You can always eat the dog if you somehow get hurt and nobody rescues you for a long period of time.
If you do take your dog remember that you can't take it into the Smokies,and ask yourself how does your dog react meeting other dogs.Originally Posted by general
Hey everybody, I am going to be starting my thru hike in late March with my dog. Believe me, I have given it tons of thought but the idea of not having my best friend there to experience everything with me is far worse than the extra money, possibly time, and aggrivating the unfortunate few that hate dogs. I am not planning on staying in any shelters so that is a null issue. As for hitching to town, I know that it will take someone special to pick us up but I'm not worried about it. I guess that my situation is unique in that I'm not having to worry about finishing in time to get back to work, and I don't really have a buget that I have to stay within. I know that it would be nice to every so often stay in a hostel or motel but I am OK with giving up thoes little things. Maybe I'm being a little blind about things but I know for me this is the way to go. I know that it would be much easier to get someone to take him home if he just can't do it, but it would be stupid to try and start hiking with him after I have already been on the trail.
I do agree that if you do plan on bringing your dog that he/she needs to be very well trained (not only manners and general obedience but also how to hike with a pack and how to act around other hikers and dogs). I have also spent some good time talking to my family vet about what to watch out for and how to best take care of him.
Any further advice that anybody could give me about doing the hike with my dog would be much appreciated!
Good luck to everyone! and me and my boy will see you on the trail!!
W and Otto
Skippy,I'm not trying to make a sale,but as you pass Franklin,NC.I have a little bus to bring hikers into town free.If you have a dog,stink,look ugly like me.You are welcome and I am pet friendly at our motels.How friendly?I don't charge extra for the dogs,but a deposit.I put
that in but I will help you with a dog as I do hikers w/out a dog.Enjoy
That sounds awesome Tiamalle!! Is there a limit on how big the dog can be (he is only 11 mopnths old right now and weighs 85lbs. should be around 115 by the start of the trail)? I'll make sure to make a stop! I am really looking foward to getting on the trail. I know that it's going to be a huge adventure.
I have been reading up on some of the other threads about taking a dog on the trail and I am getting kinda irritated with it. It seems that any problems that may arise are from the lack of the owners control of their dog. So with that said, if anybody has a problem with me or my dog ( which I feel is highly unlikely) please do not hesitate to tell me or any other dog owner what the problem is.
OK had to vent a little, people are getting kinda stupid about this whole dog thing.
Anywhoo, I'll put a pic of us up soon so say hey if you see us on the trail!!!!
W and Otto
Skippy --
This has all been ventilated elsewhere, and the dispute is an old one. Don't get too upset. But the "anti-dog" crowd has some very good points, and you need to recognize that, and deal with it in a positive fashion. Here are some:
--- It's easy to say that you won't use shelters, but you will. You'll make friends as you hike who use them, and you're not going to leave them each night to hike further up the trail. Shelters are where water is, where social life happens, and more. Your dog is going to be there, and some won't like that, no matter how nice he is.
--- You're going to keep a dog on a leash for almost every moment of seven months. If you don't, you run serious risks of losing your dog. I don't care how well trained it is...are you willing to unleash it and take even a small chance your "best friend" will disappear forever? I've seen it happen.
--- Your dog can't complain. You're going to have serious discomfort from this, with all manner of internal and muscular-skeletal issues. All of us did. Your dog will too, but you're not going to know when a lot of them happen. This is serious walking, and it's hard on animals to do that.
--- People are going to have legitimate problems with your dog, and not just from your control of it. Even if not in shelters, dogs intimidate many people, leave waste that is often/usually unburied (as much as humans do), and (if at shelters) are not welcome by many inside the shelter at night even in (or especially in) bad weather.
There are more, but the most important one is the first I mention. While there are people who have done the whole trail with dogs, a dog is going to make it harder in an infinite number of ways for you to finish.
