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#22 ·
Mine are pretty much always offleash. They wear florescent orange with reflective strip. Every form of identification known to man just in case.

I have pretty snazzy orange costumes for hunting season, orange vest, orange reflective 2" slide on collar, you can really see them. I also put it on my white when we walk the road in winter, because it is a quiet country road and I let him offleash on the straightaways, but you can't see him on a snowy/sandy road.

I have long dreamed of gps collars but too expensive.

I second carrying the paw patch kit. My girl once lacerated a paw pad really bad. She isn't big, like 65 lb, my husband was with me and we took turns carrying her out. Was quite a few stitches and a bit of crate rest. I also carried her down off a mountain once when she slipped on the ice and told me she had broken her leg for sure. When we got to the bottom she said she was fine and thanks for the lift!!!

But then I adopted my 75 lb male and now I have an 83lb male and I am just not sure how far I would make it carrying them. So its gonna be, I wrap it as good as I can and you walk out on it. I carry vetwrap, gauze, and a bootie.

I also always carry benadryl
 
#24 ·
Thecowboysgirl said:
I second carrying the paw patch kit. My girl once lacerated a paw pad really bad. She isn't big, like 65 lb, my husband was with me and we took turns carrying her out. Was quite a few stitches and a bit of crate rest. I also carried her down off a mountain once when she slipped on the ice and told me she had broken her leg for sure. When we got to the bottom she said she was fine and thanks for the lift!!!
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Indeed! I was lucky that it was my 65lb baby bitch that tried to bounce through blackberries and came up three-paw lame before I started carrying my kit. Carried her two miles back down but had to ask her to walk when it got so dark I couldn't negotiate carrying her, the rough terrain, and my light. Little trooper made it- but 5 of our 14 miles was NOT fun for her. I'll never make that mistake again!
 
#26 ·
Thecowboysgirl said:
Lol, I hate to admit it, but I am no longer in the shape I was in when I carried her down off that mountain. She was about a year and a half, I was a workout freak and still worked at the barn throwing around 50lb grain bags.

meh. I am not as cool as I used to be :(
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Love it! :grin2:
 
#27 ·
Remember that dog that was in the news...someone took it hiking and its paws got chewed up so they just left it up in the mountain when it could 't walk anymore? And then a team of volunteers went up there a d took turns carrying it out in a hiking pack and I think the owner then wanted it back. I think it was even a gsd or mix.

People boggle my mind. I would break my own back before I would leave a dog behind if it was that bad. I cannot fathom who went home to bed, knowing their dog was up there hungry, in pain and alone.
 
#29 ·
Omgosh! I hope that person was told an emphatic NO! and was charged for animal abandonment! My pups are SAR dogs and my girl is almost 90lbs and just turned 2! Yikes.. She is wicked athletic, but if she tore up her pads I'm packing almost what I weigh out.. Ugh.. My boy is a little less, but not much... Having a good first aid kit is important, but I'm ready to spend the night out there if I have to, my dogs don't get left..
 
#30 ·
Thecowboysgirl said:
Remember that dog that was in the news...someone took it hiking and its paws got chewed up so they just left it up in the mountain when it could 't walk anymore? And then a team of volunteers went up there a d took turns carrying it out in a hiking pack and I think the owner then wanted it back. I think it was even a gsd or mix.

People boggle my mind. I would break my own back before I would leave a dog behind if it was that bad. I cannot fathom who went home to bed, knowing their dog was up there hungry, in pain and alone.
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Yes, that dog was a GSD. That story made me absolutely livid, thinking about it now (years later) still makes me angry.


Paw care is important for extended trips. Tica lacerated one of her pads on the ice during one winter backpack trip, and I improvised a bootie out of a wool sock and some duct tape.


When we were hiking the Appalachian Trail we came across multiple lost dogs. Very frustrating, very upsetting, when you're miles (or days) away from a road and have limited dog food to begin with. Several of the hostels along the trail had resident dogs that Good Samaritan hikers found along the trail, owners were never found, so they stayed at the hostel and became permanent residents.
 
#31 ·
MineAreWorkingline said:
Don't they have some kind of economically priced disposable stretcher for dogs that you strap the dog to and drag it behind you in case of an emergency?
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Never heard of that but cool idea. Like I said, not too sure how I would do hauling the boy!! We live on Natl Forest with access to AT. Only went once last year and not sure the old gal can hack it anymore but would like to bring the boy.

Either that or must teach him how to ride over my shoulders like you see the MWDs. But if I go up there I am sure my husband would come and between the two of us we'd get him down one way or the other. On our land I always bring my phone a d have service so if I had to sit with a dog and wait for rescue I could
 
#32 ·
PS. I've referenced this forum before, but here's a direct link.


Dogs on the Appalachian Trail


In addition to honest gear reviews, anyone doing extended trips with their dog should read up on common complaints and gripes from NON-dog enthusiasts on that forum. If our dogs don't behave, more and more parks will continue to restrict canine access, or ban them entirely.
 
Discussion starter · #35 ·
Ok next question ....

I'm planning a one night hiking / backpacking trip in a couple weeks.... What would you do for bringing the dogs food!? They are raw fed so the potential of attracting bears and such some what worries me. And Since there are only two of us with two backpacks, space is clearly limited.
 
#37 ·
I use Real Meat brand dehydrated raw food, both for easy training treats and as replacement meals when needed. My senior, who I pulled off raw, gets fed a mix of home cooked and this food.
 
#39 ·
Chai said:
@WIBackpacker do you have a blog or something? Boy, would I love to follow you on your adventures!
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@Chai I'm kinda old fashioned, I like keeping small (paper) moleskin journals for travel, so it isn't digital. But people here have been very nice and welcoming of my photo-logue dog travel threads!

I bought a small box of Honest Kitchen and fed it a few times this month, both dogs licked their bowls clean. I'm going to try using that this summer for backpack food to further cut down on weight and bulk. I'm thinking if I mix coconut oil and and sardines/tuna pouches in for extra calories it should work well. Thanks for the tip, forum. :)
 
#40 ·
WI Backpacker- thanks for that link. I read through a few posts, but do you think hikers are abandoning the pet dogs they took on the hike, or abandoning "adopted" strays they started hiking with? When I hiked part of the AT we met a guy with a bear dog (hound) who had lost one of his hounds in Virginia when it took off after a bear. The dog he had with him was a different dog.

I think people should really think hard before hiking the AT with their dog. The trail dogs I see look miserable. Really miserable. Dogs aren't designed to do this type of hike, especially the pet type dogs most people have. Dogs don't even want to stay awake that much, which is part of it. The dogs are skinny, have no energy, seem very depressed. I'm sure not every single dog is like this but seeing trail dogs turned me off wanting to hike the full trail with a dog. They look miserable.

My dogs are super athletic, and I'd do a real wilderness trek up north over hiking the AT. All sorts of hazards and issues with dogs on that trail.

I would like to try for the women's assisted speed record at some point, though, cycling through my dogs in stages.

Anyway, I use Garmin Alpha GPS collar for my dogs when we are out on the trails. Love them, and well worth every penny. When we see other trail users I call my dogs in and step off trail to allow people to pass. It's important, especially with GSD to make sure nobody has reason to feel afraid of the dogs. I'm no longer surprised how frightened many people are of a GSD (type) and I make an effort to respect and accommodate that, even though inconvenient. I also select trails and times of day when there are fewer people.
 
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WIBackpacker
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