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Dogs
May 12, 2017 19:36:10 GMT -8
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Post by crazyheaven on May 12, 2017 19:36:10 GMT -8
Wanted to take my dogs backpacking a few times this year and wanted to know how to prepare them for it.
They both have food allergies and are on raw diets. So food is a concern.
Exercise wise. My slower dog can go 10 miles easy. Watches her step and is the least of my concerns beyond food. She's also use to trail walking.
My second dog is crazy. She waste tons of energy darting back and forth. Once she managed to escape her leash and ran into all sorts of trouble. After about 2 to 3 miles she needs to rest.
Both of my dogs are always on leash unless working. The slower one doesn't need it but it gives me a peace of mind of not having not to worry about her. Besides she's always right beside me anyway.
I'm assuming they need some sort of beds. They both have hard paws. They have good fitting vest. I'm just not sure what else I might need. I'm also very concerned that my hyper dog might try to escape over night. She's a rescue that was suppose to be put down for being out of control. That was until I stepped in to take her home. The adoption was not officially in the records. She's been with me for a few years now and she has really calmed a lot. But new environments can set off her anxiety.
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rebeccad
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Dogs
May 12, 2017 20:52:43 GMT -8
Post by rebeccad on May 12, 2017 20:52:43 GMT -8
There is a thread on that in the "Hiking Partners" area (makes sense!). Go here.
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Dogs
May 13, 2017 14:48:00 GMT -8
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Post by crazyheaven on May 13, 2017 14:48:00 GMT -8
I put my thread in the wrong area. I really just needed ideas on how to keep their food cold and one of the dogs calm over night.
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rebeccad
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Dogs
May 13, 2017 18:55:15 GMT -8
Post by rebeccad on May 13, 2017 18:55:15 GMT -8
really just needed ideas on how to keep their food cold I can't answer the second question, but for this, I'm sure most people use food that doesn't need refrigeration, just as for ourselves. Your dogs' special needs might make them poor options for trail partners, though for an easy overnight you could presumably use a small cooler (maybe one of the insulated grocery bag types?) and an ice pack. That would add too much weight for anything very ambitious, and wouldn't stay cold after the first night. I'll move this into the Trailhead Register to see if you can get more input from people with actual dogs.
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Dogs
May 13, 2017 19:41:04 GMT -8
Post by bluefish on May 13, 2017 19:41:04 GMT -8
I wonder if you could dehydrate their food, and rehydrate theirs when you make yous? If they would eat it, it would save weight and storage issues.
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 1:07:56 GMT -8
Post by trinity on May 14, 2017 1:07:56 GMT -8
Both Tramodol and Acepromazine are used to treat anxiety in dogs. You'll need to go see a vet, they'll give you some options. They might also be able to tell you if there are any food options for them besides the raw diet. bluefish 's idea is an interesting one, I wonder if it would work?
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ErnieW
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 5:21:04 GMT -8
Post by ErnieW on May 14, 2017 5:21:04 GMT -8
A soft cooler and then freeze all but the first night's food as separate servings so they are not all frozen together. Bury the cooler in your pack if possible using extra clothes around the cooler as extra insulation.
Maybe someone else can verify but I think dogs do have a bit more tolerance to turned meat than humans.
I have brought ice cream backpacking. Really nice to have a cold high fat dessert on a hot night at camp. To do this I used dry ice and the soft cooler approach. Nice thing about dry ice is no more weight after it melts but everything gets wet around it from condensation so don't use clothes that have to same dry for the extra insulation.
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 5:38:47 GMT -8
tigger likes this
Post by absarokanaut on May 14, 2017 5:38:47 GMT -8
With all due respect your anxiety over your hyper dog clearly indicates it is not ready to hike. If you can't train the dog for the street you can't train it for the trail. What are you doing to train this dog?
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 7:07:39 GMT -8
Post by autumnmist on May 14, 2017 7:07:39 GMT -8
I think absarokanaut makes a good point. The hyperactive dog might not ever be read for trail outings. And from my experience, a hyperactive dog can unsettle other dogs. Perhaps the first issue is to try to determine why this dog is so energetic and if there's a medical condition causing it. If not, perhaps doggie obedience class might help. Is this a rescue dog? My sister had a chihuahua that was hyper, food aggressive, destructive, and failed obedience class. She rescued him from a young man who had been mistreating the dog, limiting food and often kept the dog in a closet. The poor dog was neurotic and hyper all its life even after he was rescued. This kind of dog has a lot of past history to overcome, and sometimes that's just not possible. When you mentioned that new environments create anxiety, I wondered if there's some past trauma in her life. It could be that trail life might just exacerbate her anxiety. You also mentioned that they "work". What kind of work do they do? And what breed of dogs are they, especially the hyper one? This isn't intended to be a criticism, but you might have to consider what the dog's limitations are and work toward addressing them as opposed to finding ways to acclimate the dog to trail life.
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 10:22:06 GMT -8
Post by crazyheaven on May 14, 2017 10:22:06 GMT -8
The hyper dog has been through 3 homes before coming to me. She's been training with me in classes and at home for a few years now and she has came a long way. I'll never know what all she had experienced. When I picked her up she had a few scars on her head and around her neck. The shelters gave me all the past records they had on her that along was bad enough. It also included vet records going on what they had tried to attack the dogs diet problems since she was under weight.
Hyper dog is a husky lab mix. She doesn't really. But she does tracking. Been trying to help through agility and triball. Unless you count all the obedience work that she loved to do. The other dog is a GSD. She is a good tracker. She helps out other dogs with aggression and anxiety in ways I can't even began to understand. Though she has done good enough to have a rep for it and people made request to see her. When she retires from agility I'll go her therapy license. She also loves to herd but I just don't have enough time to keep up with it all.
