Backpacking w/ dog?

I thought I would post this about our training success
with coonhounds. I have owned two and also a beagle and
they will follow their own noses and expect you to keep up.
They have huge hearts and can run for a couple of days at
a time and you don't want to be waiting at the trail junction for them to return.

Coonhound Training
Hounds are bred to hunt on their own. To overcome
that takes some work, but it can be done.

The first thing you need to do is NEVER let the dog
not come to you when called. You can have a signal
like "this way" just to get their attention when
you just want them to know where you are, but
when you give the command to "come" or what ever
word you choose that is an absolute, always make
sure you can make them follow through. Then
reward them. Do not punish them when they return
even if they disobeyed you earlier.

Practice indoors with treats, till they are coming
all the time. Then practice on a long leash,
then in a fenced area.

Once they know what you want when you give the
command, then you are ready to try a electric
training collar.

Get them to wear a dummy collar for two weeks before
training so they do not know it is the collar
that will give the correction. If you do it right,
they will think it is their own doing, not the
collar. Then you don't have to have it on them
every time you go out. We only put it on our
dog later on when we would be in a strange hiking
area and couldn't risk her running away.

The proper setting is one setting lower than when
they vocalize when zapped. Never zap them more
than 2 times in a session.

In in enclosed area, practice coming using the
collar. When there is disobedience, then reward
when they come. It only took twice with our dog.
Then later a couple of times when she took off
after deer. It really stopped her in mid chase.

Read all the instructions that come with the collar,
and take it slow. Lots of praise and rewards for
everything they do right.

You can try the collar on yourself if you are
worried about the effects. It really gets your
attention, about like chewing on aluminum foil,
but does no harm.

When our dog would see the collar come out it sounded like
the truck done broke down she'd gets so excited about the
walk ahead.
We call it the fun collar.
It enabled us to take her mountaineering, backcountry
skiing and mountain biking.

One of the books that most influenced my life was An Island To Oneself ghost written for Tom Neale the man on the Island, Suvarov (Suwarow) , part of the Northern Cook Islands.
He was there by himself (obviously) on three different occasions over a period of about 20 years. He returned there after the book had been written.
His only companion on his first trip was a cat called Mrs Thievery. That was his contact with the rest of the world, a tenuous link with normality and sanity .
Tom had a strict rule for the few visitors "no dogs on the island". That rule was broken by the master of a visiting yacht, Mrs Thievery was mauled to death within minutes of the dog jumping on the sand.
Read that book, read that account and think about it before you unleash your dog.
http://www.janesoceania.com/suvarov_tom_neale/
Franco
BTW I grew up with dogs , my grandparents were the last of a long line of high country farmers. I particularly like BIG dogs…
One of my fondest memories is of me parting the tourist crowds at a mountain village resort pulled by a very large Newfoundland.
This dog had the habit of pinning people against a wall at night, but he was very docile with me.

I’ll be taking care of my girlfriends dog, Maya – a border collie/lab/husky mix while she’s off firefighting this summer. Maya and I love to go backpacking and hiking. She has a propensity to roll in poo and dead animals however, which is unbearably stinky.

"Tom had a strict rule for the few visitors "no dogs on the island". That rule was broken by the master of a visiting yacht, Mrs Thievery was mauled to death within minutes of the dog jumping on the sand."

Dog probably saved a lot of island birds.

http://www.wolfpacks.com/products/dogpacks/banzai.html

This is what my 45# Kelpie wears. I've had it 4 years & it shows little if any wear & tear. There are sizing guidelines and lots of other valuable information on their website.

David
There were rats on the islands , Suwarrow is an atholl in the middle of the Pacific that also happens to be a bird sanctuary and yes there are still birds in their thosands there right now.
Your replay just highlights the selfish attitude and lack of empathy of SOME dog owners.
But thanks…
Franco
Maybe I should have mentioned that rats there eat eggs …

These are my two trail mutts :)

Jake is a 95 pound Shepherd Husky mix and Boomer is a 45 pound Border Collie/Karellian Bear Dog mix. Both are extremely intelligent, and mind their P's and Q's on the trail off leash. Of the two, Boomer is the more energetic one and is "pack leader" over Jake.

Only issues I have had with being on the trails with these two is that I had to go to a 10X10 tarp in order to have enough room to sleep at night.

My trail companion is a spoiled rotten Jack Russel terrier/Whippet cross. She is very fond of my trail spaghetti. While she is full of hyperactivity, she becomes immobile if I try to push too hard on hot days.Joe: Maybe we could hook up somewhere for a hike. You can P.M. if you would like.
BJ
Lead, follow or get the H@ll out of the way!