Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog?

My apologies. Didn't mean to make it such a big advertisement. I
really just wanted to get the coupon code out to the group.

On to more serious things, I am heading up to the Porcupine Mountains
in Michigan in a couple weeks. (With my dog who is well trained,
doesn't "piss" on sleeping bags, knock over cooking pots, or jump on
other hikers). I haven't been there in about 5 years now but it looks
like they have added quite a few backcountry sites. Anyone been there
recently that knows what kind of shape that park is in? It is such a
great place to hike in the midwest but even 5 years ago there was a
fair amount of trash on the trail and left in fire pits. I hope it
hasn't gotten worse.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

booth321.DeleteThis@gmail.com wrote:
> My apologies. Didn't mean to make it such a big advertisement. I
> really just wanted to get the coupon code out to the group.

Ok, a spammer who thinks saying "sorry I spammed but I wanted
to get my info out" makes it ok.

> On to more serious things, I am heading up to the Porcupine Mountains
> in Michigan in a couple weeks. (With my dog who is well trained,
> doesn't "piss" on sleeping bags, knock over cooking pots, or jump on
> other hikers).

Sure. I believe that. I also believe the one about the fat guy in
the red suit who brings the babies on February 2.

I mean, there has to be a dog *somewhere* that is well trained.
I've never met it, on the trail or in the city. But it has to exist.

I suppose.
Socks
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

Agreed, that's a bad experience. Isn't this more a problem with the
dog owners though? As Melinda points out above, responsible owners
keep their dogs leashed and under control.

I love dogs and like to take my lab with me when I hike (where it's
allowed) but even I don't enjoy owners who let their dogs run free or
don't clean up after them.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

Melinda Shore wrote:
[snip]
> For whatever it's worth, I keep my dogs on 6' leashes at all
> times when we're on the trail.

Dogs. Plural. As in, more than one dog.

Oh, yes. I believe you keep them completely under control.
At all times, never the slightest bit of problem. And never
never never allowed to run around loose.

And I believe the guy in the natty suit and tie who says,
with a big cheery smile, "I'm from the government. I'm
here to help you."
Socks
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

In article <1147184630.425431.119590.TakeThisOut@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
Puppet_Sock <puppet_sock.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
>I mean, there has to be a dog *somewhere* that is well trained.
>I've never met it, on the trail or in the city. But it has to exist.

I hope the other dog people are paying attention to the
complaints from the non-dog outdoorspeople. There's a lot
of resentment out there, and very often for very good
reason.

For whatever it's worth, I keep my dogs on 6' leashes at all
times when we're on the trail. Ideally, you're not going to
get an opportunity to find out whether or not my dogs are
well-trained because you're not going to get that close
unless you choose to.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore.TakeThisOut@panix.com

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

Ilja Friedel wrote:
[snip]
> My feeling is (and I talked with some dog owners on the trail), that "dog
> people" see their dogs as "family". This (and the behavior of many dog
> owners) automatically puts non-dog people in the perceived social
> hierarchy under their pet. I don't think most people appreciate this.

Realize it yes. Appreciate it no.
Socks
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

Melinda Shore wrote:

> For whatever it's worth, I keep my dogs on 6' leashes at all
> times when we're on the trail. Ideally, you're not going to
> get an opportunity to find out whether or not my dogs are
> well-trained because you're not going to get that close
> unless you choose to.

I don't mind dogs on the trail. My last one passed on several
years ago, but I still have an affinity for pets.

Dogs are allowed off leash in the East Bay Regional Parks
in "undeveloped areas". This generally means away from
parking lots or picnic areas. I think the biggest problem
may be with dogs greeting horses, although I've never heard
of such an encounter going awry. I once tried to rinse off
the mud on my shoes, and dog saw an opportunity to get
a drink, although I didn't mind. The owner eventually came
over and cupped her hands so it didn't just spill. I asked
an owner of another dog if it was OK to pet it, and frankly
the dog kept on following me. It was cute and rather
nonthreatening. Now these were day hikers who were
able to find water sources for their dogs. I suppose it's
a far different situation with multi-day backpacking trips.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

In article <1147195864.620394.147360.TakeThisOut@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com>,
Puppet_Sock <puppet_sock.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Dogs. Plural. As in, more than one dog.

That's right, dumbass - one at a time. I have a dogsled
team and we've had problems encountering loose dogs on the
trail, too.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore.TakeThisOut@panix.com

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

"Puppet_Sock" <puppet_sock DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1147184630.425431.119590@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> booth321 DeleteThis @gmail.com wrote:
>
> I mean, there has to be a dog *somewhere* that is well trained.
> I've never met it, on the trail or in the city. But it has to exist.
>
> I suppose.
> Socks

I have seen one, but the other dog who was not well behaved made up for it.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

<booth321 DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1147188916.508431.239800@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Agreed, that's a bad experience. Isn't this more a problem with the
> dog owners though? As Melinda points out above, responsible owners
> keep their dogs leashed and under control.
>
I never met one that did.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

Add me to the list of people that hate dogs when I'm out there.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

In rec.backcountry Melinda Shore <shore.RemoveThis@panix.com> wrote:
> In article <1147184630.425431.119590.RemoveThis@j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
> Puppet_Sock <puppet_sock.RemoveThis@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>I mean, there has to be a dog *somewhere* that is well trained.
>>I've never met it, on the trail or in the city. But it has to exist.

> I hope the other dog people are paying attention to the
> complaints from the non-dog outdoorspeople. There's a lot
> of resentment out there, and very often for very good
> reason.

My feeling is (and I talked with some dog owners on the trail), that "dog
people" see their dogs as "family". This (and the behavior of many dog
owners) automatically puts non-dog people in the perceived social
hierarchy under their pet. I don't think most people appreciate this.

> For whatever it's worth, I keep my dogs on 6' leashes at all
> times when we're on the trail.

I found long distance hikers more thoughtful than day hikers. On the other
hand city people seem to be afraid for their dog when they take a stroll
with them in the wild and often enough leash them. You can never stress
enough what dangers threaten the average dog (cougars, bears, snakes to
name a few).


Ilja.
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog? 

In article <e3qldc$g4j$1@naig.caltech.edu>,
Ilja Friedel <ilja RemoveThis @clyde.caltech.edu> wrote:
>You can never stress
>enough what dangers threaten the average dog (cougars, bears, snakes to
>name a few).

Many, many years ago I used to take my (I thought)
well-behaved, well-trained dog out on the trail off-leash.
One evening as it was getting dark she saw a deer she wanted
to chase and took off. As in gone. So there we were,
wandering around in the dark for several hours trying to
find a dog that could have run 20 or more miles in the time
it took to finally find her. That was the end of off-leash
hiking for us. It doesn't even have to be an attack for bad
things to happen to your dog.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - shore RemoveThis @panix.com

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community
 >> Stay informed about: Hike, Camp, Backpack with Your Dog?