ultralight packing and dogs

so really, what is on my dog that is going to get in the water that's not already in the water?? mud? dirt? grass? moss? Ok, animal hair, but how is that different than the ducks/geese/marmots/mice/deer/whatever that are dropping all kinds of things in the water? It's not like he's pooping in it…

Oh wait, that's the horses……

At least he's not covered in soaps and deodorants and hair goo/spray or laundry detergent.

I know this is even more off-topic, but here's what I don't understand –

There are trails where horses and pack mules are allowed – along with dogs – in the Sequoia National Forest. There are signs that warn people to clean up their dog's poo, and you'll get a lot of flak if you don't. That's understandable. However, on the same trail, there was a large percentage of it that was covered with horse crap, fresh and old. I mean, miles of trail with droppings no more than 15 feet apart at most, right in the center if the trail. What's the deal with that?

I will agree that horse droppings don't smell as bad but…? I'm open to justification, I just don't see it.

Drew,

If it was a large body of water i wouldn't mind, but as i say i have the exact same problem if people swim in smaller lakes that they KNOW people are going to taking water from, it's just absolute selfishness at work IMO.

Problem with treating the water is most commonly used filters will not filter out viruses, so unless you are chemically treating or boiling the dog/human swimmers are directly putting other peoples health at risk.

Randy,
I'm sorry you feel that way, you do what you think is best in your admittedly tough situation, i can understand and sympathise, it still doesn't change the fact that i have an opinion on it though.
If compared like to like a dog that isn't forced to carry 10% of it's body weight is going to fitter for longer and less likely to be affected by mechanical injury.

I refuse to answer your comment on fish defecating in water as i believe you are just being factitious at this stage, your choice, but it's also my choice to ignore such comments.

Jennifer,
Whipworms
Hookworms
Roundworms
Tapeworms
Parvo
Corona
Giardiasis
Salmonellosis
Cryptosporidiosis
Campylobacteriosis

Are just some i found on a quick search, some i knew, others not.
I'm pretty sure i read a report a while ago where there was said to be a link between dogs bringing diseases into national parks that are causing deaths in the wolf population, if i remember correctly this example was put down to Parvo.

It's also a 2 way street, you dog is also open to catching many of those from drinking/swimming in contaminated water.

It might not even be that your dog is carrying them, they could well have stood in some poop or a rotting animal just before their swim.

As i say in larger bodies of water it's unlikely to be a problem, but if i witnessed someone allowing their dog to swim in a small body of water they is known to be a drinking source there would be absolute hell to pay.

Please let me be clear, i love dogs, i hike with my dog 2 to 3 times a week, i camp with my dog, i swim with my dog, she pretty much comes everywhere with me BUT we as responsible owners sometimes have to think about the impact we are having on both the health of the dog and anyone using the trails after us.

Even if it was 1 in a billion chance someone would get ill as a direct result from letting our dogs swim, it's hardly a great example to set is it.
Even as a dog owner i'd take offence to seeing a dog swim in a small body of water, i can only imagine the outrage for the anti-dog crew, it's really just giving them ammunition to get dogs kicked off even more areas.

"I have a 18 mo. old female golden retriever who comes from hunting lines and whom I've trained for pheasant hunting. A dog properly trained for hunting is more than well enough trained to be off leash."

I would change that to "a gun-dog properly trained for hunting." People with earth-dogs, baying dogs, treeing dogs and coursing dogs will disagree with that statement. A lot of hounds, spitzes and hunt terriers need to be kept on a leash during the off-season. Otherwise, all bets are off.

It's only with Continental or British gun-dog breeds, hunters expect complete and total obedience.

"My point is why load the dog up.
Dogs have not been bred to carry loads like say horses or donkeys, certain breeds are bred to pull loads but this is a very different load that's put on their bodies.

Will loading a dg up with say 10% of it's body weight cause all dogs problems later in life = nope
Will it cause some dogs problems = absolutely
Can you tell which camp your dog falls in = nope"

A discussion on breed and anatomy would be required here. There only a few dogs out there which I can think off the top of my head which are selectively bred for backpacking, and one of them is the Qimmit or Canadian Inuit Dog. Mind you, the show-bred Canadian Eskimo Dog are not being bred for ability for load carriage. Luckily though, there are still Qimmiq being kept by Inuit and not by southern Canadians and Americans, and there are still aboriginals up in Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories who take them on moose-hunts and caribou-hunts.

Alaskan Malamutes used to be selectively-bred for backpacking too by the Mehletmut people, but unfortunately us white people destroyed the breed and cannot be expected to carry out the same function as they once did a hundred years ago.

But I would never expect my dog to carry a heavy load. He is too squared, and his bone structure is too light to tolerate anything more than 5-10% of his body weight. As one author said "using a hunting dog for pulling is like using a fine Spanish sword for chopping wood" in regard to dogs which looked the same, but were bred for different functions (sledding versus hunting) within aboriginal tribes in Russia. Just replace "pulling" with carrying.

I've got to say, I'm leaning far more towards Randy than Mark in the great debate. Haha ;-)

When I come along a small mountain lake, I couldn't care less when I see humans or dogs playing in it. In fact I enjoy seeing it. I scoop up some water and filter it and enjoy the wonderful taste of mountain water that is so much better than tap water. There are all kinds of things to worry about in life, and I've found my life is more enjoyable when I limit the worry list to as short as possible.

As for recall, I'm simply not a believer in it. Hahaha. I use a leash when I hike with my dog, walk with my dog, track with my dog, etc. A highly trained dog is still an animal at the end of the day, and an animal will never be 100% predictable. My female, who I backpack with, critters like there is no tomorrow. If she sees a deer or a coyote and she's off-leash, no amount of screaming or e-collars on my part will ever make her recall. Therefore, she gets a leash. My male has to certify twice per year in obedience, among other things. He is an insanely high drive dog and has to certify in a call-off and recall after being sent on a suspect. Twice a year I can "clean him up" to get him to pass certification. He's saved a few human lives, and sent a lot of bad guys to prison, but at the end of the day, he's still an animal. He gets a leash. ;-)

" i camp with my dog, i swim with my dog"

Where do you swim with your dog as a responsible dog owner?

"Even if it was 1 in a billion chance someone would get ill as a direct result from letting our dogs swim, it's hardly a great example to set is it."

Hard to argue with such logical and rational thought. :)

"Even as a dog owner i'd take offence to seeing a dog swim in a small body of water, i can only imagine the outrage for the anti-dog crew, it's really just giving them ammunition to get dogs kicked off even more areas."

So you're OK with dogs swimming in large lakes but not small ones. What's the dividing line you use there?

but if i witnessed someone allowing their dog to swim in a small body of water they is known to be a drinking source there would be absolute hell to pay.

I don't know precisely (nor remotely, for that matter) what you mean by this, but you might want to consider a calm, non-confrontational way to bring this up with folks in the backcountry, at least in the USA.

The most likely reaction will be the dog's owner telling you to 'shove it' and then where do you go from there?