[pct-l] dogs/pets

[Swope Christopher]

Gary,

You'll find the whole spectrum of people who love dogs on the trail to  
those that think that they should be banned, from what I can tell.

I lean in the direction of liking dogs, personally, but I'm not  
bringing my dog for two reasons:

1. It makes the hike logistically much harder since dogs are not  
allowed in national parks.

2. Heat stress in desert.

There are labs that drop dead every year here in MN on pheasant opener  
due to heat stress. It would likely being a big issue for you. Labs  
are bred to fetch stuff in cold water not walk long distances in  
desert heat.

Despite all that, people have done it, I heard. I bet a dog with you  
might just help keep some critters away from your campsite.



Swope







On Dec 30, 2009, at 4:26 PM, Gary Wright wrote:

>
> On Dec 30, 2009, at 5:20 PM, Craig Thompson wrote:
>
>> I'm planning to thru-hike in 2011 and have a well behaved lab in  
>> great
>> shape who loves hiking with me.  What is the general feeling among
>> hikers about dogs on the trail? How much of the trail would my dog
>> have to sit out?
>>
>> For those who have thru-hiked with a dog, what did you do with it  
>> when
>> you came to the parks?
>
> Please search the archives for discussion of dogs on the trail.   
> Here is a google search for "pct-l dogs" to get you started: http://tinyurl.com/dogs-on-the-pct
>
> My short answer: It is harder than most dog owners suspect but is  
> doable.
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