Bringing Your Dog Out Camping/Backpacking

[lcampbell89]

Hey all,

Just curious who all here brings their dogs out backpacking with them. I have a nine month old Chocolate Lab whom I would like to bring with me at some point. Although I am concerned that he may A) Run off and never be seen again B) Find a way to get lose at night C) Try to chase/attack an animal that he certainly does not want to be getting in a fight with D) Not be able to make it on a hike.

I know Texas State Parks require dogs to be on leashes so that would be an answer to most of those problems, but at the same time I would want him to be able to run around. Considering we would be in the wild and he wouldn't be getting hit by a car or truck by just crossing a street.

He is a little bit of a skitz and when he does get out of the house he has a tendency to want to run off and take me along with him although he will always eventually come back sooner or later.

Does he need to be better trained to go out there or will he be okay and learn as we go?

Thanks,
Lee

[dolfan87]

Obedience classes are a very good idea before you ever let him off leash for any reason.

[crashdive123]

IMO I wouldn't take a dog that has never been hiking or camping with me before on a trip like that without first training the dog. Just like with children teaching them by exposing them to the things they will encounter works well. As Pal said, classes are good. Shorter trips so the dog won't "freak out" the first time it sees a wild animal may help. If you've got a dog trainer in your area, they may be able to give you the best way of accomplishing it.

[wareagle69]

sounds like you have some work ahead of you, labs are knotheads w/o a doubt first i would get him microchipped, is he neutered? all his shots up to date? you must protect him first. trust is built over time my little brown dog loves the bush and has proven over time to stay close enough, if i set up camp she will go off hunting but always comes back within ten or so minutes to check in then is off again. after almost 7 years i trust her, except when she has been penned up in the house and she gets a chance to run then she goes wild for a few mins then will listen but she gets a scent into her head she would move a grizz to get to it, small dog syndrome doesn't realize she is not a rotty just cuz she sees them all the time she thinks she are one. buti digress get some training a you both will be happier in the end no need to break both your hearts

[lcampbell89]

Yeah I have been looking into doing some training with him but the training in my price range that I have found at least is from PetSmary and I am not so sure how much I trust that.

He isn't a bad dog by any means I mean he knows his basics like sit, stay, and such. I can tell him to sit stay and then throw a ball or stick and he won't go get it til I say so. But on the other hand he does have his tendencies to want to sprint around if he has been in a certain place for too long.

He is micropchipped with the ones if someone gets him they can scan him but it isn't the GPS chip. He is up to date on all of his shots, although he has yet to be neutered that will be coming quite soon.

I do think the small trip is a great idea though. I need to start working with him more in places like parks and such off of the leash. I will be the first to admit whenever another dog comes into play hes attentiveness essentially goes out the window.

[Alpine_Sapper]

My advice is to Stay away from PetSmart. I know it sucks cause their cheap, but I haven't seen to many obediant dogs come out of their classes. I've seen a lot of basket case owners who couldn't figure out why fifi wouldn't behave, etc.

Anyway, private trainers (around here, anyway) all want $500+, most in excess of $700 for basic "come,sit,stay,heel" obedience. You can do most of that work yourself with a book if you enjoy spending time with dogs.

However, if you feel uncomfortable doing it yourself, check into the programs in your area arranged by the charity's. The Humane Society here in San Antonio has an 8 week program (same as pet smart or one of the private trainers) for $50. Is it worth it? You bet. Worlds better training than at Petsmart for less than 1/2 the cost. Not that PM doesn't hire good trainers, but it's a crappy training environment and the program doesn't really allow for a lot of flexibility while you are with the trainer. The HS program is ran by dog lovers for dog lovers. I know there are similar programs in the DFW area, especially if you have a working or herding dog. (If you are into herding dogs I can pass along a lot of good contact info for groups in DFW. )

[Aurelius95]

I trained my black lab 12 years ago. I took her to classes when she was about 12 weeks. They were weekly classes for 6 weeks. I found that if you just spend time practicing what you learn at class, your dog will catch on easily, even if it's a knuckle-head! It takes time, daily, to instill the obedience you desire. I wasn't adherent to very strict rules, but I wanted her to come when I called, sit, stay, and not to jump. Since then, we have developed many other commands, but they weren't things I tried to teach her.

Good luck!

[wareagle69]

heres a cheap plug but maybe purchase cesar milans the dog whisperer. in my opionion all it takes is consistancy to train your pets.

[crashdive123]

heres a cheap plug but maybe purchase cesar milans the dog whisperer. in my opionion all it takes is consistancy to train your pets.

For anybody that has not seen this guy...it is amazing how he interacts and trains animals. Good recommendation WE.

[woodsman86]

I also have a chocolate lab that is still somewhat a pup<1 year. I found taking him out the first few times on a leash in the woods helped keep him stay close after I took him off the leash. Also if you have a friend with a trained dog, labs tend to learn habits from other dogs. I now have no problems with him running to far from camp and he only chases animals if I'm shooting them.

A good investment is a hunter orange collar, especially at night, to keep an eye on him.