The Weasel
"Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service
I agree, dogs are for shorter hikes and not for thru hiking. Leave the dog at home for their sake and others. No offense, I like dogs. Trained em for years.
RAT
Depends on the dog. I know some great hiking dogs. Depends on the human, too.
Weasel, I do agree with you 100%. He is not going to be off-leash and unless the weather is horrible (which I know does happen) we will be staying in the tent. I am a huge advocate of LNT and agree with you that his waste is going to be treated just the same as mine. The way that I am going about thinking of taking him, is to look at it from others point of view the best that I can. I, not only as a dog owner but as a fellow hiker, want everything to go smoothly not only for me and my dog but for everyone else that we may come across.
As I have said before, if it seems that he is having too hard of a time with the hike or people are not accepting of him (which could very well happen because he is not exactly a tiny lap dog, 85lb German Shepherd) I would much rather get him home so he would be happier and I can finish the hike without incident. I just don't want my actions by deciding to bring him on my hike to not allow others to enjoy theirs to the fullest. We'll just have to see how it goes...haha!
"We sit together, the mountain and I, until only the mountain remains." - Li Po
'07 NOBO
If the weather is horrible, might not that be the best time to keep him out of the shelter?
Even if the weather is horrible your dog and you should stay in a tent.
if your dog has a better stamina than you. then go grab him with you
Good point, German Shepards are really good eatin' tooYou can always eat the dog if you somehow get hurt and nobody rescues you for a long period of time.
RAT
Skippy:Good point, German Shepards are really good eatin' too
RAT
I'm VERY glad you'll deal with your dog's waste, but I think you're still making 3 mistakes here:
1) You're going to stay in shelters a LOT, good weather or not. It's almost impossible unless you are totally antisocial. A thru hike is as much social as physical, with friends made along the way helping you do it. Look at journals of people who finish: Everyone thanks all their friends along the trail. You're just NOT going to kiss them off every night and go further down the trail and pitch a tent. Sorry. I know you mean it, but it ain't gonna happen.
2) "Except in bad weather" is when you're gonna be very unwelcome with a wet dog in a shelter. I'm not sure if you know the size of shelters (small) and the hiker rule that there is always room for another person in bad weather. And if you start in the "season" that means jammed shelters in the rain/snow. You're going to be seriously upsetting a lot of people if you try to bring your dog in, wet and smelly, for a long term (day or two, sometimes) wait out of the weather.
3) If you were hiking with a lab or a cute mutt, that's one thing. But you have to know that German Shepherd scare the crap out of a lot of people. What's their other name? POLICE dogs? Because they can attack? I know, FOR SURE, your dog is gentle. But he looks like a coyote, he will scare a lot of people, and he will cause confrontations you just don't want.
Dude, we all feel for you. And you can do it if you want. But you're gonna be dooming your thru before you start, not to mention the problems for your pup.
The Weasel
"Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service
He's big enough to ride if you get tired,But I'll help you even if he's bigThat sounds awesome Tiamalle!! Is there a limit on how big the dog can be (he is only 11 mopnths old right now and weighs 85lbs. should be around 115 by the start of the trail)? I'll make sure to make a stop! I am really looking foward to getting on the trail. I know that it's going to be a huge adventure.
I have been reading up on some of the other threads about taking a dog on the trail and I am getting kinda irritated with it. It seems that any problems that may arise are from the lack of the owners control of their dog. So with that said, if anybody has a problem with me or my dog ( which I feel is highly unlikely) please do not hesitate to tell me or any other dog owner what the problem is.
OK had to vent a little, people are getting kinda stupid about this whole dog thing.
Anywhoo, I'll put a pic of us up soon so say hey if you see us on the trail!!!!
W and Otto
You know damn well the dog won't be leashed all the time and that dogs nose will pick up animal scents and will want to run off, and will if unleashed.