I've already helped her through most of her issues. Still working on recall with distractions. It seems like when she gets about 10 feet from me her personality changes and the environment takes over. She hates being chained up to anything. Calling her by her former name also causes her a great amount of distress. So we never use that name and only few people even know it.
I thought she'd be a poor choice for backpacking. Just wanted to see what other ideas others have tried. But this is not your typical rescue dog. I was told upfront that she was not fit for a home. But I've been studying dog training for the past 5 years and she seemed like she'd be a good fit for us. My daughter loves her play drive and it only took a little bit of training to get her not to play too rough. When I mentioned taking my other dog camping she wanted the hyper dog to come to. So I had to at least ask.
Other questions about diets. Dogs can eat meat that is starting to turn. Not a practice I follow though. Dehydrated meat might work for me. I already considered dehydrating the food to serve to them or just buying it freeze dried. Both might work. I spent over 200 to speak with one of Ohio's top dog nutritionist. The guy charged 50 dollars per 15 minutes and most of the time he spent asking me questions about my own person study. A lot of new and some older vets joined in on the discussion. The looks on their faces when he approved my diet sent them all into shock. All I can say is that I had a great coach who helped me in ways I'll never be able to repay her for.
I remember the first class she went through the instructor felt they needed to give me the bad news. They mentioned that her mind was leaving so she might need to be put down. I already knew that. I'm sure I didn't reverse the damage but I did at least slow down it's progression. Now she seems like your typical dog now. A little more energy than the typical one. This past year I'm actually noticing a much deeper intelligence than what she showed in the few years. Either my understand of her is growing or she is doing better at communicating with me.
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Dogs
May 14, 2017 15:12:48 GMT -8
Post by absarokanaut on May 14, 2017 15:12:48 GMT -8
I applaud you for rescuing any dog let alone one with the problems you've now articulated. I am by no means an expert with dogs but have worked with them. After 3 years of training for you to be this anxious leads my opinion to suggest that dog is no prepared for the trail because of your anxiety. I hope I'm wrong and you figure out a way to exercise adequate control. I wish you great luck.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on May 14, 2017 16:14:36 GMT -8
Have you taken the hyper dog on long strenuous hikes? Does she act any differently at the end of those days? It seems that many behavior problems are energy problems, and I'd guess a dog at the end of the backpacking day is going to be pretty exhausted and depleted of all that extra nervous energy. Can you do a long hike and car camp afterwards, somewhere close to home where you could just bail if needed? Honest Kitchen and Dr Harvey's were two dehydrated dog foods recommended to me recently - maybe worth looking at the ingredients to see if you could use them. Beds: I have the Ruffwear Highlands Bed, which is fine - it's not particularly cushioned, or insulated, more of a place she knows to go to. Honestly, I have a bunch of $3 IKEA fleece blankets that serve the purpose just as well - they get bungee'd on to her pack.
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Post by k9education on May 16, 2017 2:57:03 GMT -8
Properly size the dogs' collars before hitting the trailer. A dog cannot slip a properly sized collar. You should be able to comfortably fit 2 fingers between the collar and the dog's neck - no more. Dogs need to be conditioned for hiking just like people. If the dog is used to doing the hikes, then you're already prepared on that front. If the other dog isn't though, you need to get him conditioned to do it before tossing him in the deep end. As for the dog that darts around, well he will get tired earlier and he will either learn to pace himself or he won't. Some of our dogs have learned and take things at a more moderate pace throughout the hike. Others run around like mad and get tired long before we're done, but guess what? Then they hike tired. Ultimately, only you can decide whether you want to deal with the hyperactivity on the trail. If not, maybe a friend wants to dogsit. Personally, I would bring him along, but I regularly hike with 4 dogs and have been training dogs professionally for over a decade. Our dogs sleep in our tent on our pads, but we have 2 deluxe singles connected. Bring along an extra pad for them (an insulated one in the colder months). Most dogs won't try to escape a sealed tent as they realize the tent is sealed and want to be with you anyway. If you want a little extra help though, consider Benadryl (it makes them sleepy just like it does us). Dogs can have 1mg per pound of body weight safely. For example, a 75 lb dog can have 3 Benadryl tablets if they are the standard 25mg tablets. Make sure it is plain diphenhydramine with no additives. No cold/flu, etc. Just regular Benadryl. On a side note, you can give 2mg/lb for snake bites or for a wasp attack. We always carry enough to dose all dogs with 2mg/lb after a friend nearly lost her dog after he disturbed a wasp nest. The Benadryl will give you time to get him/them to the vet before anaphylaxis sets in. For food, we carry the dogs' kibble. Whatever they need for the trip, we carry it. It can get heavy, but so be it.
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Dogs
May 16, 2017 4:55:04 GMT -8
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Post by sparkle on May 16, 2017 4:55:04 GMT -8
really just needed ideas on how to keep their food cold I can't answer the second question, but for this, I'm sure most people use food that doesn't need refrigeration, just as for ourselves. Your dogs' special needs might make them poor options for trail partners, though for an easy overnight you could presumably use a small cooler (maybe one of the insulated grocery bag types?) and an ice pack. That would add too much weight for anything very ambitious, and wouldn't stay cold after the first night. I'll move this into the Trailhead Register to see if you can get more input from people with actual dogs. Dehydrate it?
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Dogs
May 19, 2017 12:27:08 GMT -8
bass likes this
Post by absarokanaut on May 19, 2017 12:27:08 GMT -8
k9,
What an awesome post, many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.
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