Hiking etiquette with dogs

[chumley]

There was a recent thread about rabid foxes and the threat to unleashed pets which got me to thinking about hiking with my dog. I have a yellow lab, who is by nature, a people-loving dog. His greatest threat to anybody is the ability to possibly lick you to the point of illness due to his bad breath. He's getting old and has always been a little bit lazy, so chasing rabbits, squirrels, skunks, and porcupines only lasts for a few yards before he comes back to me. He is always fascinated (but scared) of larger animals such as elk or cattle.

As a result, I frequently hike with him off-leash. This allows him to stop and sniff things while I continue my pace uninterrupted. I am cognizant of other people however and realize that not everybody loves dogs. If I encounter others, I always try to either put him on his leash or at least give him a "sit" command while people pass. I will always restrain him when we encounter other dogs (especially off-leash) until I've had a chance to talk to the owner and determine the demeanor of the dog.

I love to go somewhere that there's nobody else around for miles and miles ... but its nice to share that solitude with my dog. Often it is impractical to have him restrained, especially on trails that involve climbing or scrambling over obstacles.

So, what do you all think of dogs on the trail? I think part of my responsibility as a dog-owner is to try to understand the feelings of others, and while I have some ideas, it can't hurt to get more input.

[xthine]

Very old thread but for the past few months I've been hiking with our new pup so i've been interested in hiking etiquette when it comes to dogs.

Around here there are leash laws but I see quite a number of off leash dogs on the trail.
My pup is leashed on the trails but there are times I put the leash down when i take pictures of her and when we do obedience training (usually on a mesa where I could watch out for other people or dogs coming). Obedience training would be duration down stay, I figure it's good for her be trained in this in case a scenario calls for her to remain in place for a certain amount of time.

I must admit I get nervous when I see off leash dogs that come charging towards us (i've been training my pup to be neutral to dogs). Thankful for dogs that have great recall and owners that leash up their dogs when they see us coming.

We continue to work on our hiking etiquette. She tends to poop shortly after hitting the trails so I bag it up and set it aside, on the way back i give her the command to look for her poop bag so helps me find it so it goes in the trash bin. I have her on a sit whenever bikers pass, I step off the trail and have her sit when we see an oncoming dog, i let her walk in front of me when we hike but recall her to my side whenever there are other hikers coming so she is out of their way. When people ask to take pictures of her I oblige. She has a harness that says DO NOT PET because we've had hikers just pet her on the head without asking. Now that she's grown we don't get those anymore.

[Heliops]

Please put your dog on a leash when hiking on an established trail. Very few people have voice control over their dog, so don't even bother telling me you do. Unless your a licensed K-9 trainer or had formal training, it takes months of practice to train a dog and owner. Ask your self, have you done that?? The next problem is dog fights and someone getting bit. Do you want to get sued or have your dog put down because it bit some one.

Ok I'm done ranting. JUST PUT YOU DOG ON A LEASH. I'm a dog owner and love dogs by the way.

[Walkingbambam]

HAUL OUT YOUR DOG WASTE POOP BAGS TOO!!!

[rustyshackleford135]

There are people that hike with their dog on a leash? lol

kinda defeats the purpose of being out in nature if you ask me

[Hansenaz]

Not a dog owner but I like dogs. I'm happy to encounter off-leash dogs but really it should be common sense. Busy trails where some fraction of people don't want to deal with a strange doggy certainly should be leashed all the time. Where hiker-hiker encounters are rare, the off-leash dog owner should anticipate controlling his dog and a verbal cue from the passing hiker should indicate if he doesn't mind canine au natural. My 2cents.

[AugustWest]

I follow posted rules and regulations which seems to be common sense. Phoenix parks, McDowell's and Western Superstitions I put my dog on a leash. Off the beaten path (fewer than 3-4 cars at the TH) I will go off leash. If I see a horse trailer I am especially careful as Luna is a lifelong idiot around horses, but I know she is good around other dogs. In addition, if I sense someone is scared or apprehensive around dogs I am especially careful even if she is leashed. If I hear people coming down a trail I ask if they have a dog and if it is friendly. Incidentally, I have seen more issues with dogs in valley restaurant patios than I have ever seen on trails. This is personal for me as hiking with Luna is one of my greatest joys, but realize that this opportunity comes with great responsibility.

