Help! Thru hiking with dog and have questions!

[Towhee]

My pup is coming with me on my thru hike attempt. He is almost 2 years old and I've raised him to go on long hikes with me. He's used to his pack and boots now, and ready to go. The things I need to figure out before I leave though:

- How to normally go about resupplying dog food on a THRU HIKE
- Best tick prevention
- Any other meds that would be a good idea?

As I would appreciate any answers from any type of hikers, I would really like to target past THRU hikers who have finished with their dog. Thank you!

[saltysack]

Send polechar a pm as he thru hiked w his dog last year. Check out his youtube videos


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[canoe]

Advantix for ticks. Also put on a bandana treated with permethrin for the pooch

[Sarcasm the elf]

Advantix for ticks. Also put on a bandana treated with permethrin for the pooch

+1 on the advice above.


For town resupplies by far the easiest way is to have someone else stay outside with your dog while you go in and shop. I've always hiked with a partner so for me it was easy. If you are thru hiking then you will likely become friends with other hikers who would be willing to help with this.

There was another thread about dogs in town you may want to look through: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ur-dog-in-town

[Sierra2015]

What's the quality of the dog food along the hike?

[Hill Ape]

the better the store, the better the options. food for the dog is just as important as it is for you, calorie density to weight etc. for packing stick with dry, but its a nice treat to give the dog a can of wet food/meat at those stops. take care of the nails and pads. listen to what your dog is telling you. have a great time.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Assume you have read http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiki...king-with-dogs and http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?61 and as much else as possible, but figured I'd post it just in case.

[Sierra2015]

Yeah... I'm worried about the quality. I already feed her nutrient and calorie dense food and I'd hate to have to have her eat grain heavy McDoggle food like Pedigree or something.

[Starchild]

Yeah... I'm worried about the quality. I already feed her nutrient and calorie dense food and I'd hate to have to have her eat grain heavy McDoggle food like Pedigree or something.

IDK, but some of the resupply stops are gas station convenience stores and they might only have one brand, but really 2 choices, "Take it" or "Leave It". Your diet will change and adapt, and I would expect a dogs would also. But yes go too heavy in the carbs and not enough protein and wasting weightloss happens, something to watch out for and adjust en-route, but not something to fear - and IMHO not worth the effort trying to preplan it as many find it easier and better taking it one step, one day at a time and trust that the trail does indeed provide.

Good Luck

[squeezebox]

I'm guessing here.
Try to get the higher protein stuff. I'm thinking 21% vs. 15% . Puppy chow might be denser nutrition and calories.

Another question . Do you filter your dogs water ?
Another question . I assume dog waste also gets buried ?
Another question . What sort of leash do you use. Off leash is not an option. illegal, dangerous, and just plain stupid.

[Damn Yankee]

Pack what you can of what he eats at home and slowly start mixing in what you end up finding along the way and ensure that the new food is something easily found along the way. Filter the dogs water, boil it or treat it as if you were to drink it. You want to make sure everything you do is to prevent stomach problems for the dog along the way. Talk to your vet about dog nutrition for long hikes and ask about calorie rich food options or supplements for it. Also, Advantix is good and most last 30 days so, you will want to take enough(usually 6 tubes per pack) but, most importantly, check pads and nails often and have medicines for abrasions, cuts etc. and speak to your vet. Also, there are a lot of post concerning dog behavior at shelters and on the trail. Read them and be aware.

[lulualmudena]

Your dog's nutrition is the single most important thing you have to figure out before you hit the trail. Just like a human, if your dog isn't getting enough calories, he's going to "hit a wall" and not have enough energy to continue.

Most dog kibble/wet-only diets aren't great for backpacking trips based on the weight-space ratio/calorie benefit. Wet foods are particularly worrisome for quality and if you're changing brands, it may cause stomach problems --> diarrhea --> dehydration. You may want to keep in mind other types foods that your dog can eat (ie. human food) and figure out how much cup/lbs./calories you'll need to plan out for him.

