balzaccom
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Waiting for spring...
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Post by balzaccom on Sept 6, 2016 9:30:13 GMT -8
Just about everywhere that dogs are allowed in the wilderness they are required to be on a leash. In California's national parks, they are not allowed on trails at all--in fact, the rule in most national parks is that dogs are allowed only on paved areas--anywhere you can take your car, you can take your dog.
That doesn't include any trails that aren't paved.
But we'd estimate that of the fifty dogs we've seen in the backcountry this year, about three of them have been on leashes. It's the single most frequently broken regulation that we see in the wilderness.
On our last trip to Caribou Wilderness, we ran into quite a few dogs, and only one of them was on a leash. But that dog was within a mile of the trailhead, just starting out, and we wonder how long he stayed on that leash. We don't say that because the owners looked untrustworthy--but the trails the Caribou Wilderness are rife with deadfall trees. We had to climb up and over, or around more than 75 trees on our hike there. And we can't image what you would do with a dog on a leash in that scenario. Our guess is that you would get pretty darn tired of the tangles.
Of course, some dogs we've met are extremely well trained and behaved. But not all are. And we worry not only about dogs interacting with other hikers. More of a concern is how they might interact with the local wildlife--chasing squirrels or deer, or even worse, fighting with something that might fight back.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Sept 6, 2016 9:35:10 GMT -8
I get the reasons for the leash law, and I get the reasons people choose to ignore it. A lot of people nowadays treat pets like extended family, and I suppose to them it would be like putting their children on a leash.
In the grand scheme of things, I don't worry about it much. I've only met a few people with problematic dogs on the trail.
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 6, 2016 11:48:10 GMT -8
There has only been one time that I got worried with a dog not on a leash. Rounded a corner to see a fairly large unleashed pit bull running in my direction. I wasn't sure if it was after me or my dog which was on a leash. I don't scare easily but stepped in front of my dog (who didn't stand a chance in a match like this) and yelled at this dog who didn't even seem to notice. As it turned it out neither me or my dog was the target he was just running with an owner far far behind. He just kept running by.
If that dog had been running towards someone else who is more jittery than me things could have turned out very badly for that dog and then the owner would have been mad. I'm a dog lover but if you don't have your dog under control bad things can happen, innocent or not.
I seriously doubt many people who have dogs that are more than day away from a trail head will have them on a leash. The law however will not favor them if the authorities need to get involved.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Sept 6, 2016 12:43:21 GMT -8
i saw a dog at the hardware store the other day.
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amaruq
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Post by amaruq on Sept 6, 2016 12:43:42 GMT -8
We had to climb up and over, or around more than 75 trees on our hike there. I'm just surprised you kept track...
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Post by johntpenca on Sept 6, 2016 12:53:45 GMT -8
Have had numerous dawgs off leash come down the trail snarling and growling. By and large have been able to to make friends with them (I like dawgs, they like me). I've never had to do it, but in the end if push comes to shove your dawg is gonna get a boot in the face and a trekking pole.
Not a fan of off leash dawgs.
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Post by bradmacmt on Sept 6, 2016 13:11:00 GMT -8
I make it a point to thank dog owners that actually DO leash their dogs.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Sept 6, 2016 13:46:46 GMT -8
I think I hear popcorn makers going... I have a really sweet golden retriever who is often not on a leash if I'm hiking in areas where I don't expect to run into other people, so if you're one of the few people I see that day, I might be that dog owner who's breaking the leash rule. Not going to try to justify it and, no, it's not that I think that rules don't apply to me. My dog's a big baby who won't let me out of his sight and would rather die than displease me. It's likely that I'd have a different attitude if I had a different dog or breed that most people don't melt over. Still, I always have a leash and if someone coming toward us looks apprehensive, my pup's always close enough that I can just clip him on. I personally don't care if other hikers leash or don't leash their dogs. I've had a lot more trouble with drunks than unleashed dogs. But I certainly understand why most hikers would prefer that everyone leash their dogs.
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Post by absarokanaut on Sept 6, 2016 15:03:51 GMT -8
Thank gawd on the 3,500,000 acre Bridger-Teton dogs only have to be leashed in DEVELOPED campgrounds, and I think that's the way it is on Most National Forests. They do however have to be "under control." I consider it serious torture to leash a dog well beyond a trailhead unless that dog is problematic. I don't tolerate OWNERS that permit their dogs to chase ANYTHING other than a ball or stick. I'm a nice guy, just don't !@ss me off.
Dog problems more often than not are owner problems.
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Post by trinity on Sept 6, 2016 16:26:42 GMT -8
My dog is my backpacking companion, and I have to confess that I have little tolerance for irresponsible dog owners, which seems to be the majority of them. I keep my dog leashed at all times, unless in a place where I feel confident I will not encounter other hikers, in which case I put him on a heel immediately behind me, where he is under complete control. He is never allowed to run ahead, where he might encounter other animals, hikers, dogs, etc. I absolutely hate it when someone's dog comes charging up to us in the middle of a wilderness area, getting my (leashed) dog's hackles up, while the owner shouts, "it's okay, he's friendly!" News flash: I don't care if you think your dog is friendly, those rules still apply to you. I have seen a few hikers who let their dogs off-leash who are able to maintain complete voice control of their dogs, but they are in the minority. I consider it disrespectful of fellow hikers and, more importantly, of the wilderness itself to allow a dog to run uncontrolled off-leash. Rant over.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 6, 2016 20:48:42 GMT -8
A lot of people nowadays treat pets like extended family, and I suppose to them it would be like putting their children on a leash. The funny thing is, for protections, parents do sometimes put their kids on a leash--either a literal leash, or insisting they hold Mom's hand, etc. And part of the leash thing with dogs is for *their* protection.
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Westy
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Post by Westy on Sept 6, 2016 23:22:59 GMT -8
The dog issue would be easy if owners actually trained them to do a job. A jobless dog is an out of control dog. Jumps on you. Runs amok on the trail. I say that the unemployment rate for canines is above 50%. Dog owners are the root cause of the high unemployment rate as they prefer not to fund effective dog training. I say give a dog a good job.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Sept 7, 2016 2:29:49 GMT -8
"Oh, don't worry she/he never bites". Standard greeting by brainless "owner" when they finally catch up to where I'm standing on the trail being confronted by a growling barking off leash dog (twice last summer in Yosemite designated wilderness btw). The statement mouthed by someone smiling without a thought evident in their head.
I like dogs but my mental response to that is she/he would surely only bite me: once.
My one small bit of solace is according to the CDC while off unleashed their fur babies will be frolicking with the corpses of plague killed squirrels and will happily return to their family civered in plague infested fleas waiting to hop onto the nice tasty people. Allergic to any antibiotics there chums?
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Sept 7, 2016 4:30:33 GMT -8
Dogs belong in backyards chained to a cable that runs between a dilapidated shelter and a tree along a worn path.
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Post by graywolf on Sept 7, 2016 5:56:21 GMT -8
Last summer while hiking in the Weminuche Wilderness in Colorado about 3 miles from the trailhead Hazel Doggie, an 80 lb german shepherd/rottweiler mix, was on leash attached to my belt. All of a sudden here comes a big dog running right towards us with its master 30 yards behind and yelling like crazy. When the charging dog was 10 feet away Hazel got between me and it and yelled for it to stop. When it kept coming she put it on its back with one swipe of her right paw, no biting. The owner apologized and said his dog was friendly but deaf. Come on, have some common sense when hiking with a dog. This could have had a terrible ending. Hazel was just protecting her hiking partner from a charging animal.
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