How to tell when your dog is ready for a long hike?

202 Comments

How to tell when your dog is ready for a long hike?

*First, is it grown? Puppies or yearlings have no place on a long hike.
*Have you hiked with it a lot, including being out for several weeks at a time?

Just because your dog enjoys day hikes or weekend excursions does not mean it's ready for a thru-hike.

*How well trained is your dog?

·Does it respond to voice commands immediately?
·Does it bark or howl?
·Is it OK when you're not around?
·Does it deal well with strangers?
·Does it deal well with children?
·Does it deal well with other dogs, or other animals?
·Is it skittish around strangers, does it snap or jump at people, does it bolt to chase wild animals?
·Does it stay by you when off leash, or does it wander?
·Does it pee wherever it wants, including on things like tents or gear?

These are all things to consider.

*Are you willing to spend a good deal of time every day tending to your dog's needs and health, i.e. checking its feet frequently; checking for ticks; altering your schedule out of consideration for its health.

*A dog is NOT a pack animal. Are you willing, if necessary, to carry your dog's food, water, and other gear?

*Are you willing, WITHOUT COMPLAINT, to deal with the times where you'll be unable to do what other hikers do and stay where other hikes stay, because you've elected to travel with a dog?

*Are you willing to NEVER expect rules, regulations, policies of hostels, motels, restaurants, etc. to be altered for you, and are you willing to never ask people to make exceptions for you and your pet?

*Are you willing to forego staying in shelters, as there are many, many folks who don't wish to share them with an animal for any number of perfectly valid reasons?

*Are you OK with the fact that many Trail facilities and locations will be barred to you because you're with a dog?

*Are you willing to always obey the rules, regulations, and laws in certain places where dogs are barred, or where leash laws are in effect?

*On the Trail, in trail towns, and elsewhere, are you willing to ALWAYS be vigilant and aware of how your dog's presence and behavior is impacting other people? And are you willing to take immediate action when it's clear that your dog is creating problems?

*Are you willing to NEVER have other people being responsible for your dog, i.e. are you willing to forego certain things, and are you willing to never leave your dog alone and unattended where he might have a negative impact on either the location or the people staying there?

*Are you willing, and I mean REALLY willing to make an effort to clean up after your pet, in camp and elsewhere?

These are just a few things to consider.

But if your dog doesn't measure up here, or if you're not ready to do all of the above, then no, your dog is not ready for the A.T.

And 95% (at least) of Trail dogs and their owners are not up to the requirements listed above.

Plain and simple, the vast majority of Trail dogs need to stay at home and are better off there, and this is almost always NOT a dog problem, but instead, an owner one.

The plain and simple answer to "Is my dog ready to the-hike the A.T.?" is very simple:

In nearly every case, due to negligence, laziness, or apathy on the part of the owner, the vast majority of the dogs one encounters on the A.T. are NOT ready to be there.

Sorry to say it, but it's the plain truth. Most of them need to go home.

Article written by Jack Tarlin AKA Baltimore Jack

_{This article was originally published in forum thread:

How to tell when your dog is ready for a long hike?
started by
Jack Tarlin} _{View original post}

202 Comments

Jack Tarlin - 11-12-2009, 18:43
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Glad to see this thread's still going.

Gotta be amused by the guy who actually joined Whiteblaze with the name "Baltomorescorner".

I wish Jester were here as he'd certainly have some ideas on this......is this guy a "Baltimore Scorner" who holds me with eveident disdain? Or is he a guy with spelling issues who wants people to know he stands firmly in "Baltimore's Corner"?

Pretty funny, in any case.

Also got to spend some quality time with my landlord's Jack Russells today down by the brook before I went for hike.

The folks who seem to think I have a real problem with dogs might have been surprised.

I thought the dogs had a pretty good time, and no, our walk down by the brook did not include rope and cinder blocks.

im lost - 01-11-2010, 23:33
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Not a problem here never slept in a shelter with or without my dog. As far as dogs in shelters my vote would be no.

Nean - 01-12-2010, 00:31
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My puppy chow LOVES to hike.

