Questions for those who hike with dog(s)

[Water Rat]

Glad to hear he is happier! That is definitely something.

Is his neck injury recent, or has it been bugging him for a while? I am definitely not a vet, but this does make me wonder if walking on the pavement is somehow jarring his neck. Outside of the hiking issue, does it seem like his daily activities are the same?

Before all this, did he mind walking on pavement? I had one dog who really preferred to walk off the pavement and would go to great lengths to avoid it whenever possible.

[Longfan]

Bear did not mind pavement at least not to the point he seems to now. This morning it got "worse?" as the heat increased and we got more miles under belt. He is running and doing what he did before.

The injury was found the day before he anad our other dog were to be boarded for our short vaction (we when to see a KC Royals game) so Bear got the mojority of his cold lazer treatments while at the vets for boarding. He wentin on thurs and I picked them up Monday. When I left them, he was moving slowing and carfully. When I picked them up he rsn to the car and then after a day off we went out for his final treatment on Wednesday and he was jumping up on me; something I do not allow with an invite, which he was not getting, but I was a happy "daddy" when he did it. I realized that he had not been doing it for months. He has been back to walking about two a months; so maybe I am just wanting him totally back to normal quicker than I should. Looking at something I have up on another forum;we have only lost about .5 mph from a year or so ago and he has been down due to injury, heat and a stupid I did to my car that put me on foot and bike to get to work that mmeant I did not want to walk him after getting home; so Bear may just be "out of shape"?!?!

[Water Rat]

Bear did not mind pavement at least not to the point he seems to now. This morning it got "worse?" as the heat increased and we got more miles under belt. He is running and doing what he did before.

The injury was found the day before he anad our other dog were to be boarded for our short vaction (we when to see a KC Royals game) so Bear got the mojority of his cold lazer treatments while at the vets for boarding. He wentin on thurs and I picked them up Monday. When I left them, he was moving slowing and carfully. When I picked them up he rsn to the car and then after a day off we went out for his final treatment on Wednesday and he was jumping up on me; something I do not allow with an invite, which he was not getting, but I was a happy "daddy" when he did it. I realized that he had not been doing it for months. He has been back to walking about two a months; so maybe I am just wanting him totally back to normal quicker than I should. Looking at something I have up on another forum;we have only lost about .5 mph from a year or so ago and he has been down due to injury, heat and a stupid I did to my car that put me on foot and bike to get to work that mmeant I did not want to walk him after getting home; so Bear may just be "out of shape"?!?!

It's quite possible Bear is not in the shape that he was when he was at his peak hiking speed... Sounds like he has had a rough road (sorry...pun intended) to recovery. If he doesn't seem to be experiencing and pain in his normal activities, then maybe he just learned some new mechanics of body movement during his recovery. People learn how to move their bodies differently (when they experience pain), so that they don't experience the pain. Maybe the heat of the pavement is too much, or maybe he has just learned that walking/running on the pavement hurts more? Hard to say from behind a computer screen.

If Bear was my dog...I would attempt the pavement on a cool day/night and see if there was any difference in his movement. Just to rule that out. If he continues the behavior when the pavement is cool, then maybe he just prefers life off the beaten path.

Here's hoping you and Bear have many adventures on the trail, as things cool off for the year! That might improve his hiking speed, too.

[Aquonehostel]

Aquone Hostel, we have built a dog bunkhouse so owners & DOGS can take a break together, tick and flea shampoo + dog food available, call ahead (2013) so we can have it ready for you. 828 321 2340 www.aquonehostel.com/at.html

[Longfan]

Aquone Hostel, we have built a dog bunkhouse so owners & DOGS can take a break together, tick and flea shampoo + dog food available, call ahead (2013) so we can have it ready for you. 828 321 2340 www.aquonehostel.com/at.html

GREAT!! to hear

[Longfan]

Aquonehostel

Is the flea and tick shampoo for the dogs or the hikers?












OR BOTH?

[Longfan]

Well Waterrat and anyone else who has been reading; I thnk I figured out the issue with Bear. Heat! Not as much the pavemant but the air temp. Over the last two mornings we have walked 12.75 miles, about half each day, at about 3 miles per hours which was our speed +/- before the neck issues popped up. I also think I may have been slower than I thought picking up soda/beer cans as we walked. He still likes the grass or cruched limestone better than the pavement. He is also more likely to stop mark in town than out one the country road we walked yesterday (5 or 6 times vs well I lost count! today) and he is somewhere inbetween on the trail back in the day. The last hike we took was short and around a lake so he was a bit less to NEED to mark!?!

