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

[stonedflea]

I summited on 9/7.

In looking through the ATC 2011 Harpers Ferry Thru-hiker pictures (359 total including section and thru-hikers) at http://www.flickr.com/photos/atconse...7625887686293/ I see 9 pictures showing 11 thru-hikerss with 12 dogs total. Some pictures show two hikers with one dog, and one, "Girl w/4 dogs" obviously had 4 dogs.

Comparing this list to the folks who registered for the 2,000 Miler Award in 2011 I can find only two names from the HF pictures, "Girl w/4 dogs" and "Duck".

Of course we don't know if the dogs finished since they are not listed in the record.
It's also possible that not all hikers with dogs had their pictures taken in HF or applied for the 2,000 Miler Award.
It's also possible that the dogs "stonedflea" describes as being "from the south" were not thru-hikers.
And as we know getting to Abol Bridge is finishing for a dog since they are not allowed in Baxter S.P.

It would be interesting to find out if "Duck" and "Girl w/4 dogs" finished with their dogs and if there are any others out there we don't know about for 2011. We might be able to determine if hiking with a dog increases or decreases your chances of finishing a thru-hike.

i did not see girl w/4 dogs in maine. she summited before august 8th. i heard from another hiker that her dad supported her hike and would drop the dogs off at convenient sections of the trail.

of course having a dog decreases your chances of completing a thru, just as beginning a hike with a partner you shared gear with would decrease your chances of finishing.

let me point out, though, that these 300+ pictures are only of hikers that reached the ATC by june. i was #700something and got there i believe july 12th?

i have their names written in my AT guide, but the only thru hikers whose names i can remember off the top of my head that i met with dogs were spud with his dog lucy and longtrail with her dog padma. the dogs i mention belonged to thru-hikers, not section hikers.

thanks for the link, btw.

[Don H]

Didn't realize I was looking at only a 50% sampling (359 out of about 700).
Girl w/4 dogs finished but the dogs didn't.
So based on my sample it would be fair to say less than 10% of hikers finish with their dogs?
What's the average for thru completions? I think its about 20%.
Maybe the ATC will finish posting the HF pictures and I can do a better analysis.

[Jack Tarlin]

First post in awhile but wanted to pass this along for the folks hiking next year.

Kincora Hostel in Dennis Cove, TN, near Hampton, will, with regrets, be a dog free establishment next year, for any number of reasons. (There are excellent campsites very near to the Trail, tho, and owner Bob Peoples says that hikers are still welcome to enjoy his free town/supermarket shuttle whether they're staying overnight at his place or not, but unfortunately, dogs will not be permitted on the actual property in the future. Too many problems, too many bad owners).

[CrumbSnatcher]

First post in awhile but wanted to pass this along for the folks hiking next year.

Kincora Hostel in Dennis Cove, TN, near Hampton, will, with regrets, be a dog free establishment next year, for any number of reasons. (There are excellent campsites very near to the Trail, tho, and owner Bob Peoples says that hikers are still welcome to enjoy his free town/supermarket shuttle whether they're staying overnight at his place or not, but unfortunately, dogs will not be permitted on the actual property in the future. Too many problems, too many bad owners).

thats too bad, been awhile since i've been there, but bob used to ask the hikers not to bother the big ole' dog stretched out sleeping on the sofa. bob loved my big ole' bear dog. year after year hikers wear out the welcome, maybe not on purpose but it happens. not just the dog hikers either. happy new year JACK tell bob hi for me

[CrumbSnatcher]

owning a hostel sounds like fun, but after so many years of it, i'm sure its a grind for most of them. wonder what the avg. life span of a hostel is?

[mountain squid]

First post in awhile but wanted to pass this along for the folks hiking next year.

Kincora Hostel in Dennis Cove, TN, near Hampton, will, with regrets, be a dog free establishment next year, for any number of reasons. (There are excellent campsites very near to the Trail, tho, and owner Bob Peoples says that hikers are still welcome to enjoy his free town/supermarket shuttle whether they're staying overnight at his place or not, but unfortunately, dogs will not be permitted on the actual property in the future. Too many problems, too many bad owners).

No Dogs Allowed at Kincora. Bob has also finally decided to increase his Suggested Donation a whopping 20% . . . instead of a $4 donation, it will be a $5 donation (or is that a 25% increase?!?). All of this updated info should be reflected in the 2012 Thru-Hikers Companion.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[Don H]

Of course feel free to leave more if you can. Unfortunately i heard stories of hikers not donating and even taking money. Not cool!
I stayed in the treehouse, very nice. And Bob was great!

