[at-l] dogs

[spiriteagle99@xxxxxxxxxxx (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Shari wrote:
>I really am looking for more answers for the more practical aspects of
>hiking it with him- like dogpacks (I got some good advice about carrying
>his food), the terrain, rules of the different sections of the hike, etc.

Shari -
I'm not gonna touch the "dogs are bad" thing.  Or even the "dogs are good"
thing.

Ginny and I don't own a dog - specifically because we won't subject a dog
that we care about to the things we do and the places we go.  That's us -
and we may someday change our minds.  But not yet.

Why?

Let's start with the AT. Dogs are NOT welcome in the Smokies - nor in
Baxter.  Don't know about the Whites - anyone??  For those sections of the
Trail you'll need to arrange to have him picked up at one end of the
section, boarded and transported to the other end.  In the Shenandoah, I
think you're required to keep him on a leash at all times.

If we were hiking with a dog, the tent would need to be big enough for the
dog as well as us - that means extra weight to carry.  We have a friend who
hiked the AT and PCT with two dogs.  His Trailname  - "Dogman" of course.
We have a good example of how to do it.  And part of that example was to
NEVER sleep in a shelter.

You already know more about training than I do and I think you've also
gotten an earful about the problems created by untrained dogs.  I suspect
that may not be a problem for you.

What "could" be a problem is the dog's health.  You know as well as I that
the dog would follow you anywhere.  I know that some owners take that for
granted - and the dog pays the price.  Several years ago there was a dog
that died on the AT - basically of dehydration.  If you follow a "normal"
thruhiker schedule, in the South it'll be cold.  No - it'll be COLD.  Just
make sure your dog doesn't suffer from the cold. And realize that just
because it's cold doesn't mean that either you or the dog won't dehydrate.
There are other lists where you can get more help with that.

When it gets warm on the Trail, it can sometimes get REALLY warm - like 95*
and 95% humidity.   You'll suffer.  The dog will suffer more.  Especially
since, if memory serves here, you're coming from the West Coast.  Unless
you've lived in Houston or the mid-Atlantic states during high summer,
you're in for a surprise.  Be VERY careful to keep both of you well
hydrated.

Especially since there are towns which have taken to watching for Trail dogs
- and calling the Humane Society if one of them looks to be in bad shape.

Can you go all the way with a dog?  Probably.  It's been done before (except
for those places previously mentioned).  But - in trying to do so, you'll
also risk damage to the dog as well as increasing your own probability of
not finishing.

So - let's talk about the PCT - which is the next logical long distance hike
after the AT.  I don't know ALL of the PCT hikers over the last 10 years -
but I know a lot of them.  And I know of only a few dogs that  made it all
the way.  When we hiked in 2000, there were a gaggle of dogs on the PCT -
and to my knowledge, none of them made it beyond Old Station in northern
California. One of the problems is always the wear and tear on the dog's
pads - from either snow or sand and rock.

How about the CDT?  To put it bluntly - I wouldn't take a dog out there even
if I hated him.  Not even if I'd hiked the other two trails with him.  Why?
Take your choice - snow, desert, bad water, bears, other wildlife - or a
couple dozen other reasons. I don't know of any dog that's ever finished the
CDT.  Doesn't mean none has - just that I don't know about it.

Which brings up another point - your dog may be trained to ignore people,
but is he trained to ignore wildlife?  Could he resist trotting off after
fresh bear sign? Or a deer?  Or a skunk?  Keep in mind that in the South,
some of the shelters are inhabited by skunks.  They keep the mouse
population down.

Finally - if the dog goes, then your hike will be affected. There will be
hostels, restaurants and other facilities that you won't be able to use.  Or
you'll have to tie the dog outside with the possibility of not finding him
there when you go back out.  It'll also change the hike in that you'll need
to be constantly aware of your responsibility toward the dog.  There'll be
NO time at which you'll be free of that responsibility.  That can get to be
really wearing.  We've seen it happen.

No - I'm not telling you to NOT do it - just letting you know that reality
is not as kind to either dogs or owners as you'd like to believe.  Do the
research - talk to those who have actually done it - and be quietly cynical
about those who have theories but haven't actually done what you want to do.

And have a good hike.

Walk softly,
Jim


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