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2009ThruHiker
08-21-2006, 13:38
A previous post concerning whether a dog is "right" for the trail has led me to ponder the overall health conditions of a dog during a thru-hike. If you have answers or experience with thru-hiking with a dog, please post to the following questions:
1) Will a dog build feet pads and muscles much like a human hiker and consequently be able to hike more miles after he/she gets the "trail legs?"
2) Are consecutive 20-25 mile days (building up to these days of course) realistic for a dog to complete without tearing his/her feet to shreds?
3)How will a dog be affected by the end result of a hike for most: A meager 2-3 mile walk the rest of his/her days, living the rest of time out in a house?
4) How do you know when your dog has had enough for one day? What are signs of the dog's limits???

Thanks for your input...I'm seriously considering bringing our dog along on our hike and I'm striving for as much information as I can get before making the decision.

general
08-21-2006, 18:24
A previous post concerning whether a dog is "right" for the trail has led me to ponder the overall health conditions of a dog during a thru-hike. If you have answers or experience with thru-hiking with a dog, please post to the following questions:
1) Will a dog build feet pads and muscles much like a human hiker and consequently be able to hike more miles after he/she gets the "trail legs?"
2) Are consecutive 20-25 mile days (building up to these days of course) realistic for a dog to complete without tearing his/her feet to shreds?
3)How will a dog be affected by the end result of a hike for most: A meager 2-3 mile walk the rest of his/her days, living the rest of time out in a house?
4) How do you know when your dog has had enough for one day? What are signs of the dog's limits???

Thanks for your input...I'm seriously considering bringing our dog along on our hike and I'm striving for as much information as I can get before making the decision.
1) dogs definantly bulk up and their pads will thicken over time. spend some time playing fetch or something on gravel or asphalt before your hike.
2) my dog can go longer than i can, no matter how many miles.
3) my dog developed some after the trail eating habits that were not exactly desireable. he consequently got fat after our hike. he kind of looked like he swallowed a watermellon until i put him on diet dog food for a while.
4) if your dog lays down and refuses to go any further, he/she has had enough. find a place to camp, and let the dog rest until they are ready to continue.

SGT Rock
08-21-2006, 18:42
With my dog, she was a bundle of energy, but at 10 miles she was ready to quit every day and she didn't like having naps inturrpted. This is a dog that could run 4 miles with me, would wear me out at playing catch, chase, and tug-o-war, and could jump a 4' fence from a standing position. A dog's home energy is not going to be a good indication of their stamina on the trail. Especially day after day of working out.

Note too that this was also sans pack after I stopped making her wear it. If you put a pack on a dog expect even more fatigue on the body. This meant I needed to carry extra bedding, lots of extra food (2 pounds of food a day for her too) extra water, and extra equipment like special first aid and kitchenware. I can hack the weight, so it wasn't the main issue, but it is an issue on what sort of gear you need to pack yourself.

The average dog sleeps a lot during the day - they don't like to walk all day. They need recovery time different than a human.

Could she build up? Probably. But she didn't seem to want to.

Is it right to make your dog do something that is that challenging when they have no desire to do it? I decided it wasn't. It would be like forcing my kids or wife to be a backpacker to satisfy my need for her company.

I finally realized she liked being with me, she loved the outdoors and playing, but long distance hiking was not her thing and not what she wanted from life. I stopped making her do that. We still love each other. Good dog old :D

frieden
08-22-2006, 09:31
A previous post concerning whether a dog is "right" for the trail has led me to ponder the overall health conditions of a dog during a thru-hike. If you have answers or experience with thru-hiking with a dog, please post to the following questions:
1) Will a dog build feet pads and muscles much like a human hiker and consequently be able to hike more miles after he/she gets the "trail legs?"
2) Are consecutive 20-25 mile days (building up to these days of course) realistic for a dog to complete without tearing his/her feet to shreds?
3)How will a dog be affected by the end result of a hike for most: A meager 2-3 mile walk the rest of his/her days, living the rest of time out in a house?
4) How do you know when your dog has had enough for one day? What are signs of the dog's limits???

Thanks for your input...I'm seriously considering bringing our dog along on our hike and I'm striving for as much information as I can get before making the decision.

