Dogs on AT - Appalachian Trail

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#21

I can go both ways with this thread. Dogs really don’t have the endurance in-shape humans do. Wolves can do up to 60 miles a day. Wolves are wild animals too. Household pets don’t have the properly built up pads on their feet to do 20 mile days over rocky terrain. I saw a few dogs this summer on the PCT and they all looked burnt out except for one dog that was half coyote(?) but that dog seemed to be properly conditioned and had the genes to succeed. The thought of a dog eating something contaminated with tapeworm eggs, giardia, or other pathogen that could find its way to my watersource really ruins my confidence in drinking water straight from the source. Seeing dogs on the trail this summer really lifted my spirits and brightend my day/week. If you are to take your dog on the trail have him/her checked out by a vet once or twice along the way even if the dog seems to be doing great. Keep a bell on the dog with a reflective collar so you can locate it if it runs off in the middle of the night. The bell will give wildlife a chance to flee too. Has anyone thru-hiked with a cat. I think that would be cool!

Spigot

#22

We go through this same topic about every three months.My own experience with dogs on the trail is very negative.I have been bitten twice by dogs running free from their idiot “owners”;have food taken from my hand by dogs not on leash;had a wet dog run over my new sleeping bag in a shelter.Please leave Rover,Spot,or Butch at home,he/she dosn’t belong on the AT.

old&in the way

#23

P.S. I now carry a can of Wasp spray on my sholder strap,a friend says she used it on a off leash dog at a shelter and the dog took off and was never to be seen again.

old&in the way

#24

Spigot,

I have read somewhere (can’t recall where though) that some did do the AT with a cat. As I recall the story, the cat was small and road all day (asleep) on top of his pack. When he got to the shelters in the evening, the cat would wake up, socialize, and then go hunting shelter mice all night while he was asleep.

I don’t know if that’s true or apocryphal, but it sure is a great image of some guy hiking along with a cat perch on his pack. Supposedly, he got almost entirely good reactions, especially when the cat kept the shelter mice at bay.

There is one verified hiking cat that I do know of though; she belongs to the Rohlands who run the AT Parking Database and they have pictures of her on the trail (dayhiking) with them. Here’s Rachel’s picture (because I can’t resist throwing in a picture of a hiking cat :smiley: ) So while I can’t exactly verify the idea of a thru-hiking cat, a regular old garden variety hiking cat is certainly a reality.

Strategic

#25

There have been at least two cats on the AT. Geek (Jim Adams) carried his cat the whole way. In '06 I saw a father/daughter pair hiking towards me (they were NOBO) and the girl had a cat perched on her pack.

Five-Leafed Clover

#26

How would you like to walk in socks (doggy foot pads), on a leash (around the neck of course - not a harness), for aprox 10 - 15,000 miles (compared to human 2,000 miles AT), along a rocky trail, on hot roads, in rain, humidity, etc. etc. just because your owner, sorry GUARDIAN, needs your companionship??? LEAVE THE DOG AT HOME!!!

woof

#27

Rico Suave: I hope you’re kidding about sneaking through the Smokies with your dog. Forget about the big fine you could face, dogs put you at risk of a nasty bear encounter. Just last year a mother bear had to be killed in Gatlinburg after it scratched a dog owner protecting his little Fifi. The dog and bear were trying to mix it up. There are reasons the park doesn’t allow dogs on trail. I regularly report hikers with dogs to rangers in the Park and they take it seriously.

deepsouthhiker

#28

Rico Suave proposes that he will bring three dogs on the trail at once: A Doberman Mix and a Pitbull/Mastiff, both of which tend to frighten people; and a Fox/Terrier, which would be too wild to have around due to the Fox part.

He’s pulling our legs–or trolling.

Conan

Conan

#29

Michael Vick fully supports hiking with dogs!

