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[pct-l] RE: dog help



At 10:26 AM 3/26/03, you wrote:
>If I've ever been capable of empathy, it was for dogs
>thur-hikers had on the trail last year.
>
>Maybe the 2 dogs were just fine, but geez, they didn't
>look happy at all.
>
>Their owners may have been having fun, but I don't think
>the dogs got it.

I met a dog that was hiking with some thru hikers around Sierra City. The
dog looked happier than the thru-hikers......

When it comes to things like thru-hiking and ultra-running, I've pretty
much decided that dogs are similar to people - Some like it, and some don't.

 From what I've seen the individual dog is more important than the breed. I
had a 20# poodle mix that could hike or run 25 miles a day with me, and she
loved it. I've seen traditional running dogs like Dalmatians that wouldn't
have any part of it. I knew 2 Boston terriers that could go forever and
ever (at least till one of them got plucked of a trail by a Cougar.....the
owner didn't see the cat, but did find blood and the cat's tracks near
where the dog disappeared.)

I think the key is to make sure your dog is fit enough before you leave
(especially their pads,) play close attention to them and take good care of
them on the trail. They can't complain, and they won't usually make a fuss
unless things are really bad for them, and then it is too late.

If they look like they are having problems, let them rest, or send them
home. If that means you have to quit too, then that is part of the
responsibility you took on when you brought your canine.