[xiwang]

give it some sweat and bone,what it like

[Rasty]

I have been dealing with health inspectors for 20 years. They would close down every one I've seen. Maybe not the Hilton? That shelter is really nice!

Seems Odd that the ATC would take such a position.

You would think it against heath regs. In addition to sleeping in shelters, people cook in there!

But that's the ATC's position. Got to respect it (or at least recognize it).

I don't believe anything in a shelter meets health regs.

[m_factor]

First of all, I agree with what Baltimore Jack wrote. Most dogs do not belong on the trail and most of the problems with dogs on the trail can be linked directly to their owners.

One thing I didn't see discussed much in this thread is doggy first aid. Do you know what to do if your dog is injured? What if it's too serious to fix on the trail? Can you carry your dog out? Can you also carry your dog's pack? Will SAR come to the aid of a dog? Will you keep hiking if your dog can't? Do you have someone who will be willing to care for your injured pet if you want to keep hiking? Are you willing to get off the trail if your dog can't hike any longer.

As for dog packs, most dogs on long distance hikes should carry smaller packs than manufacturers and retailers would indicate. Also, most dogs don't understand the varying weight of doggy packs. Consider allowing the dog to carry a steady load each day while you carry their food and water.

For what its worth, I have allergies and do not want to be subjected to dogs unwanted attention. Usually, if there are people on the trail that want to pet a dog, they will ask to do so. I shouldn't have to say anything to the owner to keep the dog away.

For what it's worth, I have had hiking partners who had their dogs with them on the trail. In the cases where I spent the most time hiking with dogs, those dogs shouldn't have been on the trail. One stole food from other hikers, didn't keep his distance from those that didn't want him around and most sadly, hated getting going in the morning or after breaks. Another was a capable dog but the owner felt a bit too entitled and was one who asked for exceptions for the well-behaved dog. I've seen plenty of other dogs on the trail as well and those that belonged were rare indeed.

Herding dogs have their own set of issues. Consider a dog that tries to keep its human pack together. Not only is it annoying to a line of hikers on the trail, but it puts a lot more stress on the dog as it runs back and forth between the head of a line and the back - or strains at its leash.

I have a lot more written up about hiking with dogs on my web site at:

http://friends.backcountry.net/m_factor/dogs.html

Much of it reiterates what has already been said but gives yet another perspective.

Also, the ATC link posted earlier in the thread has changed. It is now at:

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiki...king-with-dogs

[CrumbSnatcher]

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[CrumbSnatcher]

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[Short Break]

Hello all, I am new to the site. I was looking for information on thru hiking and the wealth I found here is all most to much to read it all, but I am trying. My question is, does anyone know of any pitbulls that have made the whole a.t.? I am considering a thru hike and bring my 3 year old pup. I know you guys hear pitbull but he is not your ordinary pitbull. Super sweet and very well behaved. I work for myself and might be looking at some time off and figured I might give it a shot. Any other things I should prepare for more than the obvious (weather, fleas/ticks, illness, and pad wear). Also, what kind of backpack should I get him? I have no experience in buying a backpack for dogs, so I am looking for previous experience to guide my choice. Thanks!

[kanga]

Actually normal pit bulls are super sweet and very well behaved.

[Miami Joe]

Didn't realize I was looking at only a 50% sampling (359 out of about 700).
Girl w/4 dogs finished but the dogs didn't.
So based on my sample it would be fair to say less than 10% of hikers finish with their dogs?
What's the average for thru completions? I think its about 20%.
Maybe the ATC will finish posting the HF pictures and I can do a better analysis.

So, based on your sample, "Girl w/ 4 dogs" is a total B.A.! Seriously, a thru with four dogs? Now that's an astonishing feet of will power!

[Sarcasm the elf]

So, based on your sample, "Girl w/ 4 dogs" is a total B.A.! Seriously, a thru with four dogs? Now that's an astonishing feet of will power!

I bumped into her in NJ and she was only walking one of the dogs. She said that she was doing a supported hike with her support person taking care of the other dogs and swapping out which one she was hiking with so that they all got to hike some of the time. In a way I liked her idea a lot because it allowed all of the dogs sufficient time to rest up. The dog she had with her looked much happier and in better shape than most of the other long distance hiking dog's that I've encountered.

I never thought to ask her if she ever took all four dogs on the trail at the same time, that would have been something I would like to have seen.

