Dog or no dog?!?!

[jcruite]

I have been trying to make this very difficult decision of whether or not to bring a dog with me on my thru-hike. She's my housemate's dog... I take care of her during half the week, she sleeps in my bed, I buy her food and treats sometimes... she's my girl, you know. ANYWAY... She has a pack, so she can carry her own weight. She's fit and badass. I don't know if I want the added stress and responsibility. What if she gets too cold or hurts herself...

PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE YOU HAVE! :-)

[ChinMusic]

I love taking my dog on short trips (weekend variety, or dayhikes) but I would NOT take him on a thru-hike. The logistics of caring for an animal on a thru needs to be thought out. You will have a harder time getting a hitch. You will have a harder time with regards to hotels, hostels, restaurants, grocery stores, etc, etc. Socially you will always have to be on alert for other hikers who happen not to loveanimals. Your own social interactions can not help but be diminished.

IMO, as much as I love my dog, he would do fine ON the trail but would be too difficult to care for OFF the trail. That said, I would plan to have him with me for short segments when my wife could drop him off and pick him up later.

[Appalachian Tater]

Leave her at home if you truly care about her. If she loves you, she will be waiting for you when you return.

[Gaiter]

i'll second chinmusic, and you don't sound sure about the responsibility/extra work...

I do support well trained dogs being on the trail, but not for long times w/ only rare exceptions. I wouldn't take my dog out for longer than a month ever again, my last section, i expected to only be out 3-4 wks, but i didn't take her because i knew i could be out longer, and i was. but every friendly dog i came across got an excellent doggie massage (i missed giving those to my girl)

read through the dog section, there is alot of good info about dog's on the trail, if you aren't 100% sure you want to take and can handle the responsibility of the dog, then don't.

[Erin]

I don't think you can take a dog thru the Smokey Mountain National Park, so you will have to deal with kenneling her and picking her up. The thru hikers can advise you on this. We did see thru's with dogs and they did get those little footies for their feet. All the dogs were friendly, but very lean after over 200 miles when I saw them in late March. As a dog owner I would think this would be really hard on antything but a young dog, but again, I defer to the ones that have done a thru with a dog. I have hiked sections with a dog, she was a perfect hiking dog. A total mutt. Obedient, good natured, great stamina and healthy. But you still need to be careful and make sure dogie stays out of other people's sites and space. I would definitely give it a go with the right dog.

[Lone Wolf]

leave her home. but if you bring her, you carry all her stuff. no pack for the dog

[minnesotasmith]

1) You will make your hike harder and less pleasant.

2) You will likely send your dog home before Erwin, even before the Smokies, as dogs mostly don't physically hold out for 4-digits of LD hiking straight.

3) You run a real chance of losing your dog from it running off when loose.

4) Your hike will be more expensive, from having to skip virtually all the hostels in favor of the few motels that allow dogs, pet deposits at them, boarding and shuttles for dogs around Smokies and Baxter, possible vet bills as your dog's feet, etc., get beaten up (or he finds a skunk or porcupine), not being able to use Greyhound to get back home after your hike, and possibly reimbursing other hikers for their food or gear he damages (not a rare occurrence at all).

5) As you cannot generally legally bring a dog in the Smokies or Baxter (unless you are blind & it's a seeing-eye dog, or unless you repeatedly lie your tail off to LEOs and claim it's a "therapy" dog), your dog can't thruhike anyway, just section most of the way with you at best.

6) There WILL be weather in which your dog is miserable, worse off than you (who can freely add or subtract clothing at will). Cold weather if thin-coated, hot weather if thick-coated. A thruhike normally includes at least one season a given dog is not suited to hike in and live in in a trail environment.

7) You will miss much of the social part of the Trail by not being able to go to the bulk of hostels and trail shelters (if you go to latter, you won't be arrested or thrown out, but you WILL be regarded as an @**hole who will be hated by many strangers).

8) You will likely be considerably less LNT, with dog chasing/barking at wildlife and other dogs, him getting in water sources, his likely digging, etc. Some people don't care about this (being as LNT as possible); I hope you do.

The dog will be safe and happy at home, and will be there to see you when you get back.

[Blue Jay]

leave her home. but if you bring her, you carry all her stuff. no pack for the dog

Exactly, imagine if someone dropped a pack on you that you could not adjust or even take it off when it started to hurt you. I always try to explain that gently to the dog person and actually sometimes they get it, IF they care about the dog. Most do not.

[Jaybird]

I have been trying to make this very difficult decision of whether or not to bring a dog with me on my thru-hike. She's my housemate's dog... I take care of her during half the week, she sleeps in my bed, I buy her food and treats sometimes... she's my girl, you know. ANYWAY... She has a pack, so she can carry her own weight. She's fit and badass. I don't know if I want the added stress and responsibility. What if she gets too cold or hurts herself...PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE YOU HAVE! :-)

NO DOG!

[Blue Jay]

I didn't notice before, but I think this was a troll question.

[Tin Man]

Check out the dog forum for many tips...

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=439

...then leave the dog home.

[Frau]

I take a great, high energy trail dog with me on day hikes and truck camping weekends. I can't imagine even (long) section hiking with him, though. He (and his breed in general) drinks much more than the 'normal' dog. He doubles his food intake when hiking because he at least trebles my miles. I have trouble keeping weight on him in the summer when we take daily 5-10 miles hikes.

There is no way I can carry enough food and water for him. Think about the dog's welfare. I know how you feel, though. I am MUCH happier when he is along.

Frau

[Machine]

It sounds like you haven't done much backpacking with your dog. I'd leave her at home as you are unsure about the extra responsibility.

I did a thru hike with a friend and her two dogs and we had a great time.

[pittmad]

I'm starting off my hike with my dog but she spends almost every weekend and at least one day during the week on a trail and is incredibly well behaved. I don't anticipate finishing with her and the second I see her starting to become uncomfortable or have any health issues, she's going home to lounge on the couch until I get back. She's by my side all day every day, so I couldn't imagine at least starting with her.

And I'll be carrying all her food and water.

If you bring a dog out there, please make sure they have an excellent recoil when called.

[Deadeye]

leave the dog at home... please

[FishBone]

see www.trailjournals.com / "doggiebag" for his account of caring for his dog that got bitten by a rattlesnake in Pennsylvania. Aldo survived but took a lot of care and concern by Max, aka doggiebag.

My $0.02: leave the dog at home.

[superman]

I have been trying to make this very difficult decision of whether or not to bring a dog with me on my thru-hike. She's my housemate's dog... I take care of her during half the week, she sleeps in my bed, I buy her food and treats sometimes... she's my girl, you know. ANYWAY... She has a pack, so she can carry her own weight. She's fit and badass. I don't know if I want the added stress and responsibility. What if she gets too cold or hurts herself...

PLEASE GIVE ME ANY ADVICE YOU HAVE! :-)

You need a ton more information than you're going to get from this thread. Taking a dog on a thru hike can be great or a nightmare. The key to success is a hell of a lot of preperation. A pre-hike would be desirable. If the dog isn't trained for the trail and completely socialized to all people and critters don't take it.

[wrongway_08]

I want to bring my boy along also but he is young and still learning trail manners. I do plan to get him for 2 weeks in the middle, maybe this is something that might work for you also?

This way your girl gets to tag along and enjoy some of the trail with you.

[Grampie]

Well if you are serious about doing a thru-hike consider the following: Only about 20% of those who start finish. If you take a dog I would estimate it drops another 10%. You have a much better chance of finishing, without a dog.

[AT-HITMAN2005]

NO DOG!

double ditto