Ultimately it is very time consuming to train a dog and you have to remember to make your dog do things your way and never give up on it, he will learn eventually.

[The Shadoran Nomad]

I suggest you still take your dog camping.
Start off by keeping them on a long leash, so they have the freedom to run around and sniff what ever they want but learn not to wonder too far.
After a while and when you feel confident let go of the leash and let it drag on the ground. Dont let your dog wonder off and if starts to stray too far call it back. If it returns reward it with a pat or a cuddle. If it doesnt quickly grap the long leash as the dog isnt ready to have that much freedom.
Eventually you will be able to trust it to have no lead and come to you when you call but it will take a bit of time especially if the dog gets excited when away from the house.
With my dog I can let it run around and explore with a long lead draging on the ground but I dont feel comfetable to do that at night time bacause I know the nature of my dog would be to wonder off during the night.

hope that helps a bit.

[Runs With Beer]

I take my dog camping every time and dont have a problem, But then he is very well trained.My last dog got run over right in front of my house because I let her run wild and do what ever she wanted, And I swore that would never happen again, The training is everything.

[Geronimo!]

I think most of these guy/gals hit it on the head. If your dog is tied up for most of the day, try to get them used to going leashless so when you go camping he/she will be perfectly fine with hanging around camp.

[Shaggs]

http://barkbusters.com/ is what I used. These guys are great and it's guaranteed. I can actually walk my dog now, not the dog walk me. I think I am almost to the point where I feel I can let her go in the woods and be able to call her back. gonna start taking her for walks in the woods soon to get use to them...

[crashdive123]

I take my dog camping every time and dont have a problem, But then he is very well trained.My last dog got run over right in front of my house because I let her run wild and do what ever she wanted, And I swore that would never happen again, The training is everything.

Not sure who is the trainer and who is the trainee. Last outing I recall your dog sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle until you got the camp set up.

[crashdive123]

Questions?!?!?! Egads man - why the need to ask questions. (sorry Remy - couldn't resist)

[Mountaintrekker]

We have 2 labs (3 year old brothers) and we take them everywhere! When we go into the woods which is often we make sure the have their bells on their collars. That helps other animals get a heads up before my 2 knuckleheads jump through the alders on top of some unsuspecting bear that was paying attention to us instead of them.
They listen very well and we also make sure they know we have "treats" on hand to give them that extra incentive to listen. This seems to work quite well. We don't keep them cooped up either, I mean we excersise regularly with them so they aren't a pent up mess and then released outdoors. I've seen lots of dogs kept that way. Inside all day and then let out to do whatever and no discipline... just asking for trouble.
We also have started them wearing their own backpacks to carry their food and water and each dog has a mini survival kit in their bag! The thought being that if either of us is hurt or in a situation where we become seperated from our gear we can call one of the dogs over with supplies.

[klkak]

Before he died I used to take my big dog "Bandit" with me when camping, hunting, fishing or where ever.

Where does the dog come from? Bandit was the get of a female coyote and a male Alaska sled dog.

How long have you known the dog for? I got him at 3 days old. He was with me until his resent death at 13 years old.

What is your current living environment? Semi rural Alaska. Single family home with one acre of land.

What do you expect from your dog? He was my companion, my friend and he was a good watch dog.

Where does your dog sleep? Outside on the back porch or in the garage.

What do you feed your dog? Iams dog food and wild game meat and bones.

Does your dog bark a lot? No, he had a kind of growling sound he made.

This spring one of my neighbors is breeding a registered Golden retriever male to a registered Aire dale female. He said he would let me have one of the pup's. If it turns out to be half the dog Bandit was it'll make a good backwoods companion.

[Ken]

Before i go any further...i have a few questions.

Where does the dog come from ?
How long have you known the dog for ?
What is your current living environment ?
What do you expect from your dog ?
Where does your dog sleep ?
What do you feed your dog ?
Does your dog bark a lot ?

I have two Dogs. Both Beagles. My answers apply to each one.

Here are my answers:

QUESTION: Where does the dog come from ?
ANSWER: Two other dogs. One Male and One Female.

QUESTION: How long have you known the dog for ?
ANSWER: Since I adopted him/her.

QUESTION: What is your current living environment ?
ANSWER: Indoors

QUESTION: What do you expect from your dog ?
ANSWER: I expect him/her to eat, pee, poop, shed, and to recite the attributes of various vintages of fine wines.

QUESTION: Where does your dog sleep ?
ANSWER: On their own California King bed. With flannel sheets in Winter.

QUESTION: What do you feed your dog ?
ANSWER: Food. And people who ask personal questions about my dogs.

QUESTION: Does your dog bark a lot ?
ANSWER: No. They're Beagles. They express themselves by howling.

Now that you have these answers, please explain to me why my dogs will only read hardcover books - never paperbacks, and why they refuse to balance their checkbooks more often than once every three months.

PLEASE! I NEED ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS!

[klkak]

Obedience classes are a very good idea before you ever let him off leash for any reason.

None of my dogs are ever on a leash unless we are going into the vets office. Except the little white dog my wife brought home last spring and I very rarely put one on him.