[at-l] Hiking With Dogs- Response to Shari

[abyers@xxxxxxxx (Ann Byers)]

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Hi Shari,

I know how you feel, trying to obtain useful information concerning
your companion dog.  I LOVE my dog and he goes EVERYWHERE with me.
My attitude is, if he can't go neither do I.  I have NOT hiked the AT with my
dog but I have a year under my belt with him and last year he hiked all the
NH 4000 footers (48) and he is now an official canine member. I backpacked
with him nearly every weekend starting in May and ending in October last
year. I've also done some week hikes and plan on some longer ones this
year.  I do HOPE to hike the AT with him soon.

If you would like to correspond with me directly I would be more than
happy to write to you directly.  I am by NO MEANS an authority just someone
who LOVES her dog and has had some backpacking experience with him.
Here are just a few of the things I can pass on for you to seriously consider:

1. I started about a year BEFORE hiking with basic training of the dog to MAKE
sure he was socialized enough and would feel comfortable around different
types of people, and other dogs.  He needed a LOT of work on some basic
commands. Hikers do NOT want to run into dogs that will sniff crotches,
beg or eat others food, drink out of water supplies, jump up or stay in shelters.
Your dog need to be trained to full be on his/her BEST behavior even with some
very interesting external stimuli.

2. Conditioning of the dog.  I also worked on him for about 6 months getting his
pads toughened up and doing a lot of jogging with him.  He was up to 40 miles
a week with LOTS of hills and afternoons of catch and tug of war.  How conditioned
is your dog?  Could he/she withstand the demands of hiking every day for about
6 months??? Can your dog sit still in a canoe??? (There is a river in ME where
he/she will have to use a canoe ferry to get across a dangerouse river.)

2. The hike revolves around the needs of your dog.  The hike no longer becomes
your hike.  You will fully understand this when you start hiking with your dog.
For example: If he/she is having a rough day, if it's hot for instance, you will need
to either cut back on your mileage that day or not hike at all or hike at night.

3. You said:
>>"I will feel safer just having him with me-a lone female on the trail."<<

Actually that is a BAD reason to take a dog on the trail. The dog, as you know,
will take cues form you.  If you feel scared or on edge the dog will pick up on
that cue.  I tried very hard to make my dog NEVER feel that he needs to
"protect me".  YOUneed to work on, feeling VERY comfortable about staying
in the woods, alone and NOT having the dog react to every noise.  Believe me
this will work out BEST for both of you.  A dog that will wake up at every noise
will KEEP you up and you need sleep in order to hike the next day. There are
lots of noises, at night, in the woods, 99.9999% of the time these are very
benign noises.  So you need some training also.  Hiking is a very safe sport,
even for a woman hiking solo and you will need to feel a certain comfort level
with that aspect.  Since a good dog owner will not be staying in shelters that
means that you will be down the trail, on your own.

4. Dogs in general do NOT do well in the heat.  The cut-off point with my dog
is around 85 degrees.  You WILL hit days that are hotter than that.  Are you
willing to hike at night if necessary with  your dog if deemed necessary?
Are you willing to skip days if it gets too hot??? Are you willing to cut back on
mileage???  You mentioned that your dog is a Malamute/Shepard...sound like
long hair, do you know how he/she will do in the heat???

5. If you love your dog there are sometimes you WILL have to sacrifice your
own needs to provide for your dog.  Are YOU willing to go without water for
the needs of you own dog???  Sometimes the water stop you planned will
be dry and you'll need to make a choice, do you give the rest to your dog or
do you drink???  Dogs do not have efficient cooling systems, in my case
I have gone without to provide for my dog...maybe not too smart but I've done
it.

6. It is NOT always practical or safe to hike with a dog ON a leash.  There
are sections of trail that, IMHO, would be dangerous for YOU and the dog,
if leashed.  I have trained my dog for hand signals for right and left..something
you might want to consider.

7. Porcupines and rattlesnakes.  There are BOTH on the trail.  Are you
prepared to yank out porcupine quills?   It's NOT easy for either YOU or
the dog.  I carry along a multi-tool that has a good pair of pliers and YES I've
had to do it.  Then you must be willing to leave the trail, get the dog to the
Vets and get him some antibiotics.  Can and are you willing to do that?
Do you have a plan for your dog in the event of a rattlesnake bite?  There is
an area (I have heard from a VERY RELIABLE source) that there is an area
in PA teeming with them.

8. There are three places that I know of that your dog will NOT be allowed,
Baxter State Park in ME, a section in NY and the Smokies...I do not know of
any others.  I do know that MOST of the AT requires that your dog be leashed.
It is essential that you ALWAYS leash your dog around; water sheds, shelters,
fragile alpine areas and anyone who does NOT like a dog.  I tend to give
EVERYONE the right of way and I collar my dog when groups of people go by
if he is not leashed.

9. There are days when you probably will NOT want your dog to hike with a pack,
it simply will NOT be practical.  Steep sections, when you would be placing and
replacing the pack, VERY HOT DAYS when the dog needs as much cooling as
possible and days when you hit LOTS of water or when a dog has to FORD deep
water.  You need to make provisions in your pack to be able to carry his.  Some
dogs do not like pack and will take a LONG time to adjust to one.  MY DOG IS
one of these dogs.

10. There are a LOT of dog haters out there.  Even people who have good dogs,
dogs that are leashed etc. are targets.  Last year, I had a guy draw a small knife
out as he and his son walked past me and my COLLARED DOG.  He thanked me
for collaring my dog but said that the reason why he had the knife out was for
"just in case"...he said that last week his son was knocked down by an over
exuberant dog and that he wasn't going to have that happen again, he would
rather "slit the dog's jugular" before his son got knocked down.  Honestly,
I had all I could do to NOT REACT TO THAT.  I WANTED TO PUNCH THE GUYS
LIGHTS OUT!!!!!!!

There are LOTS more caveats I can give you but these are just a couple of the
bigger ones...please understand I am NOT anti-dog I just want you to fully under
stand what you need to address even before you consider doing this.

If you have read through all this and STILL are willing to put up with and address
all these things I have LOTS for you to read including a wonderful trail journal of
someone who did the AT with his dog.  The journal is written through the dogs
perspective. I have lots of links...just let me know and I'll gladly send them to you.
As I said, feel free to correspond with me directly.


Sincerely,
Ann