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JillOnTheAT
09-02-2009, 23:16
There are a lot of very interesting and diverse opinions of and experiences with dogs on this forum, but its hard to get a broader sense of exactly who has done what, when, why, how, etc. because its so distributed through the forum and embedded in various threads.

Many of us would benefit from a "just the facts" thread from dog owners who have hiked with their dogs. If you have hiked more than 1 week with your dog, would you please share the following basic information about your experience?

If possible, lets please try keep opinions/judgements to a minimum (there are plenty of other threads for that :)), just so that this can be used as one-stop-shop for essential facts/data.

Thank you so much.

Jill

---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again?
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently?
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed?
Age at the start of hike?
Weight?
Temperament?

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start?
Where and when did you end?
How many miles did you hike each day?
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how?

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how?
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws?
Did you consult a vet and what did they say?
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this?

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take?
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day?
What kind of leash did you bring?
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties)

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind?
Did your dog get ticks or other bites?
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue?
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike?
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take?

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time?
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time?
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals?
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers?

Bama Jack & Sadie
09-03-2009, 00:07
Superman and Winter gave me the best advice for hiking with your dog. http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=dogs

Gray Blazer
09-03-2009, 07:33
I always keep my dog on a leash. The other unleashed dogs always, I repeat always, jump up on me and/or my dog. Really aggravating!

sasquatch2014
09-03-2009, 08:48
I'll do my best to help.

---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? Yes
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently?Build in lower miles or zero for him.
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed?Border Collie/Flat Coat Retriever mix
Age at the start of hike?First overnight was 6 months first long hike 1 year
Weight?60 to 65 lbs
Temperament?Very friendly a bit timid at new things

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start?
Where and when did you end?
How many miles did you hike each day?
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how?On my last hike after 7 days and a lot or rain and mud up in VT he very clearly did not want to hike as we headed out of camp after trying a few times to get him to come up the trail we turned around and zeroed out was much needed. Napped with him in the sun for the day it was one of the best parts of the hike.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how?He is out on the trail with me all the time when I maintain and going up at night to chill at one of the shelters
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? Nope no issues with paws very wet year
Did you consult a vet and what did they say?
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this?

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? His normal food which is a premium dog food. I also pack a few Moist and Meaty chunky packets as a treat
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? About 4 takes him a day or so for his appatite to come back
What kind of leash did you bring? I have a leather leash that I can fold and snap down to a smaller size if I want and wear it slung over my shoulder for quick access. He is on leash part of the time and other times off.
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties)He has a Kelty Pack I want to get him a Ruff Wear pack for X mas so don't tell him or it will ruin the surprise. That one is more solid for when you have to pick him up and carry him. Example was going up the 15 foot ladder.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind?Small scratch from a fence on his back leg
Did your dog get ticks or other bites?He is on Advantix. He did get a few skeeter bites on his ears
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue?He was wiped as talked about above need to plan smaller days or a zero sooner
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike?Some but not enough to worry about
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take?As said Smaller days and a zero here and there. He gets more treats as food than at home and I think that this helps with the appetite

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time?On leash part of the time. When we come to people he is controlled until we judge reaction from them as much as him. Leashed at camp
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time?Mostly Hammock but did spend our zero at a nice cabin with a great front porch great for snoozing. when we winter hike I tend to use a shelter more then but I am almost always the only on there then
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals?None. When he was sleeping on the porch of the cabin as it got dark the mice came out and one ran right over top of him, not even a twitch from him.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers?Spoiled rotten by almost all. I met one guy on trail who from about 200 yards away asked if he was leashed which he was because we heard him coming. He then began a rant about dogs and leashes etc. This guy would bitch about being buried in a new coffin. I knew about this particular individual from a bunch of other sources and so we decided to screw with his small little narrow mind and send him on his way foaming at the mouth for the rest of the day I'm sure. This was a great story to relate to others during the rest of my hike that time and everyone who heard it got a great laugh from it. [/QUOTE]

Well I hope that this is what you were looking for.

kanga
09-03-2009, 08:55
---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? no, she's dead, but if she were here, in a heartbeat (pics in my gallery of her at max patch)
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently? nothing, been hiking with dogs for 20 years. i've already worked the kinks out
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? blue heeler
Age at the start of hike? 3 yrs
Weight? 40 lbs
Temperament? very protective, didn't like other dogs