I don't feel safe in the woods w/o her.

She's a chick magnet, and I need all the help I can get!!!

I've trained her to pee on people I don't like- while they're in the shelter

Snags09 - 01-12-2010, 01:29
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This is a good post, if not a little harsh, with many useful sugggestions. I just finished a SOBO with my dog and he was excited to hike nearly everyday. The word "hike" still cannot be said without an enthusiastic response. I did notice many of the things you said: more work, many exclusions, extra pack weight, dog haters, alternated schedule, etc. As for the shelter thing, I stayed in only a few and ONLY when I had it to myself. A tent is a must for more reasons than just keeping other hikers comfortable. It became his home away from home. A safe place. I used Advantix and aside from the occasional tick he never had an "infestation" problem. I too ran into a few dogs that had no business on a thru-hike but it was mostly an unprepared owner at the root of the problem. One thing that I noticed is missing from this article is the added expense. It costs more than just the price of dog food. (By the way, they are going to eat twice as much as at home) Most motels charge a pet fee. A vet visit (or two) is definetly going to happen. Advantix isn't cheap. Etc. You might be surprised by the amount of extra cash that is needed to safely get them down the trail with you. All that aside, if done right, a thru with your best friend will reward you in many ways. Happy hiking.

Phreak - 01-12-2010, 09:52
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Originally Posted by Gaiter

Why is Superman/Winter's article not in this section? Why is Jack the only 'expert' in the dog section?

Jack is the 'expert' on everything.

Rain Man - 01-12-2010, 10:06
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Originally Posted by Jack Tarlin

And saying this makes one neither "negative" or a dog hater.

I agree, though too many people engage in a form of "double-speak" and use the pejorative, dyslogistic term "dog hater" to demonize the victims of bad dog owners.

In my opinion, many falsely so-called "dog haters" are the true dog lovers. It's the bad owners who are more truthfully dog haters.

The term "dog hater" is just a red flag, in more ways than one. To me, it identifies the person using it, more correctly than it identifies the victims rightly complaining of the bad conduct.

I would say if the double-speak term "dog hater" is in your vocabulary, then you are not ready to take your dog on a long hike, even if your dog is.

I have dogs, love dogs, and have run into very fine dogs and very fine dog owners on the AT. I'm no dog hater just because I "hate" the very bad conduct of some dogs' owners.

RainMan

.

SGT Rock - 01-12-2010, 11:13
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Yep. I've been the victim of the "dog hater" label before. My dogs don't seem to think I hate dogs.

CrumbSnatcher - 01-12-2010, 11:56
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i'm happy that my dog and myself hiked all of our miles before joining WB
didn't realize we were breaking so many rules! i could give a **** less about all you dog haters

Jack Tarlin - 01-12-2010, 18:03
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This isn't supposed to be "expert" commentary.

Phreak, this is an old thread. I suggest you go and read Post #49 from way back in August.

There are good dog owners and bad dog owners. There are ones who can rationally discuss matters and there are those who take everything personally, especially the lsightest criticism of their pets.

Whenever this subject somes up (i.e. a discussion of dogs and dog behavior on the Trail) there's an immediate response from folks who go on defensive mode, and their response is to either fault the critic ("You don't know what you're talking about!!) or to villify the critic as a dog or animal hater.

In many, if not most cases, this criticism is uncalled for.

So no, I'm not an expert on this subject and freely acknowledge this. But I've encountered a lot of dogs out there and a lot of dog owners. If your experience with dogs is different than mine, then tell us about it, i.e. instead of criticizing me, tell us why you feel differently.

Truth be told, most Trail dogs are better off at home, and truth be told, in all likelihood, THEY are happier there, too.

Pittmama75 - 01-28-2010, 07:36
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So i'm new to all this... I have 3 young dogs that i'm still training but are very active. I want to take them for a day hike or a few day hike to relax myself and get away, they have little back pack to work, since they are working dogs and are always with me. They need to be outdoors and be socialized to new things that's why i was considering hiking, but it seems like everyone is so dog unfriendly that i shouldn't bother trying. I used to go and hike everywhere with my border collie and haven't been for awhile now... she couldn't do more than 2 or 3 miles towards the end. So should i not even bother trying to hike with my unwanted dogs, since the one does occassionally bark or talk back when he is ignored... he's 6 months and i'm working on it. But sometimes you can't train a dog to handle a situation if it's never in that situation...

