Backpacking with dogs

[lakota]

My two mutts are veteran car campers. This summer I would like to take them back packing. Does anyone back pack with their dogs? Like to share any tips or stories about camping with man's best friend?

Scott.

[Lead pot]

lakota.
Go for it.When my Dog Mike was still with me I used to take him when ever I felt I could.But in some of the National Parks you cant take him on the trails.
In the Wilderness and National Forest's there is no problem.When I go I'm usually by myself, and he had better ears than I have,so he let me know if I wasen't alone.
Mike was a blond Lab.A good friend.Lp.

[Daveinthebush]

He has traveled across the US three times, 350 miles down the Yukon River, flown 2,000 miles (bush plane and jets), goes prospecting, boat camping, fishing ( has trouble baiting the hook though) and camps often. :yeah:

[BoatVet]

My dog goes everywere with me. I started letting him do small trips with me about 12 weeks old this last summer. Now he's 11 months old and he he needs more exerise than me. I only put him on a lead till we hit a trail and then he leads the way. Some people are a little nervous seeing a 75# Pit Bull but he's a lover not a Hater like some dogs. I belive in that my dog BIZKIT would run a bear around for at least a few extra seconds in case I needed to pull my 12ga. off my back or my 454 casull from its holster so I could get a shot. Honestly I haven't hunted a squirel in my life but since moving to Alaska and seeing bears in triple at my door that I feel I will not be not one to go quietly. Dogs love the outdoors more than we do and should come along for the ride.

[lakota]

My lab mix has been camping in South Carolina, The Outer Banks in North Carolina( she absolutely loved swimming in the breaking surf there) and The Allegheny National Forest in PA. Our Shepard mix was along for the PA trip. My buddy brought his family and their dogs- a lab mix and a Rotwieler. The dogs had a ball up there. We were in a remote area and the dogs could run free, although I was a bit nervous because a few weeks earlier in the same area his dog found a friendly porcupine to play with and wound up with a snout full of quills. This summer will be their first time backpacking and my first time in a while. Trying to con the wife into going. If she wont go then it'll just be me, the dogs and the Super Black Hawk.

If anyone reading this is considering getting a dog, I urge you to check your local shelter. All of our dogs are shelter rescues and they are fine animals. It is ashamed that all of those dogs are homeless.

Scott.

[Lead pot]

Dave.

That is a beautiful picture,and your friend looke just like Mike.
Take care of him you will never find a better friend,  Kurt

[Daveinthebush]

Thanks. Loomis the lab has been the best dog that I have ever owned.  

Here are a few Ptargiman and Snowshoes we shot up on the Yukon.

[lakota]

Dave, You are making me jealous with your pictures of Alaskan scenery, and that is a fine looking lab you have there. I think that when someone said "dog is man's best friend they" were talking about a labrador.

Scott.

[alpini]

My little heeler loves packing so much he gets pretty excited when the packing equipment gets spread out on the floor, he knows whats going on. I've been thinking about a set of dog panniers so he can carry his own food.
   He is a bit of trouble when veiwing game, he barks too much. Good companion for the trail though, he respects people and horses and gives them wide right of way. I do worry a little about him hurt sometimes or eating something strange but there not a lot I could do to prevent these things. I do make sure he's got a bright collar on so he isn't mistakened as some critter or get shot. I use a plastic gold panning bowl for his dish.

[Del]

My hunting partner and I were coming out of the mountains after a Dall Sheep hunt and ran into a guy that was leap frogging gear with his Black Lab.  We stopped to talk to him and he stated that "they" were packing enough gear in to stay there sheep hunting for 30 days!!  The lab was doing it's part, had it's saddle style pack system loaded each time I seen them go by!  Thought that was pretty neat, not something you see every day out hunting!  Hope they had a good time & got a sheep.  Del

[xnmr53]

When I was younger and my back still worked well, I used to backpack with a malemute. She had her own pack, recognised it, and would start bouncing for joy when I took it down from the wall. She and I would train up to about a third of our body weight before the season, and then cut back to about a quarter for trips.

She was smart. She loved to walk ahead of me, but got tired of choosing the wrong fork and having to backtrack. One day I realised that she had taught me a trick! She would stop at a fork in the trail, look back at me, and wait until I waved to indicate which trail to take.

[Lead pot]

You know, I have always thought getting a Llama to walk with me.They are small enough to fit in back of the truck with a topper,and carry a good load,and they are friendly.just dont make them mad or give them a shaw of Red Man,they like to spit.
Seems the older I get the more stuff I want to take with me.
Kurt.

[doghouse95]

I'm a packer, horse and mule packer, and I always have dogs with me.  it's their job to watch and protect the livestock and to range ahead of me on the trail and alert me to anyone or anything that is in front of us. My dogs are completly trained stock dogs, and trained as protection dogs as well.  They have kept my butt out of a bind many times.
I'm a certified K-9 trainer, attack dogs, ordnance dogs, tracking dogs, and narcotic dogs.  I'm working now on Search and Rescue dogs for a mounted Search and Rescue team that uses dogs for extending search situations.
If anyone out there knows of any other search and rescue unit that are using dogs with their mounted searchers, please let me know.  I was tasked to develop these dogs, and would like to talk to other trainers who are doing the same thing.  I'd really like to watch them train their dogs and see a finished product at work.