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Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 11:09
I plan to do 25 miles in 2 days next week. I need to decide whether to bring my dog.

She has been on hikes up to about 6-8 miles, but never backpacking overnight. She's never carried anything. I've never taken a dog on a hike.

Sounds like I would need to carry:

- 1 pound food per day
- 1 extra liter of water
- 1 extra tyvek pad
- 1 cut down Wally World pad
- leash

Is that enough?

Tell me about poop bags - I take it I really need to pick up after my dog even if we're well away from streams? Can I just dump it in a cat hole, or do I need to carry it to the next privy, or what?

Would I be smarter to take her on a less ambitious trip first?

Jonathan

4eyedbuzzard
04-03-2009, 11:13
You're almost doubling the miles per day your dog has done in the past. Also you should probably take into consideration how much the dog may have rested/recouperated the day after a 6 to 8 mile single day hike. Add in that it's the dog's first overnight, and there may be issues there as well. Why not try a shorter 2 day 15 mile hike first to see how the dog handles it--especially on day two?

SGT Rock
04-03-2009, 11:14
I plan to do 25 miles in 2 days next week. I need to decide whether to bring my dog.

She has been on hikes up to about 6-8 miles, but never backpacking overnight. She's never carried anything. I've never taken a dog on a hike.

Sounds like I would need to carry:

- 1 pound food per day
- 1 extra liter of water
- 1 extra tyvek pad
- 1 cut down Wally World pad
- leash

Is that enough?
You may want a dog specific towel. You may also want a harness and a long cord or something like that for camp.


Tell me about poop bags - I take it I really need to pick up after my dog even if we're well away from streams? Can I just dump it in a cat hole, or do I need to carry it to the next privy, or what?Cathole or in a privy is fine.


Would I be smarter to take her on a less ambitious trip first?

Jonathan
If you have already been dayhiking with her, then a 2 day one night hike is probably the next step.

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 11:28
OK, this sounds like enough extra weight that I would like her to carry at least her food and water, which means breaking down and getting a dog backpack.

And it sounds like a shorter trip would be best, more like 16 miles for two days. Or perhaps taking 3 days to do the same distance - but if she has a tough time with the first two days, I'm guessing even that would be unwise .... it could be a hard slog for her on the third day.

Jonathan

SteveJ
04-03-2009, 11:50
Jonathan: a lot of this depends on what kind of dog you have / age / weight / shape. If it's a working breed, she should have no problem with this as long as she's relatively young. I agree with Sgt. Rock, it sounds like you've prepared her for the next step: an overnight trip.

It sounds like she's never carried a pack before. Most working breeds take to packs with no problem. I put an empty pack on my 3 mth old sibe for the first time and took her for a walk at the local park. She ignored it on the walk, and immediately associated it and her leash with walks. When I get them out, she's all over me, excited about going for a hike / walk. If your dog isn't a working breed, introduce her to the pack, put it on her in the house empty to check fit / see how she accepts it, take her for a walk with nothing in it, then slowly introduce weight....

Have fun!

Steve

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 11:56
i've voiced my opionion a time or two about backpacks for dogs. i don't care for them at all,but not going to argue about it anymore. i know alot of people put packs on the dogs and some dogs seem to enjoy the pack. but i think its a bad plan/idea to load water in the dog pack! food,blanket,snacks,toys,etc...ok, but water? all the swaying i think would be worse than the weight of the water. load up at sources and carry a little extra water on yourself for the pooch.

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 12:00
She's 1/2 Golden Retriever and 1/2 Sharpe, we think. A strong dog, 5 years old, but she's been sitting around the house too much for the last year.

The hike I had planned involves a shuttle and a fixed distance that I have to cover. I think she can probably handle it, I think she might be very tired.

But what do you do if your dog gets too tired? I suppose you just slow down. And I suspect it would be wise to at least have an alternative plan that lets me cover a lot less distance if we need to.

So I'm looking at other routes for this hike.

Jonathan

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 12:01
the handful of times we used a dogpack, before i pitched it into a hikerbox. we used to start the day off the first mile without a pack on my dog to loosen up/stretch. then the last mile or two at the end of the day i'd take the pack off for her to cruise into camp and stretch out again. always take the pack off for breaks.

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 12:03
[quote=Bootstrap;814919]

But what do you do if your dog gets too tired?







gotta hike the dogs hike not your own.

