Dogs find the way

[tucker0104]

How can dogs always find their way on the trail. I have taken my dog hiking a lot of places and he always seems to know the right way to go.

[general]

they follow scent.

[Recuse]

As General said, they follow scent.

I find it highly impressive, however, when my dog veers on to a slight off shoot of a trail "for no reason". Before, I would correct him and have him follow the main trail, only to find that the slight off shoot would have led me AROUND the giant mud hole I now have to pick my way past. After about 10 instances of this, I just follow him.

[Panzer1]

it should be easy for a dog to stay on the trail, even in the dark. He's following the scent of the hikers.

Panzer

[Buffalo Skipper]

it should be easy for a dog to stay on the trail, even in the dark. He's following the scent of the hikers.

Panzer

I guess that is where I am not like the dog. If I could smell the hikers that long after they passed, I would move as far away from that trail as I could.

[tucker0104]

I figured it was scent. I just think it is amazing that their scent of smell is that great.

[Old Hillwalker]

Living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and having hiked extensively since 1954, I do a lot of off trail bushwhacking because I now find regular trails rather boring.

My Big Yellow Lab/Great Pyranees Mix typically lets me lead going to a remote mountaintop or pond destination, and pretty much always leads me back out following exactly the same route we took in. The first time he did this I was pretty amazed until I realized that he was using the scent trail we had left on the way in.

[CrumbSnatcher]

dogs easily follow the trail, but i remember everytime we came to a fork in the trail, my dog would look back at me and if i held up my left hand,she would go left and right hand she would go to the right. i sure miss her, hiking with a dog is alot of fun

[Tenderheart]

You know Bill Irwin, the blind hiker, said that he thought Orient could read the white blazes.

litefoot

[CrumbSnatcher]

You know Bill Irwin, the blind hiker, said that he thought Orient could read the white blazes.

litefoot

orient read the trail with his nose just like every other dog
my dog knew exactly where the trail was, the way we came from and the way we were headed! she was smart enough to turn around and check with me at a crossroads, to see if we were heading on or turning off to the shelter or blueblaze or watersource. she learned quick to not waste steps

[kayak karl]

Kaia follows the scent of hikers and dogs before. here she is leading the way at 6am.



i hiked with a dog through the smokies that got me through snow and dark. never lost its way.

[leaftye]

I find it highly impressive, however, when my dog veers on to a slight off shoot of a trail "for no reason". Before, I would correct him and have him follow the main trail, only to find that the slight off shoot would have led me AROUND the giant mud hole I now have to pick my way past. After about 10 instances of this, I just follow him.

Not cool at all.

[kayak karl]

Not cool at all.

?????????????????

[Nearly Normal]

?????????????????

.....You're suppose to tromp on through the mud hole not around it. Any where else and you damage the earth.
........and the dog should have been taught this before the hike.

[kayak karl]

.....You're suppose to tromp on through the mud hole not around it. Any where else and you damage the earth.
........and the dog should have been taught this before the hike.

LOL ok...............

[Jonnycat]

I hiked with a dog through
the smokies that got me through snow and dark. never lost its way.

My dog knows the word "trail", and when we are finishing up an off-trail excursion I can put him on mode where he actively seeks the trail for me. He also follows the trail when we are out showshoeing and I wouldn't otherwise be able to follow the route of the trail.

Sure, I do have the ability to use the map, but it's funner to just follow the dog.