My NOBO hike is planned for mid March. My hiking buddy has an allergy to pet hair and is concerned about folks keeping their dogs in the shelter. How can this be handled tactfully?
My NOBO hike is planned for mid March. My hiking buddy has an allergy to pet hair and is concerned about folks keeping their dogs in the shelter. How can this be handled tactfully?
Education. He's not allegic to dogs - he's allegic to enzymes in animal saliva. Most dogs lick themselves and so do horses, cats as part of grooming. Pet the animal and touch your face or eye - and bang! The body reacts to it...
Partial Solution - Bath your dog before you go - allow him/her to jump in streams - Rugby has a command for that "Get a drink"
Real Solution - They get a dog. 6 months the allergic reactions stop because the human body can adjust. Measurable difference after three.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Future Son in Law was terribly allergic to animals. We have 4 dogs and 3 cats. That was 3 years ago. No problems now.
I forgot - You buddy can take benadryl too.
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
That's interesting. I don't mind education. I'll let her know to start sleeping with a dog now in preparation as apparently she'll have to learn to do so as no one here disputed the fact that they will be in the shelters. Not sure she'll do it (I'm pretty sure she won't).
In all honesty the most tactful way to handle this would be for your hiking buddy to avoid shelters and stay in a tent. You're not going to find many people who have decided to stay in a shelter for the night that are going to move out just because you have an objection something they are doing. Shelters are a public space and if you plan to use it then you should be prepared to put up with whoever else is using it (this is another good reason to choose a tent over shelters in general). From what I understand there no are rules prohibiting dogs from being in them and shelters are tricky since in practice the "rules" are (with a few exceptions) unenforceable guidelines.
Many dog owners including myself won't stay in shelters because we understand that not everyone wants a dog around and I don't always want my dog around everyone.
For what it's worth, I think that once you get on the trail you will find this to be a fairly minimal problem.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
bring a tent
Last edited by CrumbSnatcher; 01-14-2012 at 21:07.
Since your a medical expert i guess..., there are people that are allergic to animal dandruff as well and not just their saliva. My sister can just sit in a house with an animal in it for awhile and will have her allergies start going crazy. You don't have to touch them.
"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." George Orwell
Tell the hikers with the dog(s) about the allergy and see how that works out. I'll bet you'll get zero to leave a shelter or to not enter a shelter you've occupied. May even get a smart reply or two. Take a tent and stay clear of shelters. Otherwise, you may have trouble.
For lots of reasons, I think we'll be tenting a lot. But, on occasion, I know we'll be in a shelter. I don't wish to have arguments just wondering how she'll be able to handle this issue.
A considerate owner will not let thier dog into a shelter in the first place. Of course, there are pleanty of inconsiderate dog owners out there, most of whom are not thru-hikers.
If you show up and there is already a dog in the shelter, not much you can do or say, the damage has been done. Best to move on. If you get there first and a dog shows up, politely or not so politely ask them to keep the dog away because of allergies. And because the dog is muddy, soaking wet and your down sleeping bag is already spread out.
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You will soon find that the hikers that sleep their dogs in shelters are neither interested in you or their dogs comfort. Probably wouldn't want to be around them anyway.
The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
You never know which one is talking.
Why should the hiker allergic to dogs have to stay in a tent. If you are hiking with a dog you should be considerate of others. This includes on the trail and at shelter sites. I have 4 dogs and leave them at home when I am hiking. On my 2010 thru hike I was awakened by a dog at the Overmountain shelter because an inconsiderate owner came in late with his dog and let the dog sleep on my sleeping bag.
The operative word in your reply above is SHOULD. Shelters are public places and if you stay in them you have to deal with whoever comes around regardless of whether or not they are considerate. In my experience, if you're not willing to deal with others using shelters on their own terms than the best way to deal with it is to not use them. Just my two cents.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
From the ATC website concerning dogs on the trail: "Take special measures at shelters. Keep your dog leashed in the shelter area, and ask permission of other hikers before allowing your dog in a shelter. Be prepared to "tent out" when a shelter is crowded, and on rainy days."
So even if dog owners followed the ATC guidelines and asked you if it was OK for their dog to stay in the shelter you can't do anything about the dog that was in there the night before. Then you have the problem of mice which might also cause an allergic reaction.
Do yourself a favor and stay in a tent. You won't have to worry about sleeping in a dirty crowded shelter with snoring, stinking hikers that come in late or leave before dawn. The only shelters I stayed in on my thru-hike were in the Smokys where it's required. You can usually tent near a shelter if you want company or somewhere along the trail if you want privacy. You can't plan on always staying in shelters since they might be full so you'll need to carry a tent anyway. You're not missing anything by staying out of the shelters.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011