SGT Rock
04-03-2009, 12:04
I'm not sold on the idea of dog packs one way or the other. I think if you do put the pack on a dog it better be very light though, dogs cannot tell you when their pack is too heavy or if it doesn't fit right. You can find out too late you are hurting your dog. I did this once and felt VERY bad. The pack rubbed my dog raw on one of her legs.

I firmly believe if you are going to bring a dog hiking, you are going to end up carrying a lot of the stuff yourself. Food, gear, etc. Most dog packs I have played with are not actually big enough to carry all the things a dog will need to camp with you.

SGT Rock
04-03-2009, 12:06
But what do you do if your dog gets too tired?


gotta hike the dogs hike not your own.
Agreed. This would be like me bringing my 11 year old son and making him do 18 miles per day. If you bring a child, you change you hike for the child. If you bring your dog, same thing.

Two Speed
04-03-2009, 12:13
I plan to do 25 miles in 2 days next week . . . Actually you're the person best placed to know if this is a good idea or not. Another consideration is how bad is it gonna screw your plans up if your dog can't cut the trip you've got planned. A bail out option is a good idea, just in case the mutt isn't up to it.

As far as a next step in getting your mutt conditioned it sounds pretty reasonable, but I strongly recommend keeping an eye on the dog and see how he/she does. Shows signs of damaged pads, limping, excessive fatigue, overheating, etc, be prepared to adjust your plans accordingly.


. . . I firmly believe if you are going to bring a dog hiking, you are going to end up carrying a lot of the stuff yourself. Food, gear, etc. Most dog packs I have played with are not actually big enough to carry all the things a dog will need to camp with you.Pretty much tracks with my experience. Barney carries most of his stuff, food, insulated poncho, a pair of nail clippers and some water, but I wind up humping extra food and such. Yeah, the dog carries most of his stuff, but he winds up with a pretty good cut of my rations and some water.

I view that as the price I pay for hiking with the little nutbag.

SteveJ
04-03-2009, 12:16
She's 1/2 Golden Retriever and 1/2 Sharpe, we think. A strong dog, 5 years old, but she's been sitting around the house too much for the last year.

The hike I had planned involves a shuttle and a fixed distance that I have to cover. I think she can probably handle it, I think she might be very tired.

But what do you do if your dog gets too tired? I suppose you just slow down. And I suspect it would be wise to at least have an alternative plan that lets me cover a lot less distance if we need to.

So I'm looking at other routes for this hike.

Jonathan

I'm glad you're thinking this through.....

When you hike with a dog, in large part, your hike is NOT about you and what you want, but is about the dog. Similar to hiking with children, you have to put children / the dog first in your hike. If the dog gets tired, and doesn't want to go on, you just have to be prepared to deal with it....


gotta hike the dogs hike not your own.


Agreed. This would be like me bringing my 11 year old son and making him do 18 miles per day. If you bring a child, you change you hike for the child. If you bring your dog, same thing.

what they said!


i've voiced my opionion a time or two about backpacks for dogs. i don't care for them at all,but not going to argue about it anymore. i know alot of people put packs on the dogs and some dogs seem to enjoy the pack. but i think its a bad plan/idea to load water in the dog pack! food,blanket,snacks,toys,etc...ok, but water? all the swaying i think would be worse than the weight of the water. load up at sources and carry a little extra water on yourself for the pooch.

a time or two, Crumbsnatcher? You're modest! ;)

Crumbsnatcher has a lot of experience hiking with dogs, and brings up a great point - be very aware of the weight your dog is carrying, and be prepared to carry the weight yourself.

Hey, Crumbsnatcher, I thought you were hiking? On the trail yet?

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 12:28
Actually you're the person best placed to know if this is a good idea or not.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I think I know that 16 miles in two days is a better idea. With that, the odds of needing to bail are very low. Maybe 25 in three days, but I just don't know how well she'll recover.

So I need to find another route, about 16 miles, up to 20 for 3 days, I think, if I want to keep the chances of needing to bail down.

This was going to be the trip where I don't have to slow down for anyone, and I was going to lighten up my pack, but that ain't gonna happen, I guess ;->


As far as a next step in getting your mutt conditioned it sounds pretty reasonable, but I strongly recommend keeping an eye on the dog and see how he/she does. Shows signs of damaged pads, limping, excessive fatigue, overheating, etc, be prepared to adjust your plans accordingly.

OK, I'm glad I asked.


