[pct-l] Dog hiking

[brick at fastpack.com (Brick Robbins)]

At 09:06 AM 1/15/04, CMountainDave@aol.com wrote:
>  Now these Indian dogs were far tougher than your average pooch. I would
>agree that most house dogs wouldn't stand a chance on the PCT.

I once had a little 20lb CockaPoo that used to run ultra marathon distances 
(more than 26 miles) with me. It took her several years to get to that 
point of fitness, but it did me too.

One day, I took her on a 30 mile "training run" with me and some other 
folks, a distance she was quite used to.

She knew the drill, and tucked right in behind the first person in the 
group, whomever that was at the moment (she always wanted to be the second 
member of the pack) and ran in his shade whenever she could. No wasted 
effort, just like the experienced long distance runner she was.

When we got back to the parking lot, she laid down in the shade panting. I 
got a ration of heavy duty sh*t from one of the runners who didn't know us, 
about how I was abusing the dog, and how tired and beat up she was, and how 
I should not be allowed to have a dog, and the SPCA should be told about me 
and my dog taken away.

Shortly after he reiterated how tired and beat up the dog was, a lizard 
came out of a bush near her and she jumped up, flew over to the bush and 
spend the next little bit prancing around the bush barking at the lizard 
until I told her to stop, and she came back and sat next to me in the shade.

A couple of the other runners who knew us sarcastically pointed out to the 
nay-sayer that HE was more tired and beat up than the dog, and HE should 
probably shut up. I just smiled and fed

I met a Golden Retriever in Sierra City who had hiked from Mexico, and it 
was one of the happiest, strongest, most well behaved dogs I had ever seen. 
This dog was NOT being abused. It obviously loved the trail.

Remember, it is the particular dog, not dogs in general.

I would also guess that the chances of completion of the a long trail by a 
dog are about the same as those for a person, for many of the same reasons, 
as long as the dog's master pays attention to the dogs needs, and doesn't 
push his own agenda at the detriment of the dog: but such a person would 
probably abuse his dog at home too.

As far the hike abusing the dog, I think that the abuse would be less than 
leaving the dog chained in the back yard all alone.

Just remember that as a team effort, a hike with a dog doubles the chances 
that a member of the team won't be able to complete the hike.