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kaemac
02-04-2008, 11:22
hey folks
i'm planning on taking my dog sobo with me this year. i'm a little concerned though. he's a trail dog, was more or less raised and trained on trails, so the hiking part would not phase him. however, he's very attached and protective of me, which is not always a bad thing. once he realizes that i'm okay with someone, he's friendly. but he's not a fan of being tied out and left; he'll bark and whine until i return.
also, this past summer he was attacked by another dog. he used to be real friendly with any dog, but now is a little more reserved. i haven't had any trouble with him around other dogs (except for that one) but i still worry about it. i'm probably more worried than i should be.
anyone who has any tips on what i should expect for hiking with my dog or anything i should consider before i go, please let me know. any thoughts are appreciated.

doggiebag
02-04-2008, 11:26
There's a very similar thread running with your concerns at this link:http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32553

cowboy nichols
02-04-2008, 11:36
My last German sheperd was attacked when she was about 7 months old. She was nearly killed and she never really accepted any other dogs. She was easy to train and very obedient but I never let her loose to have contact with other dogs. When I hiked with her she would go off trail stay at sit and wait for others to pass. She was on leash anytime there were other dogs present. I Think I made a mistake in not trying harder to socialise her right after the attack.

Rouen
02-04-2008, 11:41
he used to be real friendly with any dog, but now is a little more reserved. i haven't had any trouble with him around other dogs (except for that one) but i still worry about it. i'm probably more worried than i should be..

it's likely that your dog is sensing that you're worried and is acting how he feels is appropriate, the sooner you can get over your fear the better it is for him, otherwise he could become dog agressive.

Pedaling Fool
02-04-2008, 12:11
Your dog needs to learn you're the "pack leader". Watch the Dog Whisperer with Ceasar Milan, it's a great show. Basically his approach is Exercise, Discipline, Affection, in that order. Seems your dog is a little deficient in the discipline area.

SlowLightTrek
02-04-2008, 13:25
A dog that is agressive towards humans, imo, shouldn't be allowed on the trail. You will be sleeping an in close quarters with other hikers all the time. I think dogs get used to the conditions and if your dog is exposed to it day after day he will develop a way to cope.

mrburns
02-04-2008, 16:45
My dog occasionally barks/growls at other dogs if I restrain her on the leash... If she's off leash (like at the dog park) or if I keep the leash loose she just wants to sniff or play. It took me a bit to catch on to this behavior, but basically her throaty growl seems to be both frustration at being restrained and an attempt to encourage the other dog to work harder to come over to her where she can smell, etc... I wanted to mention this experience, but it may be very different for your dog... my dog has never really been attacked that I know of.

If the above anecodote doesn't seem to apply... There are probably a bunch of doggie day care locations near you. Those places can assess your dog's ability to socialize... and if they feel he is fear aggressive, most good facilities can refer you to a dog behaviorist who specializes in socializing dogs who have issues around other dogs or even people. Some facilities have a person on staff for folks like you.

Another separate thought is to bring your dog to a basic training class... Even if he is already good at things like "sit", "stay", etc... You and he will benefit from being in a group training class because it is a controlled environment where he can get comfortable paying attention to you while other dogs are all around him.

wrongway_08
02-04-2008, 19:00
My last dog, Cody, was VERY protective of me. Only myself could be around him. He would attack other family members, strangers, try to break the sliding glass door to get into the house when we had company over, attack anyone/anything that would come to me fast (another dog...person...) . He did warn people he was on the guard - teeth back, lowered body to ground and then would let out a loooong - deeeep growl. Most people would be smart eneough to just notice it and figure out that he didnt want to be around. The other idiots that just didnt have enough brain power to figure it out, I would just let them know to back the heck up.

That being said, he was a great hiking dog - great dog no matter what. I just had to keep people away from him and know where he was. He never got a chance to bite someone, I always had full controll of him. While out, I was aware of how close people were to him/myself.

No problems while camping either, just be aware of how your dog react, let peole know when they approach you not to pet the dog or, if your dog was like mine, not to keep approaching.

Jack Tarlin
02-04-2008, 19:26
You say your dog is overly protective of you.

Please tell us more.

Does this mean your dog growls when other people approach you or come too close? Does the dog snarl or bark at other people? Has it ever lunged or jumped at anyone who has gotten too close? Ever nipped or bitten someone?

On the Trail, you're going to be interacting with other people at close quarters every single day.

If your dog hasn't been trained to act non-aggressively towards other people, then it isn't ready for the Trail yet.

Likewise, your dog will encounter other dogs almost every day as well.

I suggest you talk to a professional dog trainer about this.

Lastly, there will be times you'll be forced to leave your dog tied somewhere, such as when you food shop, or perhaps stay at a hostel where pets are barred inside. A dog that howls when left alone will make for problems.

Doggiebag is correct when he says there are all sorts of threads here at WB about hiking with a dog; I hope you check some of them out.

But bottom line is that an overly protective or skittish dog (never mind an overtly agressive one) will cause you problems from Day One.