I have never done consistent (day after day) long distance hiking with Ed, even though we've done 20+ miles in a day. I think the answers to your questions depends on the dog. That may not sound helpful. Ed will quit when he's bored. We have worked all day, and he was dragging behind me like he was on his last legs. As soon as he realizes we are going outside, he's a bundle of energy. We have worked, and then gone out on a hike. He loves to hike so much, I don't think there is an end to him. I can tell when he's getting tired, though, even though he wants to go on. When you spend every moment with someone, you just know how they are feeling. However, he used to feel that way about work. Would he get bored after months on the trail? That's the question I'm facing.

We have a goal: the big K. The dogs don't. For Ed, I think that mixing it up, and some off, play days are going to be important. We are going to try the tough pad stuff, too (that supposedly toughens the dog's pads up a bit).

I also wanted to add that because I can't get Ed to understand about getting to Katahdin (my goal), I would change my goal to match his (having fun). If we don't finish, that's ok. I'm not up for day-after-day misery, either (I don't mean the normal hiking "misery" of constant rain, etc). I've wanted to hike the mountains in W. Ireland, ever since I saw 'em, and we've never hiked around Europe. I hear Germany is really dog friendly, and I wanted to see first-hand their famous environmental strategies. In other words, I'm not stressed about having to "send Ed home" during the hike. I don't think there is any way to tell if your dog would make it the entire way, until your dog made it the entire way. Do everything you can to ensure success, plan for the worst, and have fun riding the waves. That's just my .02

Mountain Dog
08-24-2006, 13:33
Dogs can be exercised and as a result be able to go longer and faster. However, some people and some dogs will never be great athletes. I have a 10 year old Border Collie that coves 3 miles to my one. She's like the bunny rabbit, she keeps going and going and going. Conversely, I have a 4 year old German Shepherd. He never leaves my side and a 10 mile day just about kills him. I could never exercise him enough to do consistent 15 mile days.
Know your dog well before taking it out for a long hike. Dogs do not know where you will find water. They do not drink up at holes as people do when the next water is a long ways off. I watch my dogs closely and adjust time at water crossings acordingly. I make sure they are not panting and do drink water before I head off to a distant water hole. My shepherd will actually drink on command. The border collie is hard headed.

As an aside, my wife likes me to take the GS when I am to hike solo. She knows I care more for him than for myself and I will be more careful about my pace and eating habits.

LuTotten
08-25-2006, 09:36
Best advice I can give you is take your dog out for a couple of test runs. Start out with a night trip and build up to about a week, Just watch for signs of fatigue. Every dog is different, I have one who is like the energizer bunny and one who will go 4 miles and lay down and look at you sayin I quit. The eyes are ussualy a good indicator with my dog, also watch the pace of the dog when it starts to slow down that ussualy means its getting tired, sometimes a long lunch break for you and nap for the dog is enough to get a few extra miles in comfortably. Another suggestion is in invest in a pair of dog boots, keep them with you and put them on the dog in rough/rocky sections a torn pad will have the dog needing a few days off wether you planned it or not. Take the dog out, give it a try and use some common sense and the right answer will find you.

Tamarack
09-17-2006, 04:59
I have a pair of dog booties. Living north of the border you kinda have to or the rock salt gets in between the toes and hurts, Ice balls build up too on the hairs between the toes too. My dog is soo funny every year the first time I put them on her (for more than 2" of snow) she walks around the house, lifting her paws high in the air trying to get them off, and then tries to flick them off like a cat with wet paws. LOL but then she catches on, gotta get the booties on then we can go out. But since my dog can spell O-U-T. I have to use code if I've lost her B-o-o-t-i-e-s and find them in the house so that I can take her t-u-o. soon i'm going to run out of ideas. Has anyone else had the problem with the bootie flipping over? Her booties are petsmart things leather on one side, thin fleece with nylon on the other side. after about 20 min she usually has them flipped over so that she's walking on the nylon instead of the leather. And if she goes running in deep snow she'll loose a bootie in the snow. I can usually find it, that day or in the spring.

the goat
09-17-2006, 10:20
1) Will a dog build feet pads and muscles much like a human hiker and consequently be able to hike more miles after he/she gets the "trail legs?"
2) Are consecutive 20-25 mile days (building up to these days of course) realistic for a dog to complete without tearing his/her feet to shreds?
3)How will a dog be affected by the end result of a hike for most: A meager 2-3 mile walk the rest of his/her days, living the rest of time out in a house?
4) How do you know when your dog has had enough for one day? What are signs of the dog's limits???