Phreak - 01-28-2010, 10:30
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Originally Posted by Pittmama75

So i'm new to all this... I have 3 young dogs that i'm still training but are very active. I want to take them for a day hike or a few day hike to relax myself and get away, they have little back pack to work, since they are working dogs and are always with me. They need to be outdoors and be socialized to new things that's why i was considering hiking, but it seems like everyone is so dog unfriendly that i shouldn't bother trying. I used to go and hike everywhere with my border collie and haven't been for awhile now... she couldn't do more than 2 or 3 miles towards the end. So should i not even bother trying to hike with my unwanted dogs, since the one does occassionally bark or talk back when he is ignored... he's 6 months and i'm working on it. But sometimes you can't train a dog to handle a situation if it's never in that situation...

You should hike with your dogs if that is what you want to do. You should continue working on their training and trail manners.

DAJA - 01-28-2010, 10:48
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You know your dog is ready for the trail when they learn to be happy a d comfortable for six months on a leash. If you believe that's possible you should reconsider being a dog owner.

clicker - 01-28-2010, 11:06
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I work with dogs for a living, and have a Black Lab who just turned 2 years old. She has only done day hikes with me, and tented only for car camping. I plan on taking her on overnights begining this spring. She will carry a small amount of food, her pack bowls and treats. I would not push her too far for any reason.

My old dog hiked with me many times, never carried a pack because I could never find one that fit him well. Just had a weird build as a mixed breed.

In my experience there are no bad dogs, and Jack has stated this here and elsewhere, but there are bad owners. You must understand that not everybody likes dogs, or even just may not want to share their sleeping quarters with dogs. If you want to take your dog to a place that it is allowed (like much of the trail) but not everybody is there to be with dogs, it is your responsibility to make sure your dog is under control. It is also your responsibility to be ready to sleep elsewhere if someone does not want to sleep near your dog.

Also, if you do not want to sleep next to a dog then you need to speak up about it. I may not be the one to put you in that position and ask, I will just tent anyways, but others may not always be that considerate.

traildust - 01-28-2010, 11:59
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Baltimore Jack,
Thanks for the reminders. We plan on taking our black lab with us in 2011. This was helpful. We don't stay in shelters unlesss it is an emergency. In our previous attempts we have met several hikers with dogs and never had a problem. It is as rare as coming upon a rude, crude backpacker. But thanks for the helpful dialog.

Miss Janet - 01-29-2010, 00:55
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When he mopes around with his guide books all over the floor, pictures of Baltimore Jack hanging above his food bowl, and deep sighs coming from him whenever he sees white rectangles of any size...

Kel, the "Stickman" - 03-20-2010, 20:11
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A lot of good comments! I myself am a proud "Grandpa" of a sweet little "Grandpup", Misha. Although I enjoy her company, I limit our walks together, to just that, "our" walks together. I would never think to keep her in a shelter when others are present. In completing 800 miles SOBO, I had occasions to hike and camp around others dogs. Since I like dogs, I had little problems relating well to them. Therefore, I had little problem relating to their owners. I never had problems with hikers with dogs... not even with them in the shelters. However... I was fortunate to have plenty of room to keep distance between me, the dog, and the owner! I guess if I was to hike with a dog, I would definitely plan on tenting with it. I do believe in "hiking your own hike", but that act should not interfere with the hiking/shelter of other hikers. Let's just let sleeping dogs lie... ...Misha says, Bow wow, Bow wow wow!

Wise Old Owl - 03-30-2010, 22:39
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Originally Posted by Miss Janet

When he mopes around with his guide books all over the floor, pictures of Baltimore Jack hanging above his food bowl, and deep sighs coming from him whenever he sees white rectangles of any size...

Too much!

