From: neville@cs.washington.edu (Dorothy Neville)
Subject: Re: Dogs and backpacking
Summary: not again
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 20:37:03 GMT

In article <Bvxroq.3E3@news.cso.uiuc.edu> imkg2726@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Ilana M. Kingsley) writes:
>I'm interested in taking my pooch backpacking with me, but he has never
>done this.  He's a 2 yr. old malamute/collie that I recently adopted, so until
>he learns to come when called he'll be on a leash.
>
>[...]
>And any other comments you may have...
>

Ilana, this thread is beaten to death every year or so on
rec.backcountry.  The dog owners who think their pooch is wonderful
and an asset to the bakcountry and the others who just as vehemently
hate seeing dogs in the wilderness.  Various reasons include seeing
too many dogs being mistreated, such as by being dehydrated or paws
badly cut.  There are also questions about dogs spreading disease to
wildlife and harrassing them in other ways, not to mention the
possibility of attracting bears or other predators (mountain lions...)
Even the possibility of having a ranger or someone else shoot your
unleashed dog in the "shoot possible feral dog first, ask questions
later" scenario.  Many people just don't want to be hassled by
someone's poorly trained cur.

Neither side convinces the other, so another thread along this line is
pointless.  

But I don't think your "when he learns to come when called" is good
enough heuristic for taking him anywhere, whether on or off a leash.
Try to objectively ask yourself the following:

will he come when called no matter what, no matter what smells or
animals or other people he may be exploring?  Will he stay within
earshot and obey you immediately even when you are out of sight.  Can
you control his barking, his propensity to jump on people who might
not want him to.  how about encountering kids who might play rough?
is there any chance he'd snarl or bite?  If the dog gets out of sight,
and that will happen more often than not, unless you hike in open
desert, how will he behave toward other hikers, other dogs?  injured
wild animals?  How territorial will he be?  snarling or attacking
other hikers just for passing close to you, which is going to happen.
How territorial of your campsite, barking all night long because the
next tent is "too close" or you camped too close to the trail and
folks keep walking by?  How will he act if he encounters some hikers
sitting on a rock with their yummy lunch spread out?  Will he grab a
snack?

I have known a few dogs who have been trained well enough that they
can handle all the above, but I have also known way too many
dogs who weren't.  And yes, I have been hassled by them, even
bitten, by dogs whose owners believed their mutt to be well behaved.

My humble opinion is that the only way a dog owner can guarantee that
the dog will have fun and not be a danger to himself or others and
not bother other people is for both dog and owner to have structured
official obedience training.  This might also be the place to deal
with the other issues, such as crossing streams.

>I'm planning on taking him on the long trail, in vermont, over the summer and
>possibly to Big Bend national Park is Texas for Christmas (if dogs are 
>allowed).

Can't say anything about Vermont, but Big Bend, like all National
Parks (ok, there might be an exception but this isn't it) does not
allow any pets on trails or in the backcountry at all; while in the
campgrounds and other non-backcountry areas of the park they must be on
leash at all times.

Dorothy Neville

Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs