[pct-l] dogs on the PCT

[Jo Pegrum Hazelett]

Robert:

 

I wrote this down and thought I would post it to the PCT-L as I probably
should have done when you first asked the question about taking your larger
dog on a long hike. I know people get really worked up about dogs but I also
know there are lots of people with dogs who like to take them and do hike
successfully and caringly with them. Since the PCT is a forum for sharing
info I hope the dog disparagers will just hit the delete button now, and
those who are seeking info will take anything that's helpful and perhaps
share something in return.

 

My husband, dog and I are long distance section hikers. We hike two to three
weeks at a time from 20-25 miles a day and sometimes 30. We expect to
complete the PCT next year and Mr. Cody (Buffalo Bill Cody) has walked most
of it with us. Having said that, I'm not sure that I would take Mr. C. on a
through hike.

 

Our dog is 4 years old now and has been hiking since he was just under a
year. Deems (another PCT-lister) has a small dog and warned me to watch the
feet, especially on a larger dog. Our dog, being a border collie (75lbs)
like yours, is tremendously active and athletic and had/has no problem doing
25-30 mile days -under the right conditions.

 

So here are some comments from our experience-I hope you will find some of
it useful:

 

Heat:

Heat was a killer for him. Normally, he is a camel-drinks very little even
after great exertion but in the heat he needed quite a lot of water (at
least a cup an hour). Also, hot ground made his feet swell and granite would
just tear them up. 

 

Snow and Cold

He does great in snow and rain-He was born for it. On our last 300 mile
stint in Washington this summer, he was running circles round us when we
pulled in for the night!

 

Foot care: 

After making some mistakes we have found that it is essential to watch his
paws and make sure to address any problems immediately. We took him off the
trail in Northern Cal the year before last because of paw issues (hot
volcanic ground)-for a long distance hike you need to be prepared for that.
Having said that, our methods mostly worked quite well for him. Each night,
we put bag balm (available at any pharmacy) or paw wax (available at pet
stores, less messy but gets incredibly hard in the cold) all over the pads
of his feet every evening without fail. This tends to soothe the feet after
a long day on the trail and toughen them up so by the end of a couple of
weeks you might slow up the application. Our dog likes his "spa massage" so
much that we just keep doing it. (He thinks he's entitled to it at this
point anyway). We also give him an appropriate dose of baby aspirin-this for
potential achy bones at the end of the day. Although dogs tend to sprint if
left to their own devices, walking for hours on end without the usual dog
naps is trying on them. My vet and trainer recommended the aspirin and
although I don't know if that specifically does anything, I can tell you my
dog does very well. 

 

Packs

He also carries his own pack with 3-6 days food (up to 8-10% of his body
weight and usually much less). I know people disagree with this, but border
collies are quite bright, and he sees us carrying our food, and I think he
sees this as his job. I would never overload him but a small pack is just
fine.

 

Shoes

In addition, after trying every dog shoe on the market, we bought a pair of
ruffwear shoes with vibram soles which we used this summer in the northern
Oregon and Washington and they did the trick. Most dogs are not keen on
shoes and ours is no exception. One thing to keep in mind is that you should
not keep them on the feet for too long-they will cause blisters and other
problems-doggy feet swell too. We would put the shoes on the paws when
crossing fields of scree or other miserable rocks or hot surfaces and then
remove them for the more friendly patches. Our dog got so he would actually
get through such a rocky patch then stop short to tell us to remove them! It
was quite amazing.

 

Food

Initially we start him off on almost 50% more food than he has at home.
After 2 weeks, as with humans he needs more.

 

Benefits

This list has gone to great lengths to warn of all the problems with dogs on
the trail, so I won't go into that now. The problems are real and should not
be dismissed. Having said that, if your dog is one of those who does well on
the trail (and you probably won't know for sure until you try), then you
will not find a happier, better companion anywhere. And they love it, all of
it-the smells, the walking, the companionship of the pack, the guarding and
just being with you. In addition, they are great animal detractors. We have
had many encounters with bears in the past but none with the dog. My theory
is that bears can find easier pickings elsewhere and since they don't like
dogs, they just leave you alone. Many a time I have woken in the night to
hear Mr. C. make a low rumble in his throat and that's about it. I don't
know who he's warning but it seems to do the trick.

 

So hike your dog's hike and enjoy!

 

Jo

 

 

 

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