[pct-l] Dogs on trail, Campo to Julian

[Andrew Jones]

Besides the concerns already voiced by the other folks on the list, I would
encourage you to keep in mind that if the dogs are actually little, as in
small, that they will be taking many times more steps than you to go the
same distance. Julian is 77 miles up the trail, so you'd average about 15
miles/day to get there in 5 days. 15 miles can be a long way for a small dog
to go in one day. There isn't a whole lot of water on this section of trail,
so be prepared to carry a LOT of extra water for the dogs. Also keep in mind
that dogs don't adjust quickly to changes in temperature, so depending on
where they live it may be quite a change to go to the desert. The biggest
thing is to pay VERY close attention to them. Set aside time during trail
breaks, in the morning, at night, just to look the dogs over. Check for
ticks frequently, look at their eyes, feet, mouth, everything just to make
sure they're doing okay. Watch closely for signs of fatigue, limping and
exhaustion while they're moving. And most importantly, be ready to abruptly
change your hiking plans for them. Their well being is more important than
you getting to Julian in 5 days. That said, given the right sort of dogs,
they'll probably have a great time. Just look out for them.

Andy