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[pct-l] Dogs on the Trail



Wayne,

To offer you some encouragement, you won't be the first deaf (or near deaf) hiker that's been out there.  Last year, Silent Runner (Patty Haskins) completed a northbound thru-hike.  In fact, she was quite amazing -- she started four days behind Scott Williamson (the guy who completed the first-ever yo-yo of the PCT), and managed to catch Scott at Kennedy Meadows.  She then managed to keep up with Scott all the way to Canada!  

A few years ago we had another 100% deaf hiker (who told us the funniest stories until we were just rolling).  He was hiking with his wife (or significant other -- I never ask).  

It sounds to me that you value and love your dog tremendously, and are justifiably concerned about the possible issues that the dog may have to endure out there.  Also that the hardest part of the hike might be missing him. Is there someone who might be willing to bring the dog to meet you at a few stops along the way?  I've heard of this being done.

-=Donna Saufley=-





-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Kraft <waynekraft@verizon.net>
Sent: Dec 16, 2004 7:36 PM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Dogs on the Trail

I've thought a lot about this.  I am serverely hearing impaired and, when I take my hearing aid and cochlear implant out at night, I am deaf for all practical purposes.  Folks train dogs to assist them in situations like this.  It would be nice to have a hairy companion to wake me up when someone is standing outside my tent yelling, "Hey, wake up in there!  You might want to run from yon forest fire!"  I have a big Golden Retriever named Major I've minimally trained in this regard.  He is a wonderful companion on the trail.  He always knows if there's someone ahead on the trail and lets me know.  He has learned to come back to me to leash up if there's someone coming.  He has alerted me to odd looking fellows lurking off the trail and generally he's just a great friend.  But he's a ten-mile-a-day friend, max.  Perhaps he could extend that with proper conditioning, but he seems disinclinded to the discipline.  I've known other dogs that are long distance runners.  I have a friend who takes her skinny mutt with her on long training runs.  He'll go twenty miles or more on pavement without complaint.  I can't see Major ever doing that.  I believe the Americans With Disablities Act would require all the parks to allow a hiker to be accompanied by an assistance dog on the trail.  I tried out this concept last year on some rangers at Joshua Tree National Park and they agreed with me.  Another concern I would have is rattlesnakes.  I would hate to lose a well-trained and beloved companion to a snake bite.  I understand there are very effective training clinics that teach dogs to avoid snakes and that would probably be a good deal for any canine hiking companion.

Bottom line: It all seems too complicated.  I've chosen to just put up with the deafness and its consequences.  















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