High Sierra Topix

Hi all!

This question aimed mainly at those who have thru-hiked the PCT, AT, CDT, etc. but I would definitely welcome any answers from other long distance thru-hikers (for my purposes, longer than a month).

If you have pets, what do you do with them for the months you'll be gone?

cats, dogs or hamsters? Wasn't trying to be flip as it's a great topic, but each species has different separation needs.

For instance, I've gone away for as little as a week and left my two different dogs at different times with my mom, and came back to the "your dog is dead" message on the phone.

I guess I'm primarily concerned with dogs--we're hoping to hike the PCT in a few years and own a pug (not much for hiking, pugs)--but I'd be interested in hearing what people do with other pets as well.

ok.. dogs. boarding is out (for me at least.) Costly and you don't know the others around them. You need a friend who likes your dog, or more importantly, your dog likes, and a friend you trust. Indoor v. outdoor dog preferences must be known up front. If a doggy-door is involved, train your dog to use your friends doggy door. Make sure the outdoor area is secured so little pugsly can't escape. If escape happens, make sure he/she has a chip.
Make sure they have a good supply of the food they're used to eating.

Just top of mind thoughts..

Why not take your dog with you? Now, while it is true that there are some areas your dog cannot go, like SEKI,Yosemite, if you look at the total number of miles of the PCT, you could be with your dog more often than not. And there is a lot of coming out to "civilization" to resupply, so the logistics don't seem overwhelming to me of getting the dog back home, or to other quarters. Just kind of a different take......

Taking your dog depends on how you do the PCT. If doing it traditionally, in one season, you will be doing 20-30 miles a day. I do not think dogs can do that, day after day. Particularly a small pug.

How old is the dog. Why not just postpone your trip until the dog is gone.

What about relative. My Mom took car of my dog for me summers when I had to work out of town a lot. She liked have a dog but did not want to commit to a dog for the 15+ years.

I wouldn't take a Pug (12" at the withers) on the PCT, regardless of age. I've seen JRT's stumble up and down the water bars near Piute pass and its not fun for them. Also, if you blow out a paw or two, you're carrying at that point. Also, dogs on the trail require training both in manners and paw conditioning. It adds a complexity to your trip planning.

I think your only responsible option is to have a family member or friend watch the pet.

Yeah, I suspected family member would have to be the case. The pug does enjoy hiking, believe it or not, and he can do about 5 mi/day, and the rest of the time we carry him if we're doing longer days, but this is only for weekender stuff. I wouldn't have the room to carry a 25 lb pug for 15 miles, nor would I have the inclination to do that. He would love to join me for neros though.

For those of you who've left your pets with a relative for 5 months, how well did the dogs handle it?

Thanks for all the great responses!