Pretty much tracks with my experience. Barney carries most of his stuff, food, insulated poncho, a pair of nail clippers and some water, but I wind up humping extra food and such. Yeah, the dog carries most of his stuff, but he winds up with a pretty good cut of my rations and some water.

I view that as the price I pay for hiking with the little nutbag.

Insulated poncho? If I have a dog with lots of fur, do I really need to worry about that? I haven't seen her get particularly cold. And I don't have anything like that.

OK, Julie, you better enjoy this too. I'm sacrificing for you, you know ...

Jonathan

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 12:29
I'm not sold on the idea of dog packs one way or the other. I think if you do put the pack on a dog it better be very light though, dogs cannot tell you when their pack is too heavy or if it doesn't fit right. You can find out too late you are hurting your dog. I did this once and felt VERY bad. The pack rubbed my dog raw on one of her legs.

I firmly believe if you are going to bring a dog hiking, you are going to end up carrying a lot of the stuff yourself. Food, gear, etc. Most dog packs I have played with are not actually big enough to carry all the things a dog will need to camp with you.
i'd bet the dog knows damn well the pack don't fit right!,but hows he suppose to tell the owner about it? well they will sit down and almost refuse to get up. i've seen too many dog owners out there not paying close enough attention to the best friend. i,m even guilty of the pack strap chaffing once. and believe me it never happened again! you'll see alot of dogs with lopsided packs, try to even them out its not that hard. and keep the pack light!!! i finally figured out i loved carrying all my dogs gear for her. simple as that! water in the dog pack?there should be a fine for that!

SGT Rock
04-03-2009, 12:30
Maybe just make a liner for what you have.

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 12:30
I'm glad you're thinking this through.....

When you hike with a dog, in large part, your hike is NOT about you and what you want, but is about the dog. Similar to hiking with children, you have to put children / the dog first in your hike. If the dog gets tired, and doesn't want to go on, you just have to be prepared to deal with it....

Ah well, I'm always hiking with my father or my girlfriend or kids, this was going to be my time to stretch my legs.

But I'd rather take Julie with me, so I'll plan a different hike. Thanks, guys!

Jonathan

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 12:33
I'm glad you're thinking this through.....

When you hike with a dog, in large part, your hike is NOT about you and what you want, but is about the dog. Similar to hiking with children, you have to put children / the dog first in your hike. If the dog gets tired, and doesn't want to go on, you just have to be prepared to deal with it....





what they said!



a time or two, Crumbsnatcher? You're modest! ;)

Crumbsnatcher has a lot of experience hiking with dogs, and brings up a great point - be very aware of the weight your dog is carrying, and be prepared to carry the weight yourself.

Hey, Crumbsnatcher, I thought you were hiking? On the trail yet?
SOBO...hope to see ya out on the trail down south!!! give that beautiful dog a hug for me.

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 12:33
It may be better for me to carry her gear this time:

1. No need to buy anything, or to try it out and see how well it works
2. Slows me down, speeds her up

I'll feel OK about adding back the weight I managed to cut from my own gear by the time we actually leave, I promise ...

Jonathan

SGT Rock
04-03-2009, 12:34
Well you could put a pack on her without anything in it and see how she takes it. Introduce weight a little at a time to find her limit.

For me, I quite putting any gear on my dog other than a harness and leash.

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 12:55
It may be better for me to carry her gear this time:

1. No need to buy anything, or to try it out and see how well it works
2. Slows me down, speeds her up

I'll feel OK about adding back the weight I managed to cut from my own gear by the time we actually leave, I promise ...

Jonathan
you got it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! your dog has a great best friend:)

Two Speed
04-03-2009, 12:58
Well you could put a pack on her without anything in it and see how she takes it. Introduce weight a little at a time to find her limit.How about extending that idea a little bit by putting an empty 500 mL water bottle in each side? If she tolerates the pack, add a little water to each bottle, see how she does, etc.

Ya know if I'd have been smarter I would probably have started Barney like that. He did just fine, and is an enthusiastic hiker but conditioning them up nice and easy can't hurt a thing.
For me, I quite putting any gear on my dog other than a harness and leash.Obviously a lot depends on the dog. Just like hikers they're individuals and you have to figure out what YOUR dog will like, not what everyone else's dog does.

Also it's kinda obvious Crumb and I have different ideas about what a dog should or shouldn't carry. FWIW that's an ongoing debate and each side has some good points.

