To take my dog or not?

[AAhiker]

I have always hiked with a dog. I hate leaving them home when I hike anywhere. On principle it just seems wrong. The issue I am debating is that I have Doberman. He is fairly athletic, and we run and hike whenever we can. But we avoid winter for a reason. I worry I will be miserable when I do hike the A.T. if he isn't with me but I also worry that he will be miserable because I can't keep him warm enough. Any thoughts?

[atmilkman]

Tough call. Hyper breed. Probably has more energy than Florida Power and Light. Think of the dog first.

[WIAPilot]

I honestly had to answer this question myself and ultimately decided to leave my dog at home for the following reasons:

1. There are several areas that do not allow dogs and I didn't want to have to board my dog.

2. Hiking so far can be really really hard on them. And it can be grueling on their paws.

3. I didn't want to put my dog in the position where he might attack or be attacked by a bear or other wildlife.

4. There are rodents and other animals that do carry diseases. If my dog fell ill or was hurt, I don't want to be miles away from medical help.

5. I didn't want to burden other hikers who might not share the same love for my dog.

6. I have read repeatedly that statistically, fewer people complete the trail when their dogs hike with them.

7. I had to be mature about this situation. There are MANY hikers who DO hike with their dogs and can refute every single reason I have listed. But I honestly didn't want to take the chance. It wasn't right for me or right for my dog and ultimately I had to put my love for my dog over my desire to have a great adventure with him.

[AAhiker]

That he does. He and I are actually in training for K-9 Search and Rescue at the moment because I thought it was the perfect working activity for him.

[Montana Mac]

I honestly had to answer this question myself and ultimately decided to leave my dog at home for the following reasons:

1. There are several areas that do not allow dogs and I didn't want to have to board my dog.

2. Hiking so far can be really really hard on them. And it can be grueling on their paws.

3. I didn't want to put my dog in the position where he might attack or be attacked by a bear or other wildlife.

4. There are rodents and other animals that do carry diseases. If my dog fell ill or was hurt, I don't want to be miles away from medical help.

5. I didn't want to burden other hikers who might not share the same love for my dog.

6. I have read repeatedly that statistically, fewer people complete the trail when their dogs hike with them.

7. I had to be mature about this situation. There are MANY hikers who DO hike with their dogs and can refute every single reason I have listed. But I honestly didn't want to take the chance. It wasn't right for me or right for my dog and ultimately I had to put my love for my dog over my desire to have a great adventure with him.

I thank you for you thinking of other hikers and your dog. I love animals but don't own a dog because I am allergic to them.

I was in a shelter cooking on a rainy day and a hiker arrived with his dog. The dog jumped up into the shelter and promptly shook off the rain water. I know it is a natural thing for the dog to do but it wasn’t the most appetizing or pleasant thing for my food. I really don’t blame the dog but it would have been nice if its owner had had it shake off under the overhang of the shelter. Not sure of it was lack of training or lack of consideration.

[AAhiker]

Just to shave some comments, I am hiking in 2015. I plan on doing a lot of hiking with him and build his trail manners on short hikes. Some thru's will meet him in a few weeks in Shenadoah. Also before he can be certifed as a working SAR dog he will have to pass his Canine Good Citizen so people and animal friendly won't be an issue. I do have to work on him not being scared of people with trekking poles. Right now grungy hikers(the coolest kind) with poles just look/smell weird and he barks at them but that will be solved by the end of this year. I plan on having him wear his pack even on short trips so his pits will be well conditioned to it. He is a newer rescue sothe first weekend of June will be his second overnight but as I LOVE hiking there will be more. He is going to finish the last 10 ADK high peaks this fall with me that my last dog started. We run 2-1/2 to 3 miles mon-fri on pavement not sure if it is enough to "trail-cure" his paws but I am hoping so. The other thing is I planned on hiking the trail with my Hennessy hammock so when commenting assume aside from possibly a tarp wind/rain barrier for my hammock and a sleeping pad he will be in the elements. I know that it will ultimately have to be my decision but I want all the help I can get. The real question is, "can I hike the A.T. and have both myself and my Dog enjoy the experience?"

[Suckerfish]

This guy did it, click on his links and ask him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lif6o8iE5cA

[Patton]

I had friends of mine hike with a dog and it was fine until it rained and the dog was awful smelly in the tent. I guess you have to decide if the wet dog odor and the wet fur is worth putting up with to have a companion on the trail.