[pct-l] PCT with a dog?

[mardav at charter.net (Marion Davison)]

I have to add my two cents.  I also hike with an australian cattle dog, a light colored
female.  We did section D in March 2002.  She did just fine with the snow and the cold days,
but as we hiked from North Fork Ranger Station to Soledad Canyon the temperature in the
shade was 100 degrees, and she was going crazy, digging holes in the shade under chapparal,
rubbing her belly in the holes, panting very heavily.  She was miserable, and she picked up
hundreds of ticks that we removed nightly for a couple of weeks after the trip.
Marion

Ddd51@aol.com wrote:

> I do a lot of day hiking in the Sierra with my dog, a mix of black lab and
> Australian cattle dog.  There are three factors that would deter me from taking
> him long distance through arid terrain; heat, lack of water and the trail
> surface condition. How they handle heat may vary by breed, but a large dog with a
> thick black coat appears uncomfortable when the temperature is above 80. Dogs,
> never having read survival guides only drink when they are thirsty and then
> only enough to quench their thirst. I tried to explain to my dog the
> re-hydration rule, if water sources are limited drink until you can't drink anymore, but
> he never seems to comprehend. As a result, he needs to drink about every
> three miles. I've been told that the surface temperature in places like the Mojave
> can reach over 140 degrees, even when the air temperature is in the 90s. Dogs
> will hesitate to walk on a paved street on hot days, much less walking 25
> miles on a very hot surface.
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