerty is a Beagle/Australian mix. And Sophie is a Miniature Australian Sheppard.

1. The Ticks Attacked Them By The Hundreds. And I had special Tick Flea Guard on them from Revolution.

2. Then the Ticks got on me from them it was horrible.

3. When I was tired and wanted to rest it seemed they got an extra burst of energy. It was hard. I wanted to rest.

4. And keeping them on a leash was hard. I bought the kind that the strap goes around your waist and hooks to there leash.

I will camp with them but I will never hike.

My Beagle mix was always in Beagle mode sniffing everything and then wanting to go to the scent she picked up.

It would be great if we could let them loose my dogs come when I call them but then I have to stop and wait on them.

I felt safe with them at night. We came across two Bears and they didn't bark thank GOD......

Anyhow I won't hike with them again just to hard on this old lady.

[dreamhiker]

some other things to think about if your going to hike with a pet.
1. can you pack your pet out if they get hurt and cant walk it could be up to several miles to a vet. ( it will be your responsibility to do this)
2. Dogs always want to make there owners happy and may hike on with serious injury can you tell if this is going on.
3. do you have the ability to put your pet down if it comes to it do to a very serious injury (this will also be your responsibility)
4. do you have a good insurance policy in case your pet injures a hiker (the fault will always end up on the dog even if its due to the stupidity of the other hiker)
If you can't do even one of these things, for the sake of the dog you should not take them hiking even day hiking.

[Rain Man]

Actually, many dogs are trained on reliable, complete voice control - and I do mean complete. Can you image police or search dogs without voice control? Unless you are in the business, you don't normally see them. When they aren't working, they are at seminars, training, etc. Most of the working dogs I know train on private property in groups. The dogs we see out on the trail and in dog parks do not have professional dog trainer owners, and therefore do not have professionally trained dogs. ...

Then why the hell are you even mentioning dogs that we'll never see on the trail, since the topic is dogs on the trail? Having trouble connecting the dots, are you? This kinda logic reminds me of too many dog owners. Can't follow a train of thought. Please stick to the topic and don't use totally irrelevant examples, then blame others for being "ignorant."

RainMan

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[Ramble~On]

This question has already been asked and there are already several similar threads...as the original post is directed at the Class of 2007 I will keep my mouth shut for once.

[frieden]

Let's see.....barking, lunging, inability to deal with other dogs, creating noisy and frightening scenes where other dogs and other people are present.

Leave anything else out we should know in advance?

I know this is not what you want to hear, but on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being perfect and 10 being a menace, a dog like the one you just described rates around a 99 when it comes to suitability on the Trail.

I also note that your immediate response to your dog's problems is to blame other people and even threaten them with violence. This is typical behavior for most Trail-dog owners, by the way. If a problem exists, it's NEVER the dog or owner that's at fault......it's much easier to blame (or threaten) others.

Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure YOU are ready for the Trail either.

At the very least, be aware that dogs that lunge at other animals or worse, at people, or dogs that bark, are uncontrollable, etc. are decidedly unwelcome on the A.T. or any other Trail.

I sincerely wish you well with your dog's training, and I applaud the fact that you realize the importance of the dog's receiving that training before hitting the Trail.

That being said, you both have a long ways to go.

Jack, who are you talking about?

[frieden]

Let's see.....barking, lunging, inability to deal with other dogs, creating noisy and frightening scenes where other dogs and other people are present.

Leave anything else out we should know in advance?

I know this is not what you want to hear, but on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being perfect and 10 being a menace, a dog like the one you just described rates around a 99 when it comes to suitability on the Trail.

I also note that your immediate response to your dog's problems is to blame other people and even threaten them with violence. This is typical behavior for most Trail-dog owners, by the way. If a problem exists, it's NEVER the dog or owner that's at fault......it's much easier to blame (or threaten) others.

Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure YOU are ready for the Trail either.

At the very least, be aware that dogs that lunge at other animals or worse, at people, or dogs that bark, are uncontrollable, etc. are decidedly unwelcome on the A.T. or any other Trail.

I sincerely wish you well with your dog's training, and I applaud the fact that you realize the importance of the dog's receiving that training before hitting the Trail.

That being said, you both have a long ways to go.

Jack, the "barking, lunging, inability to deal with other dogs, creating noisy and frightening scenes where other dogs and other people are present" was what the OTHER service dog was doing!!! Geez. I seriously doubt I will be hiking with someone else's dog! Ed works with the public EVERY DAY.

[Uncle Silly]

Let me know what the reaction of the unleashed dog's owner is when you spray the dog with "Bear Spray". Better be ready to use it on the owner and hope he's not toting a gun.

Comments like that make me wish I carried a gun.

But don't worry. If you ever approach my dog with "Bear Spray", for any reason, I won't need one. The first rock or branch I lay my hand on will split your skull well enough.

[Uncle Silly]

... We didn't run into many, if any, who didn't like our dog being on the trail.

I hear such self-serving, self-laudatory general proclamations from dog owners all the time and they strike me as incredibly lame.

That's because none of you trail-dog-haters have the guts to tell us trail-dog-owners that you can't stand our dogs. Step out from behind the screen and open your mouth when you see me on the trail. If I'd gotten any complaints about my dog while on the trail, I'd be man enough to tell you here. It didn't happen.

Did you have some independent research group do anonymous polls after you passed through? How do you know what goes on in anyone's mind? You a mind-reader?

It sounds like the anal probe didn't get removed on this one. How are we to know you don't like our dogs if you don't f---ing tell us?

Do you really expect us to believe hikers are going to say to your face "I don't like your dog" or "I don't like something your dog did"?!

YES, g-d-mm-t. I got compliments when my dog was observed to have noticed, and left alone, some food that a hiker had left out on his bedroll. I got reports when she poked her nose into something she shouldn't have. My dog was INVITED BACK to Rusty's, by Rusty, and he doesn't like dogs.

Hikers form a community out on the trail, and the dogs are part of the community -- so if there's a problem, the community will let the responsible party (read: dog owner) know about it. It's a lot like raising kids in a town of 200 people. Everyone knows they're your kids, tells you when they're troublesome, and helps you look after them.

My dog hangs out in shelters, chases deer, chases rabbits, sometimes stays on the leash and sometimes is allowed to run as she pleases. Her food stays on the ground overnight and keeps the shelter mice out of your pack. Most people seem very pleased to have her around (moreso than they are about me). If you have a problem with my dog staying in the shelter, say so. I'll definitely move if you're there first, and I'm very likely to pitch my tarp if you ask politely (no matter when you got there). But if you're an a--h-l- about it, and I was there first, you better shut your mouth or go pitch your d--m-d tent. As impolite as I might seem pointing this out, the shelters are for all hikers on a first-come-first-served basis. Even me with my dog.

When they make dogs-in-the-shelter a fineable offense, THEN you can b-t-h at me.

[Ridge]

........My dog hangs out in shelters, chases deer, chases rabbits, sometimes stays on the leash and sometimes is allowed to run as she pleases.......

You could be the official poster child for the typical dog-hiker, because about 9 out 10 I've met on any trail has your attitude, I do question just how much time your dog stays on the leash, and nothing was said about her barking.

[SGT Rock]

Comments like that make me wish I carried a gun.

But don't worry. If you ever approach my dog with "Bear Spray", for any reason, I won't need one. The first rock or branch I lay my hand on will split your skull well enough.

Calm down there, threats of violence against other people on this forum is one of the no-nos.

Getting close there.