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