Is there really so much animosity towards dogs/their owners on the AT?

[Toolshed]

Hmmmmmm..... DOGSDOGsDOgsDogsdogs.....

Most pet owners (regardless of species or breeds) seem to think that their pets reign supreme. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, but it seems to be the norm. Most (those that I have ever met) will rave on and on about their pets:
- How well they behave on leash/off leash,
- How well bred they were,
- How they were the pick of the litter
- How they will never attack,
- How well they heel on command,
- How smart they are
- how well they read others minds/intents...
- How incredible their expressions are
- How much better they are than a human companion

Very rarely do I meet a pet owner with a stupid, snapping, growling, misbehaving dog. I know this because they all tell me otherwise. And when there is dog trouble, it is very rarely the animal's fault, because they never behave like this - Don't believe me?? Just ask the owner....It is always another animal (or another pet owner) or someone looked threatening or an extraordinary circumstance that their beloved pet couldn't help but act aggressive or defensive.....Or better yet - Well sure, it states a leash is required, but c'mon...not my dog, she's so well-behaved they don't mean me.....Just look at her....Sheesh... You anti-dog people are something else!!!!!

It seems a lot like driving on the freeway - Everyone in front of me is an idiot and everyone behind me is a jackass.

OK so how did I develop my take. Well for starters for owning dogs for more than 30 years, for growing up with dogs, for breeding dogs, training dogs and selling dogs. regardless of where I am, I take heed of any dogs out and about, not under control. I have been bitten, snapped at, jumped on deeply scratched on arms, legs and my trunk, had vehicles jumped on and scratched be some of the worlds most well-behaved dogs, I have had my kids bitten, scratched and pounced on by the most wonderful dogs you could ever meet (their just not used to kids running around or They must have thought the 4 year old was going to attack... Oh better yet, they only "jaw" when they play..Blah blah blah...)

All dog owners are correct in that nobody knows their dog like they do. In fact, I know so little about anyone's dogs, that I tend to treat them all the same - Especially when they run, off-lead, up to me or my kids. I treat them like I would treat any other unknown animal bounding up to me in the woods with caution, with respect and with my guard up and if they dog doesn't respect my boundaries, they will get a knee, a kick, a poke with a hiking stick..Anything to remind them to respect my boundaries.

And if someone ever treats my dogs that way, I understand..After all, I am a dog owner.

[WingedMonkey]

Not following posted and accepted rules for responsible dog ownership on the trail leads to a dislike of dogs in general.

[stonedflea]

i took my dog on my hike this past year, and for the first two weeks, i kept her on a 6' leash at all times that i kept strapped to my pack. but then we started hitting rocky or uneven sections more frequently, and we interfered with each other's pace and balance too much if we were tethered together. i kept her leash tied in a knot on top of her pack so i could grab it if i needed to.

i was extremely apprehensive when i began my hike BECAUSE of all the misinformation i got here on the WB dog forums. then, once i was out in the woods, i realized that 99% of everybody on the trail loved my dog, and no one was opposed to her being out there. i was even told that she was sort of adopted as the "team mascot" of the group of four guys i wound up hiking with for a while.

i didn't pack out her crap. she went off trail. she drank from water sources, but she waited for my command and she drank downstream. if there was no downstream (crappy water sources, ground springs, etc.), i would fill my nalgene and pour it into her dog bowl and she would drink from that.

go out and have fun. it sounds like you're one of the responsible ones.

let it be known that other than one dog that did belong to a thru-hiker (that EVERYBODY HATED), all of the misbehaved dogs that i met belonged to day hikers. two golden retrievers approached us barking in a dominant but non-aggressive way, and would not listen to their owner to back off. the other was a german shepherd that was leashed, and thank God he was because had he not been, we would have been history.

[Spirit Walker]

There are a lot of thruhikers with dogs and for the most part they are well behaved. It's just the few that aren't that give the rest a bad name.

As long as you sleep in a tent and don't allow your dog near other hiker's food, beds or water sources, you'll be fine.

What you might try is a 20' lead. That gives your dog more room to run and to make their own way across rocks and streams, but you can reel it in when you need to. We hike with a dog on a 30' lead, and it takes some work to keep it from dragging, (you have to pay attention) but Ben has learned to not get tangled with trees.


As to the PCT - it really is much harder on dogs than the AT. Why? 1) long distances between water sources, 2) very very hot, 3) volcanic soil that tears up dogs pads 4) sandy soil that tears up dogs feet, 5) snow/ice that tears up dogs feet, 6) difficult river crossings. We saw a lot of people who started the trail with dogs. By Yosemite they were all gone.