[MissMagnolia]

Hello all, I am new to the site. I was looking for information on thru hiking and the wealth I found here is all most to much to read it all, but I am trying. My question is, does anyone know of any pitbulls that have made the whole a.t.? I am considering a thru hike and bring my 3 year old pup. I know you guys hear pitbull but he is not your ordinary pitbull. Super sweet and very well behaved. I work for myself and might be looking at some time off and figured I might give it a shot. Any other things I should prepare for more than the obvious (weather, fleas/ticks, illness, and pad wear). Also, what kind of backpack should I get him? I have no experience in buying a backpack for dogs, so I am looking for previous experience to guide my choice. Thanks!

I LOVE bully breeds and am all about education against stereotypes. That said, you may want to consider a few things. I don't agree with breed bans, but they exist, and if you take a bully breed through one of those towns, you could end up having your dog taken and euthanized. I don't know if breed bans apply anywhere along the AT, but it's quite possible. Another thing is to realize that many other hikers and people in general do believe the anti-pitbull propaganda and may react poorly to your dog, whether deserved or not. If your dog is not trained well, it will perpetuate the bad image of bully breeds, and if your dog gets in a fight, your dog will almost definitely get blamed, no matter who's fault it is (and it would probably be your fault, or the other dog owner's fault for allowing it to get to that point). What if a stray dog approaches? Is your dog well-trained enough to obey you? Finally, they have such thin coats and low body fat that I wonder if the breed would do well on such a long endurance feat and in the cold. You'd really have to prepare well and carry extra weight to keep your dog warm. I'd recommend a full vet exam including bloodwork and checking of the joints for any signs of dysplasia, arthritis or any other problems you may not know about yet before you make your decision.

But....if your dog is healthy, amazingly well trained, good with all people, animals and kids and you can keep it warm and healthy, go for it! Every well trained bully dog that makes new friends helps weaken the unfair stereotype that gets them murdered every day. I personally will NOT be bringing my dog (Beagle/Shepherd mix) because she has terrible hips and doesn't obey well (not well trained) and she'd probably kill me on her leash with all the running ahead then sudden stops to sniff right in front of my feet.

[Miami Joe]

I LOVE bully breeds and am all about education against stereotypes. That said, you may want to consider a few things. I don't agree with breed bans, but they exist, and if you take a bully breed through one of those towns, you could end up having your dog taken and euthanized. I don't know if breed bans apply anywhere along the AT, but it's quite possible. Another thing is to realize that many other hikers and people in general do believe the anti-pitbull propaganda and may react poorly to your dog, whether deserved or not. If your dog is not trained well, it will perpetuate the bad image of bully breeds, and if your dog gets in a fight, your dog will almost definitely get blamed, no matter who's fault it is (and it would probably be your fault, or the other dog owner's fault for allowing it to get to that point). What if a stray dog approaches? Is your dog well-trained enough to obey you? Finally, they have such thin coats and low body fat that I wonder if the breed would do well on such a long endurance feat and in the cold. You'd really have to prepare well and carry extra weight to keep your dog warm. I'd recommend a full vet exam including bloodwork and checking of the joints for any signs of dysplasia, arthritis or any other problems you may not know about yet before you make your decision.

But....if your dog is healthy, amazingly well trained, good with all people, animals and kids and you can keep it warm and healthy, go for it! Every well trained bully dog that makes new friends helps weaken the unfair stereotype that gets them murdered every day. I personally will NOT be bringing my dog (Beagle/Shepherd mix) because she has terrible hips and doesn't obey well (not well trained) and she'd probably kill me on her leash with all the running ahead then sudden stops to sniff right in front of my feet.

I respect your opinion here and I myself love bully breeds but I'd suggest against taking a pit on the AT. Most people are scared of these dogs and that fear could ruin a long-distance hike for you and your pup.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I respect your opinion here and I myself love bully breeds but I'd suggest against taking a pit on the AT. Most people are scared of these dogs and that fear could ruin a long-distance hike for you and your pup.

I respectfully disagree, as the owner you are responsible for your dogs behavior and well being. You are not responsible for other peoples irrational fears.

[Lugh]

Its all fun and games with one dog..but what happens when that hiker with the second dog shows up..dogs tend to react to one another. I'm a huge dog lover, i'd love to take my dog with me..but in the end its a selfish decision based on what we want, and not what is best for the dog. I don't think its a healthy thing for any dog of any condition. There are just too many bad things that can happen to it out there.

If you really want to bring your dog, i recommend doing the majority of hiking on your own, and a have a friend or family member meet you somewhere with your dog..hike a couple of days with it..and then send it home.