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 18:08
How about extending that idea a little bit by putting an empty 500 mL water bottle in each side? If she tolerates the pack, add a little water to each bottle, see how she does, etc.

Ya know if I'd have been smarter I would probably have started Barney like that. He did just fine, and is an enthusiastic hiker but conditioning them up nice and easy can't hurt a thing.Obviously a lot depends on the dog. Just like hikers they're individuals and you have to figure out what YOUR dog will like, not what everyone else's dog does.

Also it's kinda obvious Crumb and I have different ideas about what a dog should or shouldn't carry. FWIW that's an ongoing debate and each side has some good points.
alot of people see the dog as a dog, i seen my dog as my best friend!!!maybe spoiled a little but so what. it was obvious she liked to hike without the pack(6,000+ A.T.miles) more than with a pack!(about two hundred A.T.miles or so) she was a strong dog but hairy and black in color,she over heated easy. we took alot of breaks and night hiked hundreds of miles. besides not letting a dog carry water what other aspects did you not like from what i said. water can? sways like a bitch,when a dogs on a hairy ledge the last thing i need is the dogpack to tip my dog. and theres water sources on the A.T. about every 2-3 miles on avg.? she didn't ask to go hiking a thousand miles or so every year with me, so i always made it easy on her and i was very comfortable carrying everything didn't bother me a bit even had 5-6 qts of water sometimes on me no big deal. until your dog looks up at you and actually says "hey,i want to carry that" how do you really know.

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 18:12
when my dog had a pack on,she carried her booties,blanket,first aid kit(don't forget the neosporin)good for cracked pads!!! her leash everything actually except her food,water,and z-rest... pack or no pack watch your dogs carefully and ALWAYS HIKE THE DOGS HIKE!!! and not try to keep up with the cool crowd. i think two speeds is a dog lover that would never hurt his dog, its all good, just be good to the pooches!!! the trail is tough on the dog too

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 18:22
when my dog had a pack on,she carried her booties,blanket,first aid kit(don't forget the neosporin)good for cracked pads!!! her leash everything actually except her food,water,and z-rest... pack or no pack watch your dogs carefully and ALWAYS HIKE THE DOGS HIKE!!! and not try to keep up with the cool crowd. i think two speeds is a dog lover that would never hurt his dog, its all good, just be good to the pooches!!! the trail is tough on the dog too

Julie says I should thank y'all for protecting her from my ignorance ;->

I'm doing a much shorter hike now. I'll keep an eye on her and be careful. Thanks, folks!

Jonathan

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 18:30
Julie says I should thank y'all for protecting her from my ignorance ;->

I'm doing a much shorter hike now. I'll keep an eye on her and be careful. Thanks, folks!

Jonathan
anything i said or did for you ,you are more than welcome.

berninbush
04-03-2009, 19:38
Sounds like I would need to carry:

- 1 pound food per day
- 1 extra liter of water
- 1 extra tyvek pad
- 1 cut down Wally World pad
- leash

Is that enough?
Wow.

After reading all the dog gear suggestions on this thread, I'm wondering how on earth my poor Golden Retriever Lucy has survived her overnight hikes with me. ;)

I bring a quart baggie full of dog food, extra water, a collapsible dish, and a leash (with poop bags attached). That's it. I carry it all myself and it's no big deal.

I don't carry a ground cloth or pad for her to sleep on. She sleeps in my tent and seems quite content with the ground, just as she usually prefers the floor of my bedroom to my bed at home. (Note: we aren't camping in freezing weather where she'd need a pad or blanket for warmth.) I don't carry a raincoat for her, as she's quite happy to be wet. I don't carry a regular coat for her, as her fur does a nice job and (again) we aren't going out in freezing weather. I don't carry booties as we aren't walking thousands of miles and she'd probably think I'd lost my mind if I tried to put them on her. ;)

My point is, if you're starting a thru hike with a dog in February you may need some of this gear for them, but for a one-night hike in moderate weather you can keep it simple. I suspect Lucy would far rather do without "luxuries" and run free without a pack. Just so I bring enough food for her (and share some of mine as a treat), she's perfectly happy.

