I agree 100%. Our golden retreiver is part of our family, and he goes everywhere with us. He is almost 2 years old, and is finally coming out of his puppy stage and beggining to mature. We took him to obedience training when he was 1 yr old, and it really paid off. When hiking, we keep him leashed if we are in a heavily traveled area, and turn him loose once we get out into the boonies. He stays in front of us on the trail, never leaving our site, and checks back periodically. As for waste, he always takes it upon himself to move well off the trail to relieve himself. Also, his presence gives my wife & I a certain peace of mind. I'm not sure how far he would go in protecting us from a bear, or even another human with ill intentions toward us, but his senses are 100% better than ours, and he lets us know when something is wrong or out of place.

Each dog should be treated on a case by case basis. Of course, everyone should follow pet laws that are in place for the area that they are visiting, but other than that, no one knows your dog and his/her abilities better than you. Remember, YOU, the owner, are responsible for all actions of your pet!

As for those people who say "Leave your dog at home", how would you like it if someone told you to leave your child at home?