Hammocking with dogs

[titanium_hiker]

I haven't taken a dog out hiking, but when I slept out in the back yard 3 of the 4 german shepherds loved the tarp! I woke up with 3 hairy doormats under me. One of them loved tents also and would try and come in with you... the tarp+ hammock combo was much better because they didn't wake me (besides walking under the hammock), didn't rip the bug netting or the tarp! I like to think they were protecting me, but they were probably appreciating the grass that was undercover!

being woken by a lick when I hung my face over the edge... bleh.

I miss having a dog around- they were left behind when we moved.

TH

[April Fool]

I have a three year old Australian sheperd and hope to take him on a solo canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota next summer. His name is Cooper. He's never been camping or in a canoe yet. Gonna take him on the water this summer and get him used to it.

[guySmiley]

they were left behind when we moved.

TH

You did what?!

[E.A.Y.]

I have a three year old Australian sheperd and hope to take him on a solo canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota next summer. His name is Cooper. He's never been camping or in a canoe yet. Gonna take him on the water this summer and get him used to it.

I had a german shepherd/great dane cross that just HAD to get in the canoe with me. But he refused to sit or lie down. Not only could I not see over him, he made the canoe really tippy. Being young teenagers at the time, my sister and I figured that if we had to take a swimming test before we took the canoes out, then the dog did also. So we shoved the dog off the end of the dock. The poor thing paddled just fine but had no idea how to move forward so we all had to get in the water with him and guide him to shore. Dad was pretty mad but laughing also.

So I guess I'm saying, make sure the darn dog will lie down in the canoe!

Get a floatation device for him. Some border collies/aussies/english shepherds can't swim well at all.

[DeShazo]

I took my dog with me hiking this weekend. I made him carry his own pack with his food. He did great as it was both of our first times to backpack. He is an 11 month old Brittany Spaniel named Reese. We did 18 miles and 2 nights. He slept right under my hammock at night.

[guySmiley]

I took my dog with me hiking this weekend. I made him carry his own pack with his food. He did great as it was both of our first times to backpack. He is an 11 month old Brittany Spaniel named Reese. We did 18 miles and 2 nights. He slept right under my hammock at night.

Be careful loading up a dog that young. Even at 11 months old, they aren't completely finished growing and too much long term stress like that can cause joint problems in time. I've heard stories from dog breeders/vets of people that would overwork their puppies and then blame the breeder when the dog gets repetitive stress injuries. Usually these stories involve lots of frisbee play (too much jumping/landing) or long distances walking/running on concrete.

Is Reese (great name!) going to be a bird dog?

[TinaLouise]

So I guess I'm saying, make sure the darn dog will lie down in the canoe!

Get a floatation device for him. Some border collies/aussies/english shepherds can't swim well at all.

way back when... I had a canoe and a Staffordshire Bull terrier (also known as an English Pit Bull) They look like a cross between an English Bull dog with the head of a pit bull. Mine even had the cork-screw tail!! Anyways we went canoeing and she loved it. Her place was, of course, up front with her little short legs up on the bow of the canoe so she could see where we were going. So when we got where we were going, and of couse it's hot and we're all going swimming, and she wanted to go to... well I just threw her off the dock. And down she went !!! Her little short legs were swimming but they couldn't keep her afloat. I had to jump in and "rescue" my dog!!!
So if you have a bull type dog with the short legs.... they sink in deep water!!!

[Duncan]

Hello,

I have a three year old Australian sheperd [...] His name is Cooper.

What a beautifull dog!

I took my dog with me hiking this weekend. I made him carry his own pack with his food. He did great as it was both of our first times to backpack. He is an 11 month old Brittany Spaniel named Reese. We did 18 miles and 2 nights. He slept right under my hammock at night.

I go hiking with my dogs a lot. Always been a grounddweller and now converted to hanging

I have to say that I think 11 months is a bit young to walk with a backpack because a dog is not fully grown at that age but it also depends on the weight ofcourse...

I do have a TiP when your hiking with your dog: give him (or her! Yes, girls too ) a steady weight in the backpack. He (or she) get's used to the weight because you train the dog for that weight. And your own pack gets lighter every meal.

Duncan
- owner of two (and somewhere in August again three) Belgium Shepperds, Groenendal.

[TinaLouise]

I do have a TiP when your hiking with your dog: give him (or her! Yes, girls too ) a steady weight in the backpack. He (or she) get's used to the weight because you train the dog for that weight. And your own pack gets lighter every meal.

Duncan

that's a great idea, it never even crossed my mind that my dogs pack would be getting lighter (just like mine) as he ate his way through his food.

Another thing I did when I was getting my dog used to his backpack (remember we've only done day hikes so far but the training should still be the same) I started with just his "saddle", not the pack. My dogs backpack comes in two parts, one that has all the buckles and looks like a saddle and the two panniers (the pockets that go on either side of his back) that velcro to the saddle. So I started with the saddle and let him get used to wearing it. That didn't take long!! Then I added the panniers, without weight. Now he needs to know that he's "working" and it's not play time. Then I started adding weight equal on each side. I used cans of food so you know how much weight you're putting on him. Water works really good too. And with the type backpack I have, when we stopped for a rest, if I pull off my pack, I also take his off him, leaving the saddle on him. The backpack is made by Wenaha.

[DeShazo]

Be careful loading up a dog that young. Even at 11 months old, they aren't completely finished growing and too much long term stress like that can cause joint problems in time. I've heard stories from dog breeders/vets of people that would overwork their puppies and then blame the breeder when the dog gets repetitive stress injuries. Usually these stories involve lots of frisbee play (too much jumping/landing) or long distances walking/running on concrete.

Is Reese (great name!) going to be a bird dog?

My vet is my breeder. She encouraged me to do it. She said " His breed is a working dog and he needs a job to do and this will be great for him." He only had 1.5 lbs of food on the way in, and the last day he had the a sack of trash on either side of his pack just to have something in it to keep it from flopping around as he had eaten all his food that morning. The trash clearly was lighter than the food he carried in.