Date: 2010-01-02
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Hiking with dogs...In my decision to bring along my pooch I didn't initially realize the complexity of this endeavor until I really began to think and do some research. There are many things that must be sacrificed to bring your dog along, these may be minor things such as carrying a few extra pounds or sleeping in a tent when your wet, smelly dog may not be welcome in a full shelter. There are many larger things that you give up on the trail such as some town amenities, keeping up with friends on the trail, and the ultimate sacrifice- leaving the trail if your dog is no longer fit to continue.In the end, you hike your dogs hike. Although I am still in the process of figuring some things out, here are many issues I have faced with a dog on the trail.1. Training- when I got my dog in October I didn't realize I would be hiking 2750 miles six months later. Kelly was a 1+ year old border collie with no training (she had no collar or leash, unvaccinated, and basically just ran loose outdoors), she was a shy and nervous dog around new people and other dogs... not a good thing for the trail and I knew I had a lot of work cut out for me if I was going to take her along. Since I got her we have constantly been working on socializing her and things have improved greatly from the dog who would flip out on a leash if she saw someone coming, to a dog I could walk calmy through some of the busiest streets in Seattle and in Cabelas the day after Christmas to fit a pack; one of her favorite places to go nowadays is the doggy park. She has a great sit and down on her and with or without a leash she is heeling well by my side. Our training will continue until we hit the trail. She has some seperation anxiety issues that need to be worked out and gets a little worried when she can hear something but is unable to identify. We also need to work on a recall when distracted but for the majority of the trail I plan on leashing her. I am confident by March she will be a great trail dog!2. HealthPerhaps the biggest concern for any pet owner is the current state of health of a dog attempting a thru hike. Kelly is young, lean, and fit and I pray the stamina she shows me at home will transfer over to the trail. I am prepared to do shorter miles and more zero days for her if neccesary. Kelly is spayed, vaccinated, and physically healthy. I am looking into other vaccinations for her such as Lyme's disease, I am currently researching which vaccinations would be greatly benificial to her on the East Coast and any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Kelly will be microchipped in addition to the id tags on her collar.3. GearOne very important part of taking Kelly on the trail is her gear. Although the gear list is still subject to change I have a general idea of what I will be taking for her. If I can find the right fit she will be sporting a ruff wear dog pack. The chest straps on the small were to big so I will be working to find an x-small to try on her. Kelly will be carrying some of the lighter, bulkier, and easy to access items such as her blanket, food bowl, pack towel, snacks, and some food. The rest such as her water, pad, rest of the food, her first aid kit, and any other items I decide to bring for her. I am currently debating whether or not to bring bootys, She has real tough paws and i've never seen them sore, but I may carry a pair just in case.Not only do I have to consider changes in her gear, but also changes in mine. I currently have a Hubba +1 listed in my gear list. At 5'6 there is plenty of room for her at the foot of the tent, she however, seems to have different views. When I promptly invited her in the tent she was quick to plop on the foot of my BA air core and when I showed her where she was going to sleep at the foot of my bed she sat up and gave me dirty looks for a long time- until we abondoned the trying out the tent for the night until I could figure out a better setup for her which will include a square cut from a walmart closed cell foam pad and a fleece blanket. I am not comfortable putting her in the vestibule as I don't want her to leave the tent during the night so I may have to upgrade to a two person tent. After coming home from dinner tonight my mom and I were quite concerned to look out at my tent to see what looked like two rips in the vestibule, upon further inspection I realized the dog had crawled under the vestibule by pulling up the stakes to fit under. She had a very comfortable nap in my tent while I was out to dinner. She loves to camp, but I am considering a tent such as the Lunar Duo in order for both of us to be more comfortable (and more room to protect my down bag and gear from wet dog on those rainy, muddy days).My current pack is a Granite Gear Vapor Ki which I have found very comfortable! Unfortunately this pack only has a reccomended weight of 30lbs. Since I will be carrying extra water and more gear for her, this may become an issue and I may have to find a larger pack to fit both of our gear. I am hoping I can lighten up my load enough to avoid this.4. Transportation, boarding, etc.The last issue i'll discuss tonight is getting the dog to the trail, boarding during the GSMNP, Baxter State Park in Maine, and getting off the trail. My mom is going to accompany me on a flight to Georgia. Although flying my dog was not my first choice of transportation, my choices were limited being on the opposite side of the country. We will be renting a car in Atlanta so my mom can help us get up to the trail. As of now I have reservations at the Hiker Hostel for March 9th, but this may change with my mom coming along. The biggest problems I was facing before my mom was flying over was getting the dog to Gainesville to shuttle her up to the hostel, and what I was going to do with the kennel she was in when we got her there. Plus, having the rental will allow me to get some last minute items for her and myself.Boarding in the GSMNP is going to be hard. So far I think I will be going with Loving Care Kennels in Pigeon Forge. For $250 they will pick up your dog to take to their facility, board her, and bring her back once you exit the park. The boarding will be hard, but I will try my best to prepare her beforehand. I'm still up in the air about boarding in Maine. When it comes to it, there are places availabe but my mom really wants to road trip out for the last few months of my hike. If this is the case, she will take the dog while I am in Baxter and assist us on our travels home.