So, I'm a young woman who adores both backpacking and dogs. I recently adopted a pup who will hopefully one day hike the AT with me. However, when I read some of the notes written on this message board, I start feeling anxious that dogs really aren't welcome on the appalachian trail. I am well researched on the difficulties of caring for a dog on long distance hikes, and that the AT doesn't allow them all the way through, and the difficulties of staying at shelters, and the diminished percentage I have of finishing the trail, etc…but I am concerned about whether my dog and I will be scapegoated by the thru hiker community. I have read posts by other dog owners who outline useful commands to teach them, but I find some of these posts overwhelming---I am training my pup to be a therapy certified dog, so both he and i are working very hard, but in the end no matter how much training I do he is still going to be just what he is, a dog: he's going to want to bark, roll in dead things, chase after squirrels, say hi to strangers, and hate to have to "heel" next to me for extensive periods on the trail. And really I don't want to train that all out of him, I want him to enjoy rolling in the grass and become excited by the smells of the earth, and I want hiking to be fun for him just as much as it is "work." I guess I am posting this because I want to know whether my concerns are justified, and whether, ultimately, the AT is a rewarding hike to accomplish and community to be a part of when you own a dog.