You'll want to do some research - read some dog nutrition papers by vets. This one is pretty interesting read: http://www.vetmalta.com/dog_diet_complete.pdf

Dogs can have some high-calorie human foods that you may want to solely use or incorporate with his kibble, including peanut butter, olive oil, lentils, brown rice, etc. Like humans, my dog has a hard time eating when he's hiking. Heating up his food or adding hot water to the kibble and adding a nice smelling treat (ham/chicken bullion or jerky bits) always helps.

Pay attention to where your dog is drinking from as well, you need to ensure that he is a) getting enough water in him, especially on very cold and very hot days b) OK sources (or filter for him). And the tip about preparing your dog by mixing in the food with his regular food ahead of time is spot on.

Also, be careful about overloading his doggy pack! You want to trail to be fun for him too!

There was a previous post about hunters leaving poisoned coyote bait, someone suggested bringing along small bottles of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting just in case ... dunno how feasible that would be but it could be helpful to clean out scrapes/cuts.

Tick prevention - I've found that K9 Advantix II works best. Don't buy off of the cheapest place on the Internet - go reputable cuz it'll end up costing you more in the long run (ie. read the reviews on Amazon beforehand, if you buy off of there).

[trinzushi]

K9 Advantix II works the absolute best for my dogs. I tried frontline but these Jersey ticks have decided they don't care anymore and attach. The advantix works like a Charm for ticks and especially fleas. Watch out for those as your pooch will NOT be a happy pooch carrying around unwanted friends..

[redzombie]

Try Trifexis. It will prevent ticks, fleas, worms, giardia, and a few other things. Sorry Advantix is just a basic for fleas and ticks, your dog needs more protection on the AT. As food goes check out Native dog food. Sled dogs use lvl 4 and it has the highest protein and fat content. I would challenge someone to find a better dog food. Also look in turbo pup which will add protein and fat and calories (good kind) and provide a energy boost on the trail.

[lemon b]

People have different opinions toward dogs on the trail. This question I'd ask a Vet because I assume your going in for a check up before heading out. o bad dogs could not talk. If run into all in Ma. The both of you would be welcome for a break at home. It's the dog thru also. Obviously your the human knows him or her best.Sure you will spot check regular and he'll tell you where t look. Respect people in shelters. Baltimore Jack wrote a on his extensive knowledge with interaction with thru dogs. Might want o read his sharing on bringing the best friend.

[Boots and Backpacks]

Mail drop your dog food like we're going to do. We'll be using a Nutro puppy food that will be mixed with human food and olive oil. Puppy food and olive oil should give your dog everything it needs while hiking. We're just going to mix in human since we're already going to be carrying it. I've spend some time talking with Nutro figuring out what would be best for our dog. Also, make sure you carry a tick key.

[superman]

About the smallest dog food bag I found was about 4 or 5 lbs. I started the trail getting dog food mail drops but that was a mess. The post office sucks for resupply. The worst re-supply was when all they had was canned dog food. The good news is that it all works so long as you are paying attention to your dog. Like you, your dog can eat stuff it normally wouldn't be given. Winter and I used to sit side by side and share gorp or other snacks. It's important to wait at least a half hour before you give your dog it's evening meal. Let your dog relax after hiking all day. There used to be a plastic bag that had a pleated bottom that made an excellent water dish. Winter learned to stand and wait at each water source until I either filled her water bag or pointed to where she could drink. She learned that by repetition of me putting my hiking stick in front of her and saying "stay." There is so much repetition in hiking that you can train your dog to do anything.

[polechar]

Here is a video I did that answers many questions about hiking with you're pooch, I hope it helps, if I do it again I wouldn't change a thing. Happy hiking!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GzAp-jZhog

[superman]

Here is a video I did that answers many questions about hiking with you're pooch, I hope it helps, if I do it again I wouldn't change a thing. Happy hiking!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GzAp-jZhog

I enjoyed the video very much. Winter and I were always able to find a dog friendly hotel.

[64bluejeans]

Honest Kitchen...the dehydrated food. It is affordable. We have slowly switched over and it is working well. Dry kibble for a mid day snack. We have called a few of the outfitters, dog food is not a staple, dollar store dog food is not an option.