Bootstrap
04-03-2009, 20:33
I don't carry a ground cloth or pad for her to sleep on. She sleeps in my tent and seems quite content with the ground, just as she usually prefers the floor of my bedroom to my bed at home. (Note: we aren't camping in freezing weather where she'd need a pad or blanket for warmth.) I don't carry a raincoat for her, as she's quite happy to be wet. I don't carry a regular coat for her, as her fur does a nice job and (again) we aren't going out in freezing weather. I don't carry booties as we aren't walking thousands of miles and she'd probably think I'd lost my mind if I tried to put them on her. ;)

My point is, if you're starting a thru hike with a dog in February you may need some of this gear for them, but for a one-night hike in moderate weather you can keep it simple. I suspect Lucy would far rather do without "luxuries" and run free without a pack. Just so I bring enough food for her (and share some of mine as a treat), she's perfectly happy.

OK, I like this approach. Julie has slept overnight outside with me on many occasions in our back yard with none of this fancy stuff, she's only gone 6-8 miles on hikes or runs, but without anything on her feet.

I think I'll sit back and watch the debate happen ... and make up my mind next week.

Jonathan

mister krabs
04-03-2009, 22:02
Jonathan, I think there's a bit of well intentioned overanalyzing here, 1/2 shar pei and 1/2 golden retreiver you say? That sounds like a sturdy pooch with working and hunting in it's genes. If the dog's not obese, I think you'll be more worn out than your dog will on even a high milage overnighter. Bring a bag of food, a drinking bowl and a leash. Carry it yourself. Kick the turds into the woods. Have a great hike and don't worry about it. If the dog just sits down and won't go any further, then pitch your tent and get some sleep. Have a bailout plan just like you would for any weekend trip.

Just my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it.

Jester2000
04-03-2009, 22:19
One thing I would recommend (this is going to sound silly) is wearing your pack around your house in front of your dog.

Here's why: if your dog hasn't been with you backpacking, she may not have seen people with packs on. I have seen a number of normally friendly, well-trained dogs growl or attempt to bite other backpackers, and I suspect that it's because a human wearing a pack doesn't register to some dogs as a human. It's larger and the wrong shape.

If your dog hasn't been around bacpackers before, wearing your pack around the house will train your dog to recognize a person wearing a pack as a person. On the other hand, many dogs don't have this problem, so it may be unnecessary.

And you always have to consider the fact that I may have posted this to see if I could trick you into wearing your pack around the house.

aaronthebugbuffet
04-03-2009, 22:41
Get a Llama.

CrumbSnatcher
04-03-2009, 23:10
all the gear we carried was for long trips, being from nebraska it was always going to be a long hike when we made our way out to the A.T.
Berninbush & Mister Crabs are right keep it simple on short hikes. 25 miles in 2 days ain't that much,not saying it isn't doable. its very doable a dog needs time to condition just like us, and keep the packweight down on the dog. dogs in good/great shape can out hike us. make it fun for them too

Two Speed
04-05-2009, 08:21
. . . what other aspects did you not like from what i said . . . Crumb, as usual you've got your opinion, but you're polite about expressing it. I don't have a problem with that, just have arrived at a different conclusion. Maybe one day we'll get to sit around a camp fire and kick this one around for a good long while.

In the mean time Happy Trails!

superman
04-05-2009, 11:20
When Winter carried her pack she only carried light weight stuff in it...never water. We tried to re-supply every three days. When Winter had her pack off she wanted to play fetch. When she had her pack on she was ready to hike. Even if I paused too long to chat with sobo hikers she'd tell me when to get going. There was never a sense that she was having any trouble with it at all. In fact...I will always remember how she would stop and look back at me and smile. She was a young strong german shepherd who could out hike or climb me. Having said that, I was always sensitive to how she was doing. I was always prepared to do what ever was needed for her. I don't believe in "gotta do's" when hiking with a dog. A rigid schedule of miles per day or a specific finish day is not so good unless it's set up to be easy. Winter's favorite things when hiking or traveling was watching Animal Planet (not cats) and sharing the pre-cooked whole chickens.

Bootstrap
04-06-2009, 17:26
What's the best way to keep a dog inside the tarp at night? Her tie-out is long enough that it's easy to get tangled in the trees, so I woke up 3 times during the night to deal with that.

She has a harness. I'm giving it another shot on Thursday / Friday / Saturday.

Jonathan

Jester2000
04-06-2009, 19:00
When Winter carried her pack she only carried light weight stuff in it...

Winter was one of the best trail dogs EVER.

SteveJ
04-06-2009, 19:45
What's the best way to keep a dog inside the tarp at night? Her tie-out is long enough that it's easy to get tangled in the trees, so I woke up 3 times during the night to deal with that.