[rustyshackleford135]

Not a dog owner but I like dogs. I'm happy to encounter off-leash dogs but really it should be common sense. Busy trails where some fraction of people don't want to deal with a strange doggy certainly should be leashed all the time. Where hiker-hiker encounters are rare, the off-leash dog owner should anticipate controlling his dog and a verbal cue from the passing hiker should indicate if he doesn't mind canine au natural. My 2cents.

Very true. I leash her near the trailhead or road crossings. We also hike trails where I don't see many people.

Even on "crowded" ones she keeps on trucking. Crowded means we see some people instead of very few to none. The only time I get stopped is people saying how cute her backpack is. Oh and I hear "I wish my dog was half as well behaved as yours!"

[Alston_Neal]

@Hansenaz
My avatar is just how Tus looked at you when you said her butt was big. Then you gave her salami and now all is well, for now.

[Blanco]

What’s a leash?

[chumley]

HAUL OUT YOUR DOG WASTE POOP BAGS

What's a poop bag?

[azbackpackr]

@Alston_Neal
Oh. You've had that up for so many years, I've become accustomed to thinking it's you.

[xthine]

My dog is 3 now, supposedly fully mature for her breed. Still have her on a 6 foot biothane leash when we hike, occasionally I’ll let her drag the leash when I have a good field of view to see if other hikers are coming so I can pick her leash back up. Her drive is too strong for me to risk her wandering completely off leash, it only takes one rabbit for fur missile mode to activate.
Those off leash dogs with zero recall still keeps me on my toes, a lot more of them since COVID.

[Pivo]

If You See a Dog with a Red Collar, This Is What It Means + More colors to know

https://www.rd.com/article/red-dog-collar/

[LosDosSloFolks]

@Pivo
Now when I look at your avatar photo I have concerns :-)

[Pivo]

Now when I look at your avatar photo I have concerns :-)

Mitch Robbins:
Hi Curly. Killed anyone today?

Curly:
The day ain't over yet...

[AZHiker456]

I'm dislike loose dogs. Few of them misbehave, but once in a while I meet a nasty one and have been nipped a few times. My favorite was the guy who told me his dog didn't bite as he was looking at the dog with its teeth sunk into my ankle.

YOUR "favorite" = MY daily occurrence (back in the rich snooty town where I grew up on the East Coast).

Luckily, living in rural Arizona, it's rarely a problem because if a dog tries poo mess, it will get shot.

[chumley]

daily occurrence

if dogs are biting you daily, it's probably time to research whether the perfect approach shoe you wear may be made at the same chinese factory that makes dog food or chew toys.

[FOTG]

@chumley
Eh, they say dogs just know sometimes.

[Alston_Neal]

Huh, we just do it cuz it's easier to see Tus, since she is very camo. Besides red is her favorite sepia color.
[ photo ]

[big_load]

My current favorite crazy dog behavior doesn't involve hiking, but it's a regular feature of my daily walks. A neighbor has four large standard poodles of identical size but different colors. When they stand up with their paws on the fence they can almost look you in the eye. (Their yard is a foot and a half above street level). Whenever I approach, the paws all go up on the fence and the heads pop up. It's the lull before for the storm. They remain quiet until the last possible moment, since the dominant dog is boldest and normally doesn't bark at me if he's alone.

However, the tension becomes too much for one of the others, who starts barking, and this sets the dominant dog off, because he's in charge of barking at the guy and he'll accept no challenge to his authority. So he lets loose with a few barks, but then goes off to chase and bite the usurper. Of course, that leaves two other dogs free to commence the racket, momentarily unmolested while the leader doles out punishment. However, his attention quickly turns to the new offenders, and the dog just punished is eager to extract revenge on anyone else who got away with barking at the guy unpunished. Soon the yard is just a snarling ball of dogs biting each other on the back of the neck, leaving their universe unprotected against that guy.