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? springer, april
Where and when did you end? atkins, va - 2 months later
How many miles did you hike each day? 10-20
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how?
yes, very much so. couldn't stay just anywhere in town. had to do something with the dog when i went into stores. if she cut her foot, we had to take zeros until it healed.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? well, not so much train as we had always hiked together and she learned more on each adventure. i would never go long distance with a dog that did not already have a lot of miles under her. there were so many things that she had to learn. to go off trail to use the bathroom, to not get near the stream source but to go downstream. to not get near anybody else's packs to sniff.. the list goes on and on.
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? no vitamins. first aid kit included booties, baby aspirin, benadryl, and neosporin
Did you consult a vet and what did they say? no i've always hiked with dogs. already knew what was possible and what was not.
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this? many many week-long trips

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? high-protein. the kind the local feed store makes. plus she cleaned up after my meals.
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? anywhere from 4 to 6.
What kind of leash did you bring? the tiny lightweight ones you get at the vet when you forget to bring your own.
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) she had her own pack. she hated it and loved it with equal fervor. she slept on it and bounced around it in the mornings to let me know it was time to go, but she would have been much happier if i had just carried everything...

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? cut her pads up several times
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? of course. you're in the woods.
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? yes, but so did i. she hiked me under the table.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike? she toned up alot. maybe lost a total of 5 lbs of fat, which her big butt needed to do anyway.
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take? cuts on the pads - took zeros and kept them clean and bandaged with neosporin. ticks - used frontline monthly and pulled the ticks off with tweezers just like normal. fatigue - we stopped for the night and slept in late the next day, doing less miles. weight - no big deal. she stayed healthy so there really was no problem there.

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time? almost never. in town for her safety, when passing some people and all other dogs on the trail for others' peace of mind. just be polite and considerate, even if you know your dog won't do anything. respect will take you a long way.
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time? never. i hate shelters and so did she. we preferred privacy.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? she did short running bursts at squirrels but that's about it. she was very strictly trained to voice commands and i'm alpha dog, no ifs ands or buts. what i say is law and the dog knew it. sometimes, your dog is going to get off leash. you had better make sure when this happens that you still have control.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers? well, there was this one guy that was at the shelter before you hit albert mtn nobo that kinda freaked everybody out that had stopped there for lunch. he was absolutely a nutjob. one of those people that seriously needed medication and was obviously not on it. i avoided him and the shelter and kept on hiking. we camped right near the fs rd before albert with a couple of friends. way past dark freak boy comes walking up to our camp. you had to go off trail a good couple hundred yards, so he was intending to camp with us apparently and roo went absolutely ape****. i had never seen her like that before and never did again. it was like she was rabid. that 40 lb dog pulled me several yards trying to get at that guy. he was asked to leave by my friends several times and wouldn't. i finally told him i was tired of trying to hold the dog and if he didn't leave immediately, i was letting her go. later i heard several tales of weird guy and mulitple problems he had caused up the trail. the dog knew what she was doing and i always trusted her judgement. never regretted it.

The Solemates
09-03-2009, 09:36
There are a lot of very interesting and diverse opinions of and experiences with dogs on this forum, but its hard to get a broader sense of exactly who has done what, when, why, how, etc. because its so distributed through the forum and embedded in various threads.

Many of us would benefit from a "just the facts" thread from dog owners who have hiked with their dogs. If you have hiked more than 1 week with your dog, would you please share the following basic information about your experience?

If possible, lets please try keep opinions/judgements to a minimum (there are plenty of other threads for that :)), just so that this can be used as one-stop-shop for essential facts/data.

Thank you so much.

Jill

---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? i take mine all the time, but not on the AT because it has too many peopleIf so, what, if anything, would you do differently?
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? coonhound
Age at the start of hike? i think the first time we took him hiking he was 8 weeks old...we did 8 miles or so dayhike. his first overnight was shortly thereafter
Weight? 55-60 lbs
Temperament? independent, but protective of me. he may be gone for 1-2 hours but he always comes back and never bothers anyone while he's away

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? he's done all kinds of trails, but not the AT
Where and when did you end?
How many miles did you hike each day? he's hiked up to 25 trail miles in a day with no signs of fatigue. 25 trail miles is probably closer to 35-40 miles for him.
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how? has never altered my itenerary, but he has never been on a trip more than a week either

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? he trains by running around my 6 acres every single day of his life
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? he's never even been to the vet or taken medicine his whole life...he is 5 1/2 yrs old
Did you consult a vet and what did they say?
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this?