MV

#30

Busted !
I am against dogs on the trails-
Only because of the idiots (owners) that have no clue !
Yes I have met quite a few GOOD trail dogs but sadly they are the exception to the rule. Out of 10 dogs I see on the trail only a couple should be on the trail.
Good trail dogs are trained and have extensive experience.
Just bringing your dog on the trail-(we are talking primarily through hike, or a 2+ week hike)- does not “MAKE” a Trail Dog. Especially if you have never hiked a certain trail.
Now, if you have hiked a particular trail and your dog has stamina, obedience, character, poise and Manners ! MAYBE JUST maybe your dog qualifies for a try.
My motto is - QUIT TREATING YOUR DOG LIKE A DOG!
call me names and cry like a baby. this is my view point and if I allow you to step on my opinion then mister we have to get YOU an Attitude adjustment.
“how can we save a whale if we can’t even talk about it”
GP…

rico suave

#31

I’ve seen both good dogs on the AT and bad dogs… one guy in 2001 had a bloodhound that hiked a twenty mile section without his owner… in 2000 there was D-O-G the best dog ever… you know, I’ve seen a lot of assh*&es on the trail too… maybe humans shouldn’t hike… hey old and in the way… try spraying the owner instead… you spray my dog I’ll plant my leki in your chest.

ASWAH

aswah

#32

I wonder if the fellow would just keep macing you if you where attacking him with your trekking poles. Thats what I would do if a dog came at me, then the owner. Ive considered purchasing mace for the same reason. Sick and tired of dogs coming at me. Or maybe if you come at me with trekking poles I would round house kick you in the head chuck norris style. whose your buddy now?

MONSTRO

#33

What are you people doing out in the woods for 4-6 months if you can’t deal with a domestic animal? God forbid some aspect of your hike ever put you outside of your comfort zone; you’d risk personal growth.

Oh, and not to buy into the internet tough-guy thing or whatever, but I really hope you don’t think you’re going to spray someone’s dog with pesticides, mace, or even f***ing water and not be left bleeding on the side of the trail for a ridgerunner to pack out.

Sorry if my dog ruined your dayhike.:cheers

Dethmarch

#34

Dethmarch (or whatever your name is)
I hope I meet you and your flea infested mutt on a trail some day. We’ll see who walks away.
You are the epitomy of the problem with dogs on the trail. It’s there goddam, selfish, inconsiderate OWNERS

swamp fox

#35

Speaking of trail dogs, my brother hikes with his wife. WOOF!

John D

#36

You see a lot of thru-hikers with dogs in the south. You don’t see any in New England. That should tell you something. The heat, rocks, ticks and lack of water in PA take out the dogs that made it even that far. Along with quite a few thru-hikers!

PLEASE leave your dog at home. Your going to have to send it back sooner or later anyway. Doing a thru-hike is hard enough as it is, you don’t need the extra burden and responsability of taking care of a dog too. If your dog starts having problems and has to go home (and it wil), the chances are good you will abandon your hike too.

Slo-go’en

#37

Ruff Ruff, Ruff Ruff Ruff, Ruff, Snarl, Growl, Ruff.

Farsang’s dog (Wriggly)

#38

See why I said “Oh God No!” on the other threads.

Bite Me!

skeemer

#39

no! Dogs do not belong on the PCT, AT, CDT, or ANY hiking trail. There’s no bond that takes place with dog and owner when in the wild. A few years ago, I was hiking to a hotspring when I allowed my dog to threaten a couple at a trail junction just to prove a point. These folks were also camping “next” to the hotspring. They got their revenge by hiking out the next day, opening my car, taking a dump on the drivers seat and pissing on the passenger seat. They wanted to make their experience as nice as mine.

Spanky

#40

no! Dogs do not belong on the PCT, AT, CDT, or ANY hiking trail. There’s no bond that takes place with dog and owner when in the wild. A few years ago, I was hiking to a hotspring when I allowed my dog to threaten a couple at a trail junction just to prove a point. These folks were also camping “next” to the hotspring. They got their revenge by hiking out the next day, opening my car, taking a dump on the drivers seat and pissing on the passenger seat. They wanted to make their experience as nice as mine.

Spanky