ACElder - 11-16-2010, 13:29
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Hmmmm... I wouldn't let this article keep me from bringing my dog. It's an unfortunate thing that it's the only resource here, becuase I think it perpetuates the worst stereotypes of dog-owners. For example, I'm laughing at the notion that "at some point in the year, all dogs are infested with fleas and ticks." Not if you use a preventative year-round... Standard practice for any respectable dog owner. Having a dog on a trail is a joy if done properly. FWIW, I've had great times on the trail with my dog- she's good company, usually runs circles around me, and it's comforting to know that no one will sneak up on me in my tent.

First of all, I'm not sure I'd want my dog camping in a shelter unless we had it to ourselves. In my experience, there are a lot of people who don't know dogs and would make trouble (unintentionally or otherwise). It's better (and probably less mouse-infested) to camp in a tent. You're there to experience the great outdoors anyway, right?

In terms of preparation: At a minimum, speak with your vet and have him/her check the dog before you start any exercise regimen. Talk to the vet about what you expect the dog will face on the trail (be realistic) and ask for tips. There is a vaccination that dogs who are frequently outdoors should get that will prevent Canine Leptospirosis, a disease caused by contact with infected rodent/raccoon/deer/fox urine. Also, you should condition your dog- just as you wouldn't expect a person to hike 10 miles out of the gate, don't expect the same of your dog. Learn and watch for signs of fatigue. Learn and watch for signs of common diseases. Take a first aid for dogs class before you go. Decide with your vet if your dog should wear booties or other foot protection. Decide with your vet if the dog should carry a pack, and how much weight they should carry. Take care that your dog drinks only from the water sources that you do- dogs can get giardia and other diseases too.

The questions asked in this article are good, if only to get people thinking about the kinds of issues that a dog can raise on the trail, as well as perceptions you may encounter in other people on the trail. You'll have to plan differently, pack differently, hike differently, and think differently when going with a dog. It's a little like hiking with a child in that your responsibility to your dog and his or her welfare must be at the forefront of every decision you make, even if it's the painful one to leave him or her behind while you hike.

For dog owners looking for real advice on backpacking with a dog, try this site for annotated links to resources on the web: http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/hike.html

Just as with other hikers, remember that your behavior affects those around you and those who come behind you. Be respectful (look at the other posts to this article for things that annoy people, and avoid doing them), and remember that anyone who will "eek!" or mutter under their breath at the sight of a dog on the trail probably isn't going to be your best bud anyway. Just give them a wide berth and enjoy your hike.

realdusi - 11-22-2010, 15:39
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Originally Posted by ACElder

"at some point in the year, all dogs are infested with fleas and ticks." Not if you use a preventative year-round... Standard practice for any respectable dog owner.
In terms of preparation: At a minimum, speak with your vet and have him/her check the dog before you start any exercise regimen. Talk to the vet about what you expect the dog will face on the trail (be realistic) and ask for tips. There is a vaccination that dogs who are frequently outdoors should get that will prevent Canine Leptospirosis, a disease caused by contact with infected rodent/raccoon/deer/fox urine. Also, you should condition your dog- just as you wouldn't expect a person to hike 10 miles out of the gate, don't expect the same of your dog.

Great advice! My vet also helped me make a canine first aid kit, and taught me basic canine CPR. I would also HIGHLY recommend booties for any dog doing long distance hiking. I work at a vet hospital now, and it's very hard to wrap and bandage a dog's feet and get the bandage to stay on even if they aren't doing anymore exercise than just walking in the yard. Dog booties can be used to help hold a bandage on, or act as a bandage itself if the dog gets a minor scrape or abrasion on his paw, or yanks a toenail off.
Also everyone should condition with their dog. It's a great way for both of you to get in shape, to get used to hiking together as a team and going over training. Plus dogs make can good exercise partners.

mweinstone - 11-22-2010, 19:53
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he fakes being lazy but the word hike, even if spelled out, gets him in a tilly.
he sleeps with his nose in your hiking boot
he has ramman breath when you come home

and the number one way to know if hes ready to go thruhiking is,....

stands by the door if you even post on whiteblaze.

How to tell when your dog is ready for a long hike?

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