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? he carries his own cheap dry dog food and eats scraps
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? thats a tough one. some days he will not eat at all, other days he will eat 10 cups. he's binge eater :)
What kind of leash did you bring? i can count the number of times my dog has been on a leash in his lifetime on one hand
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) he carries his own food, and if its going to be below freezing, his own small pad/blanket to sleep on/with

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? the only injuries he has ever had have been self inflicting by doing something dumb, like getting in a fight with a raccoon that camp into camp one time (he did not chase it...the idiot raccoon came waddling into our camp
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? yes of course, just like I get ticks and bits
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? nope, very rarely if we are on a very dry stretch
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike? he's never been out for more than a week, so no
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take?

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time?see comment above
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time? no, the trails i use dont have shelters, but i would never bring him into a shelter anyways
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? he does like to chase deer, which is his one downfall as a hiking down (but he is a deer dog/hound, so what can you expect?
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers? never had any incidents, but i rarely see people on my hikes

10 characters

Phreak
09-03-2009, 13:00
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? Yes.
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently? Nothing.
If not, why not? Unnecessary.

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? Mutt - some type of shepherd mix
Age at the start of hike? 14 months
Weight? 48 pounds
Temperament? Quiet, extremely docile

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? Varies
Where and when did you end? Varies
How many miles did you hike each day? Up to 20 miles (12-14 average)
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how? Only twice. Once, we were on the Mountains To Sea Trail and the trail gave way near a road crossing and we tumbled down a 15' steep incline. Suzi injured her front shoulder. The other time she cut a pad while running around camp. I carry an extensive dog first aid kit. Patched her up and put a bootie on the injured pad.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? Yes, several hundred hours of direct training both at home and on the trail.
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? No need. Her paws toughened up naturally from hiking and trail running.
Did you consult a vet and what did they say? Yes, full examination prior to her first backpacking trip. She's healthy as can be and should have no issues with these activities.
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this? n/a

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? Evo Large Bites
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? Quart baggie for each day, I would add a foil pack of chicken to her dinner and freeze dried liver treats for during the day.
What kind of leash did you bring? Length of parachute cord.
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) Pack -yes. Very effective. She would carry lightweight items of mine - tp, snacks, etc and I would carry her heavy bags of food. Her pack weight is between 3-8 pounds. I carry booties in her first aid kit.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? See above.
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? Very few ticks. No other bites.
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? No.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike? She lost 6 pounds on our MST hike.
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take? Remove the ticks. Inspect her every night in camp as well as massage her muscles in the evenings.

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time? None.
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time? No.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? None.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers? None.

superman
09-03-2009, 14:17
Superman and Winter gave me the best advice for hiking with your dog. http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=dogs

Glad to have been of help.:)

JillOnTheAT
09-03-2009, 20:29
This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks and keep the details coming!

unclehud
09-08-2009, 23:41
I take my dog on all hikes, and almost always turn down invitations that include "no dogs."

Pallas Athena is a 7-year-old, 14-pound rat terrier and chihuahua mix (it appears - she's from animal rescue) who is wonderfully behaved in the woods unless you're a squirrel, a chipmunk, or a bear. She chases all of those she sees, but has never, ever, actually caught one. After four years of watching this behavior, I think her failure to catch anything is intentional.

She sleeps in my sleeping bag unless it's very warm, then she sleeps near my head. We've been on every mile of the AT at least four times (including a seven-day, non-stop, 80-mile Georgia "thru-hike"), on almost all the BMT in Georgia, and on most of the north Georgia State Park trails. We never do more than 12 miles a day; usually around 6 to 8 miles a day because of travel time from the city. She has never been injured, including any paw disorders, although she once chased a bear so deep into the woods I was sure I'd never see her again. After fifteen minutes, though, she pranced back onto the trail less than 10 feet from where she took off.

Because I travel with a dog, I feel obligated to stay out of trail shelters. There are many fellow wanderers who don't appreciate dogs on the trail and, unfortunately, judge Pallas and me based on stereotypes rather than who we really are.

