I had an incident this weekend that is making me reconsider my views on hiking with dogs...

I love dogs and I had a dog whom was a great hiking partner until she got too old. She walked on a 30' lead at all times. I always cleaned up her poo and packed it out or buried it in a cathole where appropriate. When near people she was clipped to my side.

Maybe it's me getting older but it seems people with dogs are becoming less considerate with their animals...This weekend's hike in the White Mtns of NH this weekend there was dog poo littered like land mines all over the trail. I travel light and knew there was water around...I put my pack down off the trail to go filter and came back 5 minutes later to my food being ripped out of my bag? Owner thought it was a "hoot".

I don't want to sound like a moaner and groaner...I love animals especially dogs...All I ask is if you are going to bring a dog - please do what you can to minimize their impact on me and other hikers. Just because you like Fido jumping up and greeting you doesn't mean everyone appreciates muddy paw prints on them.

Thanks,
Bob

Bob, you are preaching to the choir here. I would wager that almost all of the people posting here who hike with dogs are the considerate, responsible individuals that don't inflict their pets on others. The dog "slobs" don't participate in our discussions and likely are the sort who get out once a year, if that: A lot of them don't know how to read anyway!

I would have been pretty upset with having my food taken out of my pack. If I feel threatened or about to get jumped on by a dog, I will either kick them or say no! and follow up with a shove or whatever is appropriate. A poorly trained dog around is a pain. I was with a couple people last weekend and the one dog hadn't been trained too good yet and would not come when called all the time and would forge ahead of us on the trail and had to be commanded to come repeatedly before he would come back.

The same thing applies with many people and their kids only you can't kick them or shove them when they approach.

You've expressed some of my sentiments. And I too had a wonderful backpacking canine partner who was never off lead. I firmly believe that practice saved his life when he slipped off a narrow trail into a fast running, glacial river. Which leads to another point...

Off lead, a dog is at more risk than on, IMO. I moved to my part of western Montana ten years ago. Since then, I've read of one or two instances wherein the dog(s) were injured by wildlife. But more tragically, I've read of a half dozen or more instances where the dog was caught in a trap. Most of those dogs died...in the arms of their owner because the owner could not free their pet, companion, and friend.

It's a sad, nasty way to lose a beloved animal...all because he/she wasn't on leash...

Just sayin'

FB

Unfortunately it's those slob-type dog owners that lead to more and more places being closed to dogs, and a lot less places where I can hike.

fiddleback
gotta agree with you. People think their dog has a god given right to run off leash, until the animal is severly injured. Anyone who takes their dog on a trip for protection is an idiot putting their dog in danger. If you love your dog, leash it when hiking or be prepared to lose it.
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Jim

We get a lost dog weekly out of my park. Sometimes it gets reunited with the owner, after the owner bails it out of the animal control center. Usually not. The signs at all trail heads require leashes. It's not just lost dogs. I go armed in the preserves now because of dogs that would "never bite anyone". Leash your dog!

In the Columbia River Gorge, every year at least one unleashed dog is killed due to getting too close to the often crumbly cliff edge and going over. This is especially a problem on the Eagle Creek trail. Last summer there was a particularly tragic case of a dog going off the cliffs at Angel's Rest, being rescued (by the Oregon Humane Society's rescue team) and having to be euthanized. The dog was not with its owner but with a friend who was temporarily taking care of the dog.

Leashes are required on all Columbia Gorge Scenic Area trails, so there is no excuse for any of these accidents happening!

Mouse,
I've had my dog try to wade into a swift mountain stream for a drink and a grabbed her collar and pulled her out. I was really scared, because she wasn't.

Now when we go up near that river she wears a body harness that goes behind her legs and around her body twice with one inch webbing and the attachment point is right behind her front shoulders, and has a leash strong enough to pick her up by it.

Also - in Oregon there are vast areas of volcanic rock including volcanic glass and other rocks that WILL slice dogs feet and legs to ribbons. A lot of areas are totally un suitable for dogs. Also most of eastern Oregon is desert and full of rattlesnakes. If your dog did not grow up around them and has not been immunized, letting her off the leash could easily mean a snake bite. Since my dog is a hunting breed, she may be out a quarter mile from me sometimes, then she'll come back draggin a piece of an animal.
Shes a good provider...
Jim

Gotta say I haven't really had any issues with dogs. Only time I've ever seen them was at or within a mile or two of the trailhead and no further and none have yet to be bothersome. But then I don't really see too many dogs in the mountains these days. I'm attributing that simply to people getting wise and maybe realizing bringing your dog along these days around here isn't too smart with all the wolves we've got running around.

But the day I do run into an unleashed dog jumping on me or rummaging through my stuff...!