[pheldozer]

i have a 50LB, 4.5 year old shepherd/lab/beagle/husky/something/something/something mix. he carries his own food/water/blanket in a mountainsmith dog pack, and can do a few days of 10 +/- miles no problem.

like others have said, the heat prevents me from bringing him sometimes, but once the weather gets cold, it's nice to have the dog furnace in the tent with me!

him and his pack

[Longfan]

Pheldozer

Good looking Puppy

[Gambit]

i HAVE A 72 PND LAB TERRIOR MIX, WARD CARRIES ALL HIS STUFF IN A WOLFPACK AND I DONT KNOW WHERE PEOPLE GET THE IDEA THAT THE DOG DICTATES THE TRIP. ITS MY TRIP AND HE GOES WITH ME SO WE COVER ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 15 MILES. WARDY LOVES IT AND NEVER SHOWS SIGNS OF BEING TIRED. HIS TRAIL EXPERIENCE IS COMING UP AT ABOUT 700 MILES

[Gambit]

i HAVE A 72 PND LAB TERRIOR MIX, WARD CARRIES ALL HIS STUFF IN A WOLFPACK AND I DONT KNOW WHERE PEOPLE GET THE IDEA THAT THE DOG DICTATES THE TRIP. ITS MY TRIP AND HE GOES WITH ME SO WE COVER ANYWHERE FROM 3 TO 15 MILES. WARDY LOVES IT AND NEVER SHOWS SIGNS OF BEING TIRED. HIS TRAIL EXPERIENCE IS COMING UP AT ABOUT 700 MILES

I Did 15 miles this weekend on Roan Mountain, (12 on Saturday) Wardy lead the pack the whole time. His pack weighed 15 pounds and it rained the whole time. We had a great trip, and both had smiles on our faces as we walked onto 19E

[matador]

i hike 10 t0 18 miles on average and take my dog with does probably 3 times as much running loose cause dont keep on a leash

[SteveJ]

Nice thread - I've been away for awhile.... my now 10-year old slightly overweight Siberian Husky is happy to go around the block on the neighborhood these days... When she was 3, she carried her pack, water, food, night-time leash, and pad (for sub-zero weather) on week-long trips. She was ready and willing to out-hike me - 15 - 18 mile days.... We did one trip in June in North Georgia, and I could tell the heat, tho only low-80's, was just too much for her - that was her last summer hike (altho we later did a Shining Rock Hike in August, but was higher and cooler...). She has about 400 miles of AT hiking....her last trip was about a year ago - she just can't handle the stress on the hips anymore....really good days....

[Thirsty DPD]

She has about 400 miles of AT hiking....her last trip was about a year ago - she just can't handle the stress on the hips anymore....really good days....

Phoebe looks like a great companion......."really good days" says it all, thanks.

[Longfan]

Yeah; there comes that point where the spirit is willing but the flesh is unable to back up the spirit!

I had a Lab mix that would walk with my wife and I 4 to 6 miles a day when she was a young thing; but by the time our son was around she could not make it to the park about two blocks away; ended the last time she went with her riding hime on my shoulder; city streetsare much easier than a trail!! Shall we say she went down hill for there! Put her down 7 or 8 years ago.

[Austin_Knott]

I have a 75lb. mastador (Mastiff/lab mix). Dooma holds up well on the trail and can do about 15 miles with a 12lb pack (I dictated my own hike, he could've gone another 15)He loves water and can't wait to thru hike with him.

[staehpj1]

I trail run with my dog in addition to hiking with her. She has been fine running as far as 19 miles at a clip and is a lot faster than I can manage. I don't see a healthy dog having any trouble with pace or mileage compared to most hikers. The one exception is that they do have more trouble dealing with heat. Mine does OK even when it is very hot as long as it is shady, she has plenty of water, and she is at least somewhat acclimated to the heat.

[staehpj1]

I should have also mentioned that, like people, dogs need to ease into strenuous activity if it is a new thing to them. They adjust a lot faster than humans though, in my experience. And of course like humans some are better athletes than others.

[Moose2001]

I have a 75lb. mastador (Mastiff/lab mix). Dooma holds up well on the trail and can do about 15 miles with a 12lb pack (I dictated my own hike, he could've gone another 15)He loves water and can't wait to thru hike with him.

Austin - I saw on another post that you're going SOBO in June. Are you aware you can not take your dogs into Baxter SP (Katahdin)? You'll need to make arrangements to pick up the dog after you summit Katahdin.

[Austin_Knott]

Yes I am aware of the 3 places (State Parks) where dogs are not permitted. Me and my best friend have money saved for everything needed. Thank you.