Hammocking with dogs

[slowhike]

Be careful about getting a "herding" type dog. I met a guy a few years back with a black and white collie type dog. The breed was developed for heading sheep in Scotland and Ireland. The problem he had was she would run up ahead of him, find a group of deer and herd them back to him. He would find himself with a dozen or so deer running directly toward him!

that brings up another good point.
i love dogs too, but i get pretty ticked at some of the dog owners out there (around home as well as on the trail) who take little responsibility for their dog's actions.

there was another thread here talking about dog owners being responsible, but i didn't find it.

point is, it's good to see a person enjoying the companionship of a dog, as long as the dog knows who the leader is & the leader is a good leader, respecting other people, the wildlife, & the wilderness.

[Narwhalin]

that brings up another good point.
i love dogs too, but i get pretty ticked at some of the dog owners out there (around home as well as on the trail) who take little responsibility for their dog's actions.

there was another thread here talking about dog owners being responsible, but i didn't find it.

point is, it's good to see a person enjoying the companionship of a dog, as long as the dog knows who the leader is & the leader is a good leader, respecting other people, the wildlife, & the wilderness.

I think slowhike is on point when he talks about responsibility of the owners. Breed of dog is secondary to the owner being a good leader that the dog looks to for direction.

[mike_ff]

I think slowhike is on point when he talks about responsibility of the owners. Breed of dog is secondary to the owner being a good leader that the dog looks to for direction.

I agree and will not bring a dog on a hiking trip unless I know that I will have control of the dog. So for now I am only focusing on get a new dog and down the road hopfully I will be able to have another dog to hike with.

Mike

[stoikurt]

Back in the early 80's I had a Golden Retriever, named Fred. I was a land management forester right out of college then and Fred went everywhere with me. He was a very well behaved dog and I took him on a 40 mile section hike on the AT with me and a friend. I had to make a set of saddlebags for him out of some army surplus bags and webbing strap so he could help carry his supplies. You couldn't find much of that type of stuff then, and if you could, I was a poor starving forester so I couldn't afford it.

It was funny to watch him because initially he was very excited and curious and exploring everything. It didn't take him too long to learn that when my hiking partner and I stopped for a break that he needed to lay down and take a break, too.

[Ramblinrev]

My current dog is a car dog which is a serious disappoint to me. But the one we had before was a real trail dog. If she had the packs on she would stay right by me no funny business or monkey business at all. She rested when I did. Then if I took the packs off her she knew she was no longer "on duty" and would go chase down the wood mice and that kind of thing. She always came when I called and she was very well behaved. Took her business of the trail and out of the campsite.

The current dog... if we take him off the lead, he won't come until he gets back to the car and is there waiting for us when we get back.

He doesn't go with me.

[Lost]

I took Ben to Hot Springs for the hang out and then on to Damascus and on the AT for 3 days. He too is a rescue dog, Shepard and Boarder Collie mix. He did great for his first outing. He didn't get into too much mischief at Hot Springs, loved playing with the kids and just hung around the camp site.

On the trail, he stayed right with Nest and did great at the camp sites.

Nest has a small tarp tent that he sets up beside his hammock with the open side under his tarp. This way Ben (the dog has a human name and my son has a trail name )has a space to go if he decides too and it also gives some extra storage space for gear! He has a pretty long lead so he can check out his surroundings during the night.

Ben also likes to lounge in the hammock with his head hanging over the side!

[slowhike]

if you think the dog may be getting in the hammock w/ you, don't forget to watch out for those toenails.
that could put you on the ground if they poke through that tightly stretched hammock fabric

[Lost]

Forgot that part. Nest took a Z-rest and cut it in half for the doggie bed. He made a cover from tyvek and fleece, so it can be removed and washed. He just puts that part in the hammock when the dog lays in it.

[bear bag hanger]

Another dog story:

In 2004 the camera crew initially brought their dog. He was losing too much weight and they decided to send him back home to stay with relatives. When they got back home for a visit, a couple months later, the dog took one look at them and ran under the bed and wouldn't come out until they left!

[Incacamper]

I would love to take my dog camping. But around here we have sever coyote problems, and I feel bad about me being up in a tree sleeping happily in my hammock while my dog is below me, exposed. Coyotes are known to kill even large dogs, but mine is only about 25-30 lbs. She has an attitude and will not back down from a fight since she is half chow, and she is a great hiking dog and alert dog. I think I would only take here camping if I brought along a tent so she could sleep in it.