Appalachian Tater
02-04-2008, 19:30
Even well-behaved dogs seem to get into trouble on the trail. One that has behavioral issues should definitely not be going on a long-distance hike. Many hikers do not appreciate poorly-behaved dogs and may not treat you or your dog as you might wish to be treated.

kaemac
02-04-2008, 20:32
ok maybe i should explain protective a little better. he barks when folks come to the door. he won't let someone get near my car when i'm not there, even if they know his name. he has scared folks off when trying to break into my house. he has never lunged or growled at a person(when i've been around....i'm thinking it was probably different for the person trying to get through the window of the house). he will be stand-offish and somewhat ignore you, while trying to sniff you....its very interesting to watch.
i guess i'm mostly worried about the tying-out and whining and his encounters with other dogs. i'm very good about keeping him on a leash ... but know that others aren't always. and wonder how often i will really have to tie him out somewhere. how common is it for a dog to be allowed in hostels? am i essentially banning myself from shelters for having him with me? when camping, if someone gets too close to the tent, he's probably going to let out at least a little huff-bark....is that going to annoy other hikers?? thank you all for all the tips so far...and i'll definately read further into the forum for more advice.

Jack Tarlin
02-04-2008, 20:37
Some hostels allow pets. Some allow them on the property, but not in the bunk areas. Some ban them all-together, as do most motels. There will abslolutely be places on the Trail where you can't stay if you're with a dog.

Dogs are NOT welcome in most shelters, tho it's perfectly OK to camp near a shelter and use the picnic table, hang out at the campfire, etc. But most folks do not appreciate dogs actually staying IN shelters. And at shelters, your dog needs to be leashed or under constant voice command/control, as unleashed dogs get into trouble.......they piss on packs, beg food, knock over stoves, etc.

In short, you'll discover that most folks (tho certainly not all) on the Trail won't mind your pet a bit, as long as it's properly trained, interacts well with other folks and other dogs, and responds to commands from its owners.

I think it's great that you're concerned about these things BEFORE your trip. You'd be amazed how many dog owners there are that simply don't give a s***.

Cowgirl
02-04-2008, 20:44
And at shelters, your dog needs to be leashed or under constant voice command/control, as unleashed dogs get into trouble.......they piss on packs, beg food, knock over stoves, etc.
I have a hard time believing that someone at a shelter with people they don't know whould let thier dog wander around off a leash! I would never impose my dog on anyone this way!

I would get really pissed off..........oh yeah, that is why I stay away from shelters ;)

Jack Tarlin
02-04-2008, 20:48
Oh, they do it all right. Thing is, some folks don't realize that not everyone is delighted to be around their pet, nor do they realize how quickly a dog can make a nuisance of itself or get into trouble. And one of the reasons I know this is true is because I've been guilty of doing it myself. I had Miss Janet's dog with me for awhile in North Carolina, and since Fabyan is one of the best-known and best-loved dogs on the whole Trail, I figured everyone would be happy to see him.

Um, no, this was not the case, and several people told me later I was being an irresponsible and inconsiderate dog owner/handler, and that I needed to straighten some stuff out, especially as regards keeping the dog closer, and keeping him leashed more often.

And they were 100% right.

doggiebag
02-04-2008, 20:54
Everyone makes mistakes in the dog hiking learning curve. I made the mistake of leaving an irritated Aldo tied to my pack too close to a well trafficed area (human traffic). I received a little on the spot correction but was too stubborn to properly react. It may have been a two party mis-understanding or the heat of the day. But the learning curve applies to both pooch and owner. Regards.

Cowgirl
02-04-2008, 20:56
Jack, I guess these forums are good to let dog owners see all the other points of views.

It's not fun seeing people complain about dogs but there seems to be a lot of justification for it!

Pedaling Fool
02-04-2008, 20:57
I have a hard time believing that someone at a shelter with people they don't know whould let thier dog wander around off a leash! I would never impose my dog on anyone this way!

I would get really pissed off..........oh yeah, that is why I stay away from shelters ;)
Yeap, all the time. This is how I came to the conclusion that there are so many owners who are not the "Pack Leader". They get to the shelter with their muddy wet dog and right away the dog jumps into the shelter and runs all over the place and on top of everything, while the owner is yelling at the dog, like a parent with an unruly teenager.

Cowgirl
02-04-2008, 21:00
Yeap, all the time. This is how I came to the conclusion that there are so many owners who are not the "Pack Leader". They get to the shelter with their muddy wet dog and right away the dog jumps into the shelter and runs all over the place and on top of everything, while the owner is yelling at the dog, like a parent with an unruly teenager.
OMG! That is aweful!!!

What do the people do? Do they repremand the owner????

Pedaling Fool
02-04-2008, 21:28
OMG! That is aweful!!!

What do the people do? Do they repremand the owner????
I've heard of these situations causing some serious confrontations, but never witnessed a serious confrontation. In the cases I've seen, people just kind of shake their heads and moan under their breath and try and be civil.