She has a harness. I'm giving it another shot on Thursday / Friday / Saturday.

Jonathan

Hi, Jonathan. When I've tarped with Phoebe (under a Betamid), I wrap her lead around my thermarest, giving her just enough free lead to nose out under the tarp if she needs to, but not enough to roam around or get tangled up.... Now that I'm usually in a hammock, I tie her with a 6' lead to one of the trees I'm hanging from, again, being sure there's nothing around she can get tangled up on.

Steve

superman
04-06-2009, 20:56
Winter was one of the best trail dogs EVER.

Thanks Jester,
Winter's favorite sport these days is napping. She and I have barely been apart since I found her in the middle of the road when she was five weeks old...now she's 13. I had no intentions of having a dog at that time because I had things I wanted to do. I had no idea what a great companion I'd found for our many hikes, canoeing and traveling. She's also been known as Gatorbait in Florida and Bearbait in California. The good thing about having a dog with you is that people think you're talking to the dog instead of yourself...except for that guy who hiked up behind us on the LT.:)
I felt better having Winter closed in the tent at night. I think she saw the tent as her sancuary. Early on I would ask Winter if she wanted to go out to pee when I was but she gave me a look like "Not me there are VC out there." When I switched to a tarp some years ago I never had to tie her up to anything. The only difference was that with the tarp Winter would spend too much time sitting up looking for VC instead of sleeping. :rolleyes:

Bootstrap
04-06-2009, 22:13
Hi, Jonathan. When I've tarped with Phoebe (under a Betamid), I wrap her lead around my thermarest, giving her just enough free lead to nose out under the tarp if she needs to, but not enough to roam around or get tangled up.... Now that I'm usually in a hammock, I tie her with a 6' lead to one of the trees I'm hanging from, again, being sure there's nothing around she can get tangled up on.

Seems like a good approach.

Looks like thunderstorms, so I'll have to worry about a wet dog and a down sleeping bag. I was going to leave my hammock behind, but it might be worth the extra weight to avoid the wet dog at night ...

Jonathan

Two Speed
04-07-2009, 05:56
The hammock's cool, but make sure your mutt has a warm dry place to sleep. Dogs can get hypothermia, too.

Bootstrap
04-07-2009, 08:39
The hammock's cool, but make sure your mutt has a warm dry place to sleep. Dogs can get hypothermia, too.

I'll have a 10 x 12 Equinox tarp over the hammock, should give plenty of dry space underneath.

Jonathan

Bootstrap
04-13-2009, 13:38
Well, Julie was great on the trail, we did about 18 miles, she tired out about the same time I did. I decided to do it the simple way, and didn't knit her any sweaters.

And she *really* enjoyed it!

Next time we'll see if I can start getting her to carry some of her own stuff ....

Jonathan

CrumbSnatcher
04-13-2009, 13:39
Well, Julie was great on the trail, we did about 18 miles, she tired out about the same time I did. I decided to do it the simple way, and didn't knit her any sweaters.

And she *really* enjoyed it!

Next time we'll see if I can start getting her to carry some of her own stuff ....

Jonathanglad you had a good hike

berninbush
04-13-2009, 14:04
Ditto. :)

I just did 8 or 9 miles with my dog this weekend. She was high-energy on the trail, but ready to flop down next to me at the campsite at night! I brought her food, water, a collapsible dish, and a leash. Actually I brought a tennis ball, too, but it stayed in my pack... we are "weekend warriors" and the walk was enough to tire us out without a game of fetch in the lake. She was quite happy sleeping on the floor of my tent, although I have a vague half-awake memory that she may have pressed up against me for warmth at some point.

CrumbSnatcher
04-13-2009, 15:35
Ditto. :)

I just did 8 or 9 miles with my dog this weekend. She was high-energy on the trail, but ready to flop down next to me at the campsite at night! I brought her food, water, a collapsible dish, and a leash. Actually I brought a tennis ball, too, but it stayed in my pack... we are "weekend warriors" and the walk was enough to tire us out without a game of fetch in the lake. She was quite happy sleeping on the floor of my tent, although I have a vague half-awake memory that she may have pressed up against me for warmth at some point.
glad you had a good hike too. the flopping down you speak of from being tired. you do not want to feed a dog right after hiking,set up camp let them cool off and settle in then feed them the food. its not good for them to eat right away in the evening, after hiking all day! in fact my vet said it could kill them! not sure what he called it but the stomach can turn/swivel? closing off the opening/closing to the stomach and then they can't deficate!!! told me to carry benadryl(antihistamine) for snake bites. and neosporion works great on the dogs pads from drying out and cracking.