1.) yes, depending on dog's age/build/breed they will condition much like a person and be able to increase milage.
2.) yes, even through maine & NH my dog's pads never bled and were never sensitive to my inspecting them.
3.) my dog is 9 now and still in peak physical shape for a dog of that age
4.) when you stop for some gorp and he/she falls asleep

it's definitely a big decision to take a dog on a thru, as it affects your hike in many, many ways (sometimes unforseen). it can alot of fun, and also a pain in the ass at times. one thing is certain: it does take a special dog to be able to do it, both physically and mentally. happy trails!

Rouen
09-18-2006, 01:32
2.) yes, even through maine & NH my dog's pads never bled and were never sensitive to my inspecting them..
if you are going to hike with your dog get it use to you ispecting it all over, for parasites and sores, the dog should have no problem letting you check it's feet.

4.) when you stop for some gorp and he/she falls asleep.
if the dog is in shape it should be ready to go after a half hour to and hour nap.. atleast thats the way my dog is

skyhiker2
12-19-2006, 17:15
I was struggling with the same decision. My dog is a pitbull (sweet as pie of course) but tough as nails. I'am sure she could make it. However after much research it is probally best that she stay home. for the simple fact of when it pours for a week straight.. It will be the most compromising position I think I could possibly be in. I will also be sleeping in a hammock to maximize comfort. It would be impossible for her to sleep in the hammock with me.. Although she does sleep in the hammock on my porch with me this one is ultra-light and not possible for a few reasons. and what if she is wet? how does she get and keep warm at night. She could not jump in my bag with me wet.!! Nor could she simply take off the rain gear and wet clothes then get in a bag.. Then not to metion town stops and all that other hassle... All of that said there is one major reason why I don't think it would be a good Idea... Here's why: I'am a really nice guy and would give the shirt off my back to a stranger if they truely needed it. But while day hiking on the AT in PA.. some old timer snapped on me at a shelter when I was walking in a told me I had to put my dog on a leash.. And he said it so rudely!!!!! Seeing how my dog is so well trained she could be in the circuse and was no more than 3 feet away from me. I told this guy to f### off and if he had a problem with it I would put a leash on him.. The point is that I could see my "scum-bag Northeast Philadelphia self" having to beat someones face in because they stepped out of the box and rudely insulted me simply because I had my dog with me. Not to metion should I decide; I will be sleeping on the floor in a shelter with my dog one night and someone would like to suggest that the dog should not be sleeping there I would not be able to hold back.... leaving the dog at home just makes to much sense.. This will be the first hike I have ever done without her in the past six years...

good luck...

smokymtnsteve
12-20-2006, 20:59
at least 50 miles a day...our dogs run over 50 miles in 8 hours

Almost There
12-20-2006, 22:07
All of the above, and so much also depends on the breed of dog. There are articles all over the internet about good hiking dog breeds. This might also lend some insight. Personally, if Big K is your big encompassing goal...leave the dog at home. If it's fun then you make your own move.

Lone Wolf
12-20-2006, 22:10
at least 50 miles a day...our dogs run over 50 miles in 8 hours

I ran 50 miles in 8hrs 12min once.

smokymtnsteve
12-23-2006, 23:40
I ran 50 miles in 8hrs 12min once.


u BIG BUTCH DOG u ;)

superman
01-03-2007, 17:18
I guess dog mileage varies like it does for people. I only hike 15 miles a day and Winter never had a problem with that. I usually stopped early enough so I had some time to play "fetch the stick" or something. Winter had no problem doing the trail stuff but when we took a town stop she watched Animal Planet while I did the errands. She likes the dog stories. She likes the colors and the movement of the fish. She won't look directly at the tv if a cat is on it.