Thankfully all is well, but a leash may have prevented this.

[John B]

And a big shout-out to JESSICA VAN ORD for her courage. I hope someone buys her a beer.

https://nypost.com/2021/10/14/dog-re...ter-five-days/

[John B]

From the Poughkeepsie Journal:

"“We are thrilled that it was possible to reunite Liza with its owner," Joshua Laird, the executive director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, said in a statement. "This incident is a reminder that the rules requiring dogs to be kept on-leash are an important way to protect loved pets, their owners and the park’s fragile resources."https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/2021/10/14/dog-rescued-ny-park-after-five-days-ulster-county/8448833002/

[rhjanes]

++100 to leash.
Our dog weighs 100 pounds and has "Sled dog" in him. He can and has pulled me to the ground when 'LOOK!!! A RABBIT' is seen out in the forest. I USED to let him off lead to romp. But three hikes in three weeks, resulted in a dog crashing thru the forest for 10+ minutes and one less jack rabbit at the place. The final straw was when he faked me out. Dragging along behind me all tired out....until I unclipped him for the final mile to the truck. OFF the side of the plateau he went down a CLIFF, chasing deer! Took 10 minutes of calling him to get him back up that face. Now i use a Doggy lead like the runners use and while he can still yank me to the ground, he's not diving off a cliff after a deer.

[Last Call]

Leash and muzzle should be mandatory for dogs on trails....

[Grampie]

Leash and muzzle should be mandatory for dogs on trails....

Sounds to me that your dog is uncontrollable. You should not bring him on the AT.

[cliffordbarnabus]

Leash and muzzle should be mandatory for dogs on trails....

yes, absolutely. and...not everyone loves dogs!

[Jonnycat]

Sounds to me that your dog is uncontrollable. You should not bring him on the AT.

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of people do not take the time to work with their dogs to instill discipline and behavioral control on a lead, let alone off it.

[Coffee]

Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of people do not take the time to work with their dogs to instill discipline and behavioral control on a lead, let alone off it.

It seems like over the past several years, people have excessively personified their pets, routinely referring to themselves as “dog mom” or “dog dad”, etc and posting on social media. Well, a dog knows it’s a dog and views its owner as its master and leader. If a dog doesn’t have that level of respect for its owner, it will attempt to take the reins as the leader. Dogs are pack animals, not with the mindset of human children.

[Traveler]

Leash and muzzle should be mandatory for dogs on trails....

Some 40% of the Appalachian Trail requires dogs to be leashed and most State parks do have leash laws in place for trails, though you'd never know it by observing owner behavior as a group.

[slowdive]

Some 40% of the Appalachian Trail requires dogs to be leashed and most State parks do have leash laws in place for trails, though you'd never know it by observing owner behavior as a group.

Just like the lady that has to do time for getting too close to a bear, people follow the rules that are convenient for them. Where I live in Florida dogs are not allowed in any park, however, you see them. The absolute best is dog poop in the middle of a trail. We have a little dog, but we realize not everyone likes dogs.

[JPritch]

I love dogs, have had them most of my life. But my hiking experiences the past two years have soured me to them on the trail. I've been nipped at a couple times by leashed dogs whose owners didn't pull them far enough off the trail as I went by. I've had close encounters with loose dogs, and last month in Wyoming had to pull my bear spray on an aggressive dog but lucky for it its owners came to grab it just in time. I'm at the point now where I don't like seeing any dogs on the trail.

[garlic08]

My friend lost his dog when it ran off a cliff chasing a goat in Colorado's Mt Evans Wilderness area. (If all my friends were perfect, I wouldn't have any friends.) I could not offer any sympathy, and he very well knew why. I had told him years earlier I wouldn't hike with him any more because of his habit of unleashing his dog. He was appropriately ashamed, and his fault added to his grief.

[Fëanor]

dog owners needs to be on leash too.. dog.jpg
At my local park they constantly break the rules.

[Jonnycat]

It seems like over the past several years, people have excessively personified their pets, routinely referring to themselves as “dog mom” or “dog dad”, etc and posting on social media. Well, a dog knows it’s a dog and views its owner as its master and leader. If a dog doesn’t have that level of respect for its owner, it will attempt to take the reins as the leader. Dogs are pack animals, not with the mindset of human children.

That is also indicative as to why human children have turned out so rotten ever since that book by Dr. Spock came out.

[Alligator]

Pretty unproductive thread at this point. Kudos to Jessica for crawling down that crack! She deserves a case of beer!