SteveJ
04-13-2009, 17:55
<clip> the flopping down you speak of from being tired. you do not want to feed a dog right after hiking,set up camp let them cool off and settle in then feed them the food. its not good for them to eat right away in the evening, after hiking all day! in fact my vet said it could kill them! <clip>

I didn't know that.....come on CrumbSnatcher, what other gems are you holding out on us? Thanks for the info!

Steve

Toot
04-22-2009, 12:44
glad you had a good hike too. the flopping down you speak of from being tired. you do not want to feed a dog right after hiking,set up camp let them cool off and settle in then feed them the food. its not good for them to eat right away in the evening, after hiking all day! in fact my vet said it could kill them! not sure what he called it but the stomach can turn/swivel? closing off the opening/closing to the stomach and then they can't deficate!!! told me to carry benadryl(antihistamine) for snake bites. and neosporion works great on the dogs pads from drying out and cracking.
That's called bloat. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
I've only hiked with my dog once, so I'm not an expert by any means. But I have dogs and this condition is not unique to hiking dogs at all.

CrumbSnatcher
04-22-2009, 12:51
That's called bloat. http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm
I've only hiked with my dog once, so I'm not an expert by any means. But I have dogs and this condition is not unique to hiking dogs at all.
thankyou, i looked on your link. pretty much says what i was speaking of. don't feed them as soon as you get into camp.

Two Speed
04-22-2009, 13:05
Evidently I'm a dog because I don't like to eat immediately after pulling into camp, either. Prolly good practice for man and beast to limit it to a small snack or something, then attend to camp chores for a while.

Engine
04-22-2009, 13:08
All the talk about hiking with the dog has me wondering about taking one of my buddies on some hikes. I am owned by both a Boston terrier and an American bulldog, Frodo and Chopper respectively. Frodo is long legged for a Boston and Chopper is a little old and thick for hiking (he is a rescue dog). Since Chopper seems to get sore even after playing ball for 10 minutes or so, I am thinking the Boston is my only hope for hiking but there are concerns there as well. Frodo, like all of his breed, is brachocephalic to a degree and has cooling issues due to airway constriction. He has no lack of energy and will run himself into thee ground, but that's why I worry. It's getting warm this time of year in Florida and even a day hike might be too much for the little guy.

Anyone here have any experience hiking with a small dog?

Reid
04-22-2009, 15:44
I've got a whole pack of dogs and I love every one of them to death. My big dog Red, whom I expected to take the trail the best, is a lazy son of a samsung when it comes to hiking. My little dog Tick on the other hand takes to the trail like a real sport. I've come to realize that the size of the dog and his gate doesn't always mean they are the best on the trail. We are not sure what Tick is, when we took him to the Vet he said the he was a "black" dog.

Rouen
04-23-2009, 15:03
. . . the Vet he said the he was a "black" dog.

he must be one of a kind.

Nina
04-30-2009, 14:03
i've voiced my opionion a time or two about backpacks for dogs. i don't care for them at all,but not going to argue about it anymore. i know alot of people put packs on the dogs and some dogs seem to enjoy the pack. but i think its a bad plan/idea to load water in the dog pack! food,blanket,snacks,toys,etc...ok, but water? all the swaying i think would be worse than the weight of the water. load up at sources and carry a little extra water on yourself for the pooch.
I've read alot of favorable things about your way of hiking did your dog not wear a pack? I was thinking my dog would carry his own food all along' but after I started reading more I realize I have alot more learning to do. Do you have a trail journal CrumbSnacher?

CrumbSnatcher
08-04-2009, 17:27
I've read alot of favorable things about your way of hiking did your dog not wear a pack? I was thinking my dog would carry his own food all along' but after I started reading more I realize I have alot more learning to do. Do you have a trail journal CrumbSnacher?
no trail journal, hiked all my miles before i ever got on the net! i won't use a cell phone or computor on long hikes! it wasn't a problem for me to carry her gear and food. in fact i loved doing it!

Wise Old Owl
08-07-2009, 22:43
Ok Maybe I am missing soemthing here - 1 lbs of food a day for a dog???? seems a little light but the size of the dog is missing as well, everything else was covered very well... guess you are bringing some doggy snacks????

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