[pct-l] Dogs on the trail (and thru-dogs)

[montypct]

Andy  (and all)

Patcha in 2007 was a good dog.  So was Buddy in 2005 and Hank in 2008.  None 
felt the need to "Protect" or be the least bit aggressive toward approaching 
hikers.  These dogs were thru-hikers just like the rest of us.  They were 
very loved and part of the hiking community.  I have never met an aggressive 
thru-hiker dog.

All the dog owners of the dog problems I have had have been non thru-hikers, 
day hikers and non hikers.  There is a much, much higher percentage of 
problem dogs and problem dog owners than there are problem people on the 
trail.  Our fears and our experiences might be bring out responses in these 
postings from when we were threatened or abused by irresponsible dog/owner 
situations.

A few of mine include:

I was cornered by seven aggressive dogs just out for a walk.  Owner let them 
run ahead.

I was pinned on top of a bee's nest until the owner arrived.  I was stung 
eleven times by the time I got all of them out of my clothes.

I was, a couple times, face to face, with very threatening large dobermans 
and no owner present.

With the owner present, I just passed by his growling dog.  The dog jumped 
up and bit me on my elbow.

Two days before I was attacked by three large dogs and had to beat them off 
with my trekking poles, then return to fend them off again so my hiking 
partner could get through.

In all cases nothing was done to keep this from happening to the next hiker 
to come through.

Every time I hear a dog bark on the trail I get a bad feeling.  I never know 
what's coming next.

This is only a small part of my story.

Over and over, that threatening growling dog who has run ahead of the owner 
and the echoing words "He's never done that before."
I just want it to stop, but it's not going to.

Warner Springs Monty






Lightweight Backpacking
The fun goes up when the weight goes down
-Warner Springs Monty

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Erik The Black" <erik at eriktheblack.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Dogs on the trail


> Hi Andy,
>
> Don't worry about bringing your pooch with you on your hike. I'm sure she
> will be welcomed with open arms.
>
> When I thru hiked in 2007 there was another thru hiker Nadine who hiked 
> with
> her dog Patcha (not sure how to spell that) and Patcha was the most 
> popular
> hiker on the trail! All the hikers loved her and couldn't wait to see her
> and play with her.
>
> The problem with internet discussion places like this one and others is 
> that
> it does not give an accurate cross-section of the hiking community (or any
> community). There are many hikers who have never even heard of the PCT-L 
> who
> have very different opinions about things than you will read here. They 
> just
> don't want to sit around all day typing about them.
>
> The other problem with the internet is that people tend to act a lot more
> opinionated and grumpy about things than they really are. A person may be
> really tolerant and easy to get along with in real life, but they might be 
> a
> real jerk on the internet. I think it's just because when you are trapped
> behind a computer all day, life starts to irk you're a little more than 
> when
> you are out enjoying the freedom of the wilderness. I know that's 
> certainly
> true with myself.
>
> Here are three internet "myths" about PCT thru hikers:
>
> *  They are all ultra-light gear heads. Not true. I would say that the 
> vast
> majority of PCT thru hikers I met were not ultra light. Most had a base 
> pack
> weight of 14lbs or more.
>
> * They are against dogs, horses and mountain bikers. Not true. Most of the
> hikers I know couldn't care less about these and are perfectly willing to
> share the trail with anyone else who wants to use it.
>
> * They are hardcore environmentalists who have strong opinions about poop
> disposal, "leave no trace ethics", building fires, etc. Also not true. 
> Most
> of the hikers I know practice a much more laid back "hike your own hike"
> approach. They do what they do, and don't waste any time obsessing over 
> what
> others do.
>
> So please, take everything you read here with a grain of salt. I think you
> will find that once you get out on the trail everyone is much more 
> tolerant
> than you may expect. Even people with strong opinions tend to keep them to
> themselves. The wilderness has a great pacifying affect. It has the 
> ability
> to strip the most vitriolic crusader of his ideals.
>
>
> Happy Trails!
> Erik The Black
> www.eriktheblack.com
>
>
> ***********************************
>
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:15:28 -0600
> From: Andrew Jones <a.freddy.j at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Dogs on the trail
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
> <c75c07da0902170615u30f3fbb0yf6f8659dd3a8007d at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Okay, you guys are freaking me out. Here's the deal: my wife and I are
> through hiking this summer, and the dog is coming with us. I know the 
> issues
> with this - we've spent more time preparing for her being on the trail 
> than
> ourselves. We know exactly where she is allowed to go and where she is 
> not,
> what problems we may encounter (heat, water, etc.) and we've prepared for
> these. One thing we didn't anticipate is the enormity of the negative
> feelings towards her on the trail.
>
> She is a well-behaved dog that loves hiking, which she does entirely while
> attached to us by a 20 ft retractable lead, for her own safety. She 
> usually
> will not even acknowledge other people on the trail, but does enjoy 
> visiting
> with other dogs she meets - she has spent years living around our horses,
> and is used to all kinds of livestock. She is well trained, especially for
> the command of sit and stay, which she does well even at a distance from 
> us.
> She will not hurt you, and will not be allowed to approach you unless you
> ask to visit with her.
>
> So please, if you see a young couple hiking north with a large red/orange
> hound, do not attempt to maim/kill/eat this well-loved and well-behaved 
> dog
> or her owners. And please tone down the rhetoric, I WAS enjoying this 
> list.
> Emphasis on WAS.
>
> Andy
>
> ***********************************
>
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