Re: Dog Packing
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 7:00 pm
Nice thread, I have lots to say about it, as some of you could imagine. I'll just answer a bunch of the questions in a stream of thought, in no particular order.
I always carry a leash for Callie, but I rarely use it. The key for a good leash is for it to have some elasticity, and for it to have an adjustable strap so that you can either put it around your waist or attach it to your waist belt, allowing for your hands to be free. For backcountry Sierra trips, the times I use it are: when I see wildlife such as deer or a bear and I want to dissuade Callie from making any sudden movies, when we run into other dogs or people who seem fearful of dogs, around camp if I want to keep her out of water as we are approaching sundown.
I carry the same food she eats at home. We feed her eukanuba premium performance food, which seems to have a very good calorie/weight balance and nutrition, as far as dog food goes. Like another poster mentioned, she normally doesn't want to eat much on the trail. I often fix this by putting a little bit of my dinner below hers in her bowl, and she ends up eating all of her food in order to eat a little bit of mine. We carry a rubber colapsible bowl, as well as another bowl from ruff wear, so that she has a water and food dish at camp.
I have never filtered water for Callie, and there was one time that she may have gotten sick from it, but I think it was unrelated. Either way, so far so good as far as I'm concerned. The prospect of keeping her from drinking stream water seems too much. Speaking of streams, she doesn't swim, likes to play in the water, but only up to her ankles. She is agile and can rock hop or walk over logs to cross streams, but sometimes I need to carry her.
She absolutely loves snow.
I've never run into any indication that altitude is a problem. The highest that I've taken Callie is around 12k feet. She is fairly invincible so this is not a concern.
What is always a big concern is her paws. She never wears booties and we haven't had any problems, although I just noticed that a layer of one of her pads wore off after a series of winter adventures this week. She is fine but I wonder how much more activity would be required to wear through the next layer and cause real issues.
We carry a small cut out section of a blue foam sleeping pad. She sleeps in the tent. She is crate trained so it is natural.
I would activate my SPOT for my dog, but more importantly, I plan my trips knowing that she could always hurt herself and be able to get out. I try to make sure that I'd be able to get her out. That is one of the reasons that I didn't get a bigger dog. I feel that, at 40 pounds, I could carry Callie out of nearly any place we go.
I don't think there is any sage advice to give to a dog owner to make their dog a great hiker. The dogs need experience just like we do, and it comes naturally to them over time. I think the one place where they really need our help is with rattlesnakes, so I recommend everyone gets their dog rattlesnake training if they are in areas where an attack is possible.
I always carry a leash for Callie, but I rarely use it. The key for a good leash is for it to have some elasticity, and for it to have an adjustable strap so that you can either put it around your waist or attach it to your waist belt, allowing for your hands to be free. For backcountry Sierra trips, the times I use it are: when I see wildlife such as deer or a bear and I want to dissuade Callie from making any sudden movies, when we run into other dogs or people who seem fearful of dogs, around camp if I want to keep her out of water as we are approaching sundown.
I carry the same food she eats at home. We feed her eukanuba premium performance food, which seems to have a very good calorie/weight balance and nutrition, as far as dog food goes. Like another poster mentioned, she normally doesn't want to eat much on the trail. I often fix this by putting a little bit of my dinner below hers in her bowl, and she ends up eating all of her food in order to eat a little bit of mine. We carry a rubber colapsible bowl, as well as another bowl from ruff wear, so that she has a water and food dish at camp.
I have never filtered water for Callie, and there was one time that she may have gotten sick from it, but I think it was unrelated. Either way, so far so good as far as I'm concerned. The prospect of keeping her from drinking stream water seems too much. Speaking of streams, she doesn't swim, likes to play in the water, but only up to her ankles. She is agile and can rock hop or walk over logs to cross streams, but sometimes I need to carry her.
She absolutely loves snow.
I've never run into any indication that altitude is a problem. The highest that I've taken Callie is around 12k feet. She is fairly invincible so this is not a concern.
What is always a big concern is her paws. She never wears booties and we haven't had any problems, although I just noticed that a layer of one of her pads wore off after a series of winter adventures this week. She is fine but I wonder how much more activity would be required to wear through the next layer and cause real issues.
We carry a small cut out section of a blue foam sleeping pad. She sleeps in the tent. She is crate trained so it is natural.
I would activate my SPOT for my dog, but more importantly, I plan my trips knowing that she could always hurt herself and be able to get out. I try to make sure that I'd be able to get her out. That is one of the reasons that I didn't get a bigger dog. I feel that, at 40 pounds, I could carry Callie out of nearly any place we go.
I don't think there is any sage advice to give to a dog owner to make their dog a great hiker. The dogs need experience just like we do, and it comes naturally to them over time. I think the one place where they really need our help is with rattlesnakes, so I recommend everyone gets their dog rattlesnake training if they are in areas where an attack is possible.