Training? Some. She understands when I say "stop," "stay close," "let's go," and "it's OK." We hike a lot in local wooded parklands, and have years of experience off the leash. If aggressive dogs with irresponsible owners appear, I pick her up. She eats her regular food on the trail, although about 50% more than at the house, and I am generous with her usual treats. When she's looking tired, I'll offer a half-bite of my energy bar. We have fold-up bowls for food and water on the trail, but she's learned to drink water from my cupped hand if we haven't crossed a stream recently.

She doesn't carry a pack -- she's only 14 pounds for heaven's sake -- and no longer wears the jingle bell I attached for our first year of backpacking.

All this from a dog who resides in an urban highrise and pees regularly in a large grassed box on our 24th floor balcony.

mudhead
09-09-2009, 05:41
The coonhound should have a rabies shot.

The Solemates
09-09-2009, 09:21
The coonhound should have a rabies shot.

he has one every year. we do the roadside clinics or sometimes he'll get one if we decide to board him for christmas, like this past year when we went to HI for christmas. otherwise, he stays at home and pretty much cares for himself, even when we are away. he is a wonderful dog....the best one we've ever owned (we've owned 5).

JillOnTheAT
09-28-2009, 22:42
Thanks everyone for your info. Keep the posts coming! This is so valuable!

JillOnTheAT
09-28-2009, 22:54
Thank you so much. Quick question: how do you carry a 65lb dog up a ladder? Even with a pack with a handle?

The Mechanical Man
09-29-2009, 03:23
Thank you so much. Quick question: how do you carry a 65lb dog up a ladder? Even with a pack with a handle?

I have carried a 100 lb Doberman lots of times, and a 17 lb wired hair terrier over many stiles, electric fences, barbed wires, and many other obstacles in my 25 years and 1,320 miles of hiking the AT with my dogs.


My advice for you would be to get a smaller dog, for your dogs sake. :)

mudhead
09-29-2009, 05:14
The coonhound should have a rabies shot.


he has one every year. we do the roadside clinics or sometimes he'll get one if we decide to board him for christmas, like this past year when we went to HI for christmas. otherwise, he stays at home and pretty much cares for himself, even when we are away. he is a wonderful dog....the best one we've ever owned (we've owned 5).
That is good. I read he had never had medicine.

Thank you so much. Quick question: how do you carry a 65lb dog up a ladder? Even with a pack with a handle?

You throw it over your shoulder, and pinch it to your neck. One arm becomes shorter, when climbing vertical.


Mutt will need to trust you. No wiggling allowed.

Harley&Me
10-07-2009, 16:51
---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? Yes
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently? Make sure I bought the right size dog backpack. His 2nd was the wrong size, so it rode awkwardly on him and eventually forced him off the trail due to rubbing issues
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? Labrador/coonhound mix
Age at the start of hike? 1.5
Weight? ~80
Temperament? High energy but loving.

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? Springer Feb 21, 2009 (the dog joined me at Hot Springs on March 14)
Where and when did you end? Katahdin July 18, 2009 (the dog ended in Hanover in late June)
How many miles did you hike each day? Usually 16-20 on average days. Longest was 33. Shortest was 4.
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how? Only in that I had to make sure that I had his food accounted for and could find a place for us to stay in towns.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? No. He joined me three weeks in, so any training that we did beforehand was lost. I did make sure that he was comfortable carrying a backpack before I hit the trail.
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? No. I talked extensively with his vet before I left, but she didn't recommend any pad products. He built up keratin over the hike and had zero problems with his pads (I feel very lucky). He did carry a small first aid kit that my vet put together (including anti-diarrhea meds and an anti-biotic, though I ended up using none of it)
Did you consult a vet and what did they say? Yes. See above. She was very enthusiastic about it and was in contact with me as I hiked along.
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this? Dayhikes (maybe 4 miles).