[Jeff]

I always thought it would be hard hitchhiking with a dog....especially in the rain. Turns out drivers often stop because they feel bad for the dog...not the hiker !!!!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Hmmmmmm..... DOGSDOGsDOgsDogsdogs.....

Most pet owners (regardless of species or breeds) seem to think that their pets reign supreme. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, but it seems to be the norm. Most (those that I have ever met) will rave on and on about their pets:
- How well they behave on leash/off leash,
- How well bred they were,
- How they were the pick of the litter
- How they will never attack,
- How well they heel on command,
- How smart they are
- how well they read others minds/intents...
- How incredible their expressions are
- How much better they are than a human companion

Very rarely do I meet a pet owner with a stupid, snapping, growling, misbehaving dog. I know this because they all tell me otherwise. And when there is dog trouble, it is very rarely the animal's fault, because they never behave like this - Don't believe me?? Just ask the owner....It is always another animal (or another pet owner) or someone looked threatening or an extraordinary circumstance that their beloved pet couldn't help but act aggressive or defensive.....Or better yet - Well sure, it states a leash is required, but c'mon...not my dog, she's so well-behaved they don't mean me.....Just look at her....Sheesh... You anti-dog people are something else!!!!!

It seems a lot like driving on the freeway - Everyone in front of me is an idiot and everyone behind me is a jackass.

OK so how did I develop my take. Well for starters for owning dogs for more than 30 years, for growing up with dogs, for breeding dogs, training dogs and selling dogs. regardless of where I am, I take heed of any dogs out and about, not under control. I have been bitten, snapped at, jumped on deeply scratched on arms, legs and my trunk, had vehicles jumped on and scratched be some of the worlds most well-behaved dogs, I have had my kids bitten, scratched and pounced on by the most wonderful dogs you could ever meet (their just not used to kids running around or They must have thought the 4 year old was going to attack... Oh better yet, they only "jaw" when they play..Blah blah blah...)

All dog owners are correct in that nobody knows their dog like they do. In fact, I know so little about anyone's dogs, that I tend to treat them all the same - Especially when they run, off-lead, up to me or my kids. I treat them like I would treat any other unknown animal bounding up to me in the woods with caution, with respect and with my guard up and if they dog doesn't respect my boundaries, they will get a knee, a kick, a poke with a hiking stick..Anything to remind them to respect my boundaries.

And if someone ever treats my dogs that way, I understand..After all, I am a dog owner.

+1. I have 3 young dogs, oldest 2 years, and generally they are well behaved though extremely playful. Do I trust them? Yes. 98% of the time? Yes. 100% of the time? No. That's why there's a fence around my yard, why they have collars, and why they have leashes.

[Tinker]

Both well-behaved dogs and well-behaved humans are a joy to be around .

Unfortunately, neither are 100% predictable.

I grew up with dogs, but haven't owned one as an adult, so I don't think I can really understand the bond between a dog and its owner.

Being objective is very difficult regarding this subject.

I'd have to say that if you bring your dog and he misbehaves, you should be willing to accept any consequences (same if the animal should get lost, run over a cliff, etc.)

Be a good owner and most people will be fine with your dog.

[Sierra Echo]

I like any dog that doesn't chase me around my mail truck!

[solobip]

girl, no worries. you sound like a very responsible dog owner. i hike with two dogs, and in the past, as many as 5. all off leash. i have NEVER had anybody say anything to me on the trail. it's only arm chair hikers on the internet who like to pretend they know everything.
that said, i don't stay in shelters because i hate them so nobody else has to put up with my dogs regardless. as for the leash law. well.. i don't take them through the smokies and they won't go to baxter state park, but other than that, they are always off a physical leash. the only exceptions are road crossings and towns. and that is because i don't trust humans. don't believe half the crap on this site. most of them don't hike.

Kanga said it all. I just wish I could have said it as well.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I like any dog that doesn't chase me around my mail truck!

They just want head pats ya know

[RetroGear]

One thing to bear in mind (although much less true in heavily-peopled areas such as the AT) is that you'll see more wildlife if the dog stays home.

[Papa D]

come meet my dogs. they'll change your mind.

what do you mean change my mind? I said that there are great dogs on the trail and their are dogs (an owners) that should stay home - that's about as "both ways" as it gets. Which way should I change my mind?

