[pct-l] Hikers and their dogs

[Steve Scoles]

My experience with dogs on the PCT and other trails, over 40+ years, has been more negative than positive.  It is not one problem dog or owner out of 50, it is more like one out of three.  Last summer a great short trip was just about ruined for my friends and I when a German Shepherd invaded our camp and would not go away.  The dog was after our food, peed on our tent and gear, and jumped all over us.  We spent an hour yelling up and down the PCT trying to locate the owner.  Finally the owner appeared and was completely oblivious to our complaints.  Dog owners like this are unconscious that their wonderful pooch is something that everyone should just love and accept like they do.  
Please leave your dogs at home.  If you must bring Fido, then obey the leash laws and understand that you may be the only person on the trail who loves your dog.  And just because you think that doggie is having as good a time hiking 2650 miles as you are, does not make it necessarily so.  
Thank You!

--Coyote Steve




----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Greg Kesselring 
  To: minnjohn1 at aol.com 
  Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 7:32 AM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hikers and their dogs


  I have had crazy drivers on the road almost kill me with their erratic driving behavior.  Therefore, I believe all drivers should stay off the roads.

  I have been in car campgrounds where climbers kept everyone awake late into the night with their beer drinking and story telling.  Personally I wish all climbers should stay away from car campgrounds.

  I have seen bicycle riders disobey traffic laws while on the road.  Therefore, all bicycles should be banned from streets and roads.

  You get the idea.  It's really too bad that a few inconsiderate and irresponsible dog owners give dogs a bad name, and the result is that people come to hate dogs and don't want to be around them.    But this is generalizing and stereotyping that's no different than wanting to exclude all drivers from the road because some drivers are irresponsible and reckless.   If there's one bad dog (bad owner, actually) out of 20 or 50 or 100, should the responsible dog owners suffer because of that one bad owner?  


  minnjohn1 at aol.com wrote: 
    I've been reading about the hikers planning to take their dogs with them on the PCT. I just have to put in my $0.02 worth. Personnally, I wish they would leave their dogs at home. I like dogs. I grew up with an English Spaniel. He was a great friend to me. But, dogs are animals and I think many owners forget that. I have had dogs rush into my camp to greet me, run circles around my tent and pull up all my tent tie down lines in the process. Twice I have stepped in dog crap and once didn't notice until I was in my tent and settling down for the night. Several times I have had dogs "come at" me snarling and with raised neck hair as they and their owners were approaching me on the trail. Thank God they were on a leash. Of course, they are devoted animals protecting their owners. Its not really their fault - again they are just doing what animals do. So, I wish all you hikers who are thinking about taking your "friend" and "protector" with you on your hike would think about the o ther hikers with whom you share the trail. 

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