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? EVO. I would recommend this. It's "performance dog food" which means that it is more calorie dense so the dog can get the same nutrition while carrying less.
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? ~6 cups. I measured it by weight and gave him about a pound a day.
What kind of leash did you bring? His normal leather leash, but we didn't use it much.
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) He wore a Ruff Wear Pallisades Pack (size M). I would highly recommend it for all dogs. I like that you can remove the pack but leave the harness on (convenient for snack and lunch breaks). He also carried a set of booties but never wore them.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? Yes. I bought the wrong size replacement pack in New York and it caused him to develop sores on his elbows where the pack rubbed. I blame the mud in Vermont for worsening the problem and not allowing him to heal.
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? YES! Ticks are terrible, but they are part of the deal. I would check him every night before bed. One night I pulled over 100 off of him (north of Lehigh Gap).
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? He was kicking my butt the whole way. We both slept really well though.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike? He came back about 10 lbs lighter and the vet was very pleased with his new lean look.
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take? His elbow sores were the thing that knocked him off the trail as he could not have healed while carrying his pack every day. That was an incredibly tough decision, but I know I made the right choice.

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time? Almost none of the time. Only in towns and at major road crossings. He would walk ahead of me and I never had any problems with other hikers.
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time? Most of the time. I only used my tent about 10 or 15 times. I did not have any problems with people in shelters (which was a pleasant surprise. Judging by the people on this website, you would think that hiking with a dog is a deadly sin sometimes). I think one of the reasons I didn't run into problems was that I started early and stayed ahead of the pack (I was the 24th person to finish at Katahdin). It was nice not having to fight for a shelter spot, and some of the people I was hiking with sent their tents home because there were so few people on the trail.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? None thankfully.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers? None thankfully.


If you are considering a thruhike with your dog, feel free to contact me ([email protected]). You can also check out my blog at harveyat.blogspot.com (http://harveyat.blogspot.com)

Doooglas
10-07-2009, 19:19
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? Sure
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently?Nothing
If not, why not? It works. I'm with my dog every moment of every day. I'm a farmer.

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? American Bulldog
Age at the start of hike?:confused: 1 year. Her, not me.:D
Weight?90 lbs
Temperament? Great, unless provoked.Kids, chickens, rabbits,parrots, snakes, non aggressive dogs.No problem

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? A few times a week. In Costa Rica
Where and when did you end? Same day to 3 days.
How many miles did you hike each day? 5 to 10 or so miles.Not much in this terrain. 4 or five hours. Like today.
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how? Never.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? My dog is with me 24 hours per day.I'm a guide and plant collector.
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? No.
Did you consult a vet and what did they say? Yes ! No packs !
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this?
Same distance and more.

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? Rice and ground, dried black beans and ground deshelled corn.For both of us.
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day?
It depends on what I kill each day but 2 cups after cooking is about right.One meal.
What kind of leash did you bring? Paracord.???
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) Absolutely not.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? No
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? Bees and wasps......occasionally.
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? Heat. Like me.Not due to temps. Due to uphill effort.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike?No
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take?

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time? Never
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time?
We sleep in a hammock.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? Porcupine. I had to knock her out with ACE and remove the spines. Lost a day.I carry a first aid kit for both of us.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers?None.
A few roaming dogs ran after her and she shredded them.

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wrongway_08
10-07-2009, 19:37
---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? - Yes
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently? Nothing
If not, why not? Went well with not too many problems

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? Red Heeler
Age at the start of hike? Unknown, adopted while in Erwin TN, on the hike.
Weight? 45 pounds
Temperament? Relaxed like a Dead Head on concert night.

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start? Erwin started in Erwin Tn.
Where and when did you end? - Erwin ended in Harpers Ferry.
How many miles did you hike each day? Varied 11 - 25 miles a day
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how? Not really, other then if you wanted a hotel, cost $10 - $15.00 extra.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how? No
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? No
Did you consult a vet and what did they say? No
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this? 0 miles

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take? What ever I could find, wet or dry
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? ? - what ever he would eat.
What kind of leash did you bring? "Life is Good" leash and collar.
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) Pack only - after he hiked 400 miles, Ruff Wear pack.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? Copper head bite, dog bite, Heat problems, hurt leg. All on different days.
Did your dog get ticks or other bites? Of course, he was in the woods.
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue? Just the heat problems.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike? Varied about 5 pounds or so.
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take? Took shorter days and let him relaxe - same as I would do for me.

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time? When around people or first getting to shelters - Just to make sure everyone was okay with him.
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time? A bunch of times. Erwin was fine in the shelters.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals? Another hikers dog, the one he got bit by. Erwin tried to get away (hes a wuss!) but the other dog got him.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers? Nope.