[Tinker]

One note to hikers when dogs are around - Keep your food out of reach (dogs get "hiker appetites", too ). Had it happen to me once.

Maybe there should be a thread on "Thruhiker bagging" - keeping your food out of the reach of hungry Thruhikers.

[Papa D]

One thing to bear in mind (although much less true in heavily-peopled areas such as the AT) is that you'll see more wildlife if the dog stays home.

yep - I agree with this.

[Camping Dave]

i have NEVER had anybody say anything to me on the trail. it's only arm chair hikers on the internet who like to pretend they know everything.

So I ran into 5 dog/owner pairs while out running last weekend. All dogs were off leash. All dogs were away from their owners. All dogs ran at me and showed enough "curiosity" that I stopped and walked around them. 4 time the owners said nothing and I said nothing. These owners are like you: causing a problem, indifferent about it, and choosing to pretend your loose pets bother nibody. The fifth time I told the owner her dog should be leashed and she got a little snippy. Her dog picked up the attitude and snarled. I assume she thinks I the a-hole in this situation. Lucky for me she didn't have enough dogs for their pack mentality to take over, like you would have.

Both of these responses are typical of owners who don't leash their dogs when local regulations require it.

[Sierra Echo]

They just want head pats ya know

Well they should have said something!

[Don H]

One thing to bear in mind (although much less true in heavily-peopled areas such as the AT) is that you'll see more wildlife if the dog stays home.

And you'll see less bears in camp.

[ALLEGHENY]

Hmmmmmm..... DOGSDOGsDOgsDogsdogs.....

Most pet owners (regardless of species or breeds) seem to think that their pets reign supreme. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, but it seems to be the norm. Most (those that I have ever met) will rave on and on about their pets:
- How well they behave on leash/off leash,
- How well bred they were,
- How they were the pick of the litter
- How they will never attack,
- How well they heel on command,
- How smart they are
- how well they read others minds/intents...
- How incredible their expressions are
- How much better they are than a human companion

Very rarely do I meet a pet owner with a stupid, snapping, growling, misbehaving dog. I know this because they all tell me otherwise. And when there is dog trouble, it is very rarely the animal's fault, because they never behave like this - Don't believe me?? Just ask the owner....It is always another animal (or another pet owner) or someone looked threatening or an extraordinary circumstance that their beloved pet couldn't help but act aggressive or defensive.....Or better yet - Well sure, it states a leash is required, but c'mon...not my dog, she's so well-behaved they don't mean me.....Just look at her....Sheesh... You anti-dog people are something else!!!!!

It seems a lot like driving on the freeway - Everyone in front of me is an idiot and everyone behind me is a jackass.

OK so how did I develop my take. Well for starters for owning dogs for more than 30 years, for growing up with dogs, for breeding dogs, training dogs and selling dogs. regardless of where I am, I take heed of any dogs out and about, not under control. I have been bitten, snapped at, jumped on deeply scratched on arms, legs and my trunk, had vehicles jumped on and scratched be some of the worlds most well-behaved dogs, I have had my kids bitten, scratched and pounced on by the most wonderful dogs you could ever meet (their just not used to kids running around or They must have thought the 4 year old was going to attack... Oh better yet, they only "jaw" when they play..Blah blah blah...)

All dog owners are correct in that nobody knows their dog like they do. In fact, I know so little about anyone's dogs, that I tend to treat them all the same - Especially when they run, off-lead, up to me or my kids. I treat them like I would treat any other unknown animal bounding up to me in the woods with caution, with respect and with my guard up and if they dog doesn't respect my boundaries, they will get a knee, a kick, a poke with a hiking stick..Anything to remind them to respect my boundaries.

And if someone ever treats my dogs that way, I understand..After all, I am a dog owner.

One reason I have a CC Permit for self defense against any life threatening or potential injury.

[Sarcasm the elf]

One reason I have a CC Permit for self defense against any life threatening or potential injury.

It's easy to talk tough on the internet. It would be more impressive if you posted something constructive.

[Maren]

While I don't have a problem with dogs on trails I really wish they would be leashed. About three months ago I encountered several unleashed dogs while hiking. Though none tried to bite or otherwise bother me one did follow me out to the trailhead where it then proceeded to run into traffic. I spent several minutes attempting to coax it off the busy road before its owners (who were within sight but stunningly oblivious to the situation) decided to step in and corral their wayward pooch. Leash laws are not only in place to protect people from dogs but to protect the dogs themselves.