Case in point: Dropped a friend off with his lab at the north end of 100 mile wilderness. Heading south 3rd night out ,dog runs off chasing scent. A bushwack ensued in search of dog....no dog .Night fell ,dog returned sometime in the night all beat up from running in woods , had to be carried some till a logging road was crossed and followed out. He and dog managed to get a ride into Guilford and I got a phone call at 9:00 p.m on a rainy night for a ride,drove two hours in rain, dodged two moose(just barely) and retrieved their sorry wet arses, drove two more hours back*******. What a pain all because of the dog. Think about it.........
WALK ON
Seems like a dog under two years is pretty young for something this major too and likely will still be in a bit of a puppy syndrome, which means they are very curious and active.
As much as I will miss her, my beagle will be at home. I know she will miss me too and won't understand, but it's the best thing for all of us.
should I take my dog???
some dogs do well, some don't. my dog didn't have any physical problems in 1200 or so miles, but many others did. you'll experience some minor inconviences in some towns but you can manage. there is usually a least one hotel in towns that will take your pooch, however it may not be the cheapest and your dog may cost you an extra $20 or so on top of that. and yes, your dogs pack will hold about 6 beers when leaving town.
Good advise... as are some of the other posts. Be very careful to not over load your dog. I enjoyed the company of my white german shepard. I'm not that much of a hiker so the issue of hiking my dog into the ground didn't apply. On balance I would say that Winter made my hike better and easier. I'm considering re-hiking the AT in 07 but Winter is too old for a thru hike.
Last fall Winter and I were south bounding on the LT. We were struggling up and down the mountains so I said to her "you aren't so fast now...I'll bet you couldn't out run a bear any more." She said "I don't have to run fast...I just have to run faster than you."
One of the real joys of long distance hiking is when you are just getting to sleep in a shelter and a wet dog come in, shakes, and gives you a refreshing shower. Dogs will sometimes jump on tents knocking them down. This insures that next time the hiker will set their tent up better. Another real treat is when you are not looking and a dog eats out of your bowl. Many hiker could stand to be a bit leaner and a begging or stealing dog will insure you don't overeat on the trail. Any hiker that has tripped over a dog that runs between their legs will appreciate the value of hiking poles in keeping their ballance. Often hikers with dogs get to see places other hikers will never see near the trail while searching for a dog thet has run off. The sound of a hiker yelling at his lost or misbhaving dog keeps the rest of us awake. Dogs also often will chase deer and rabbits so you are safe from wild animals when you bring a dog. By all means bring your dog. It will be a joy for other hikers and may even run off a shelter cat or two so the mice population will not suffer.
[FONT="Arial Black"][/FONT]Don't fret the petty things, &
Don't pet the sweaty things[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][/FONT][I][/I]
(I'm moxie00 on my apple-moxie on my PC)
I would love to be able to take my best friend with m on my thru attempt next March.
That having been said there are way too many logistical problems with doing so.
1) SMNP does not allow them.
2) If memory serves me well there are a couple of others areas where it is prohibited.
3) it is hard on them because;
a) there pads on their paws are not made for long distances
b) not all dogs will willing allow something on their backs (carry their own weight - Not literally but figuratively by carrying their own food and supplies)
c) on days when you want to do BIG miles they will hold you back.
4) As mentioned before as much as you love them, many others do not.
5) Too many people let their dogs run free and that is an issue in and of itself. (You may feel confident in your dogs abilities and friendliness. In the real world though given their druthers, they will beg and steal food and get under other people nerves and feet.)
All of those things having been said, if you still wish to take you friend with you, think about others and the wildlife along the trail and keep your dog on a leash as much as possible. This sounds cruel but other hikers will appreciate you for it and you just may appreciate it for what it may do to keep you sane in the event that you come across a porcupine, skunk or bear in addition to the snake issues and then have to deal with a lost dog or a severely hurt or dead dog.
People domesticated dogs for a reason and that is the main reason why it is a somewhat bad idea to take one along.
That's my pennies worth of opinion/advice for what it is worth!
TOG
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