Deadeye
10-08-2009, 08:05
---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again? NO

If not, why not? Other dogs would attack her, other dog owners would behave stupidly, and say their dog wouldn't hurt a flea (while their dog was barking/growling/biting), or otherwise couldn't/wouldn't control their dog

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed? Golden Retriever
Age at the start of hike? a few years
Weight? 75#
Temperament?Golden Retriever-ish

After a few day hikes, I stopped bringing her along.

Moral of the story - be a good dog owner, and prepare yourself for bad dog owners.

DRRouner
12-17-2009, 20:29
There are a lot of very interesting and diverse opinions of and experiences with dogs on this forum, but its hard to get a broader sense of exactly who has done what, when, why, how, etc. because its so distributed through the forum and embedded in various threads.

Many of us would benefit from a "just the facts" thread from dog owners who have hiked with their dogs. If you have hiked more than 1 week with your dog, would you please share the following basic information about your experience?

If possible, lets please try keep opinions/judgements to a minimum (there are plenty of other threads for that :)), just so that this can be used as one-stop-shop for essential facts/data.

Thank you so much.

Jill

---The bottom line, up front---
Would you bring your dog on the hike again?Passed away this summer at age 14
If so, what, if anything, would you do differently?Make her carry her pack more.
If not, why not?

---Basic stats about your dog---
Breed?Malamute
Age at the start of hike?3, 5, 7, 8,
Weight?110lbs
Temperament?ignore 99percent of hikers, would try to bully other dogs.

---Basic stats about your hike---
Where and when did you start?Springer
Where and when did you end?1998-Erwin, 2000 springer-abol bridge, Maine, 2002springer-Damascus, 2003 springer-troutville.
How many miles did you hike each day?15
Did having a dog alter your trip itinerary in unexpected ways? If so, how?Stayed more nights in hotel, worry more about water.

---How you prepared for your hike---
Did you train your dog for the hike? If so, how?Ran five miles a day.
Did you take health measures in advance, such as vitamins that strengthen keratin on paws? Took glucosamine.
Did you consult a vet and what did they say?No but had check ups along the way.
What is the longest your dog had ever hiked prior to this?20 miles

---Things you brought on your hike---
What kind of food did you take?depend what was available. Last attempt took dehydrated meat.
How many cups of food did your dog consume per day? 1lb plus half what i ate.
What kind of leash did you bring? eight foot coated cable, made myself
Did your dog use/wear accessories and how effective were they? (pack, booties) Lost several packs-just carried it most of the time. Took booties but used duct tape when she had a cut.

---Your dog's health during the hike---
Did your dog sustain any injuries and what kind? quills
Did your dog get ticks or other bites?No but face blew up when sniffing a flower gave her a allergy pill.
Did your dog show signs of serious fatigue?She was in charge-she could take a break whenever. The heat ended the last two hikes.
Did your dog noticeably lose weight during the hike?She started at 115 ended at 106. I lwas the one who lost all the weight
If yes to any of these, what measure did you take?I fed her extremely well in towns with plenty of meat.

---Your dog's interactions---
Did you keep your dog on the leash all/most/some/none of the time?some of the time. Wish she was better leash trained.
Did you sleep in shelters all/most/some/none of the time?Usually when it was just us.
What, if any, "incidents" occurred between your dog and other animals?Porcupines were her nemesis. Attacked by a owl.
What, if any "incidents" occurred between your dog and other hikers?[/QUOTE]Baltimore Jack kept petting her but she showed no long term effects. She did go in a shelter and walked on a couple's sleeping mat. I'm sure there more negative incidents between her and other hikers. Mostly she would startle them by her size. Or would brush against them when passing them. I probably never do another thru hike with a dog. It is very difficult on the dog and the person.

stinkytoe
12-17-2009, 21:24
Just finished my thru hike. My dog was with me the entire time (except GSNP and Baxter). He is such a beast of a hiker. Most who met him would agree he is more likable than most NOBOs.

Leon Smith
12-18-2009, 16:02
Bill Irwin hiked the AT with his dog Orient in 1990. His book Blind Courage is a great source for published information on getting from Georgia to Maine dog style. What' more, it's a terrific story. He depended on his dog like no other thru hiker. A used copy of Blind Courage can easily and inexpensively be found via Amazon.