Dog on Class 3s or Difficult Class 2s??

[juj333]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience on bringing their dog on Class 3 peaks or difficult Class 2s? My dog has currently hiked 17 peaks: Huron, Sherman, Gray's, Princeton, Belford, Oxford, La Plata, Elbert, Massive, Evans, Bierstadt, Shav & Tab, Red Cloud & Sunshine, Humboldt and Pike's. (Handies and Uncompahgre this coming weekend)

I read the forum topic of having dogs on Castle and Conundrum and we're planning on doing those at the end of the summer, WITH the dog. The more peaks he's done, the better of a climber he's become--particularly at scrambling. He has his own pair of boots, which he keeps on. And carries his own water. Because of the boots, he's sometimes a little hesitant on some boulders because of the lack of grip he has from the boots compared to his paws. But overall, he does very well. He's a Bearded Collie and weighs roughly 55 lbs. He'll be 4 years old this August. He's very obedient and always stays close.

Some of the peaks I'm particularly curious about are: Blanca and Ellingwood Point, Sneffels and Wetterhorn. Has anyone climbed these peaks with a dog? And even if you haven't hiked them with a dog, what might be your take on the trail for a booted dog?

[Mike Shepherd]

I have a coworker who has taken his dog on Capitol. I've personally seen it go up Torreys via the dead dog couloir. It's doable if the pooch is at home on the mountains. He short ropes it for some parts.

[mkrier]

Every dog is different, but I bring my dog up to Class 2+. He would probably be fine on Castle/Conundrum looking at the peaks he has done, however, the last pitch up Wetterhorn might be hard for your dog. Haven't done the others you inquire about.

Most people I know with dogs usually draw the line at Class 3, so I would recommend just keeping him at home.

Also, you should take off his dog boots for any real scrambling sections in hikes. He's hesitant like you say because he has no grip with those boots on.

[bergsteigen]

Has anyone climbed these peaks with a dog? And even if you haven't hiked them with a dog, what might be your take on the trail for a booted dog?

The short answer is yes, dogs have done these peaks. Some dogs have actually "finished" all the 14ers. Others are missing 1 or a few. See this thread: The 14ers.com dogs

Some dogs I have hiked/climbed/skied with are very impressive and can take anything on. Others, not so much. As with humans, step up the difficulty slowly and be prepared to turn around or carry your dog out.

[Oman]

Ha. Time for the annual dog-in-a-dicey-spot mudfest.

Several very conscientious hikers on this forum have successfully led their dogs up Class 3 and 4 routes. I have not done that with our dog. My problem is the what ifs:
1. What if my dog kicks a rock onto a climber below?
2. What if my dog ends up off-route in a bad place?
3. What if my dog falls and gets hurt, and I have to carry him out?
And especially: 4. How could I live with myself if my dog was hurt or killed because I led him to a risky place? Who was I trying to make happy -- my dog or me?

[Exiled Michigander]

Having had rocks kicked down upon me by a novice dog climber on the Needle (thank goodness for helmets!), I am not a huge fan of dogs on routes above Class 2. However, if you insist on bringing your pooch up these routes as many do, please just remember that dogs cannot yell out "Rock!; this is your responsibility.

[SurfNTurf]

Several very conscientious hikers on this forum have successfully led their dogs up Class 3 and 4 routes. I have not done that with our dog. My problem is the what ifs:
1. What if my dog kicks a rock onto a climber below?
2. What if my dog ends up off-route in a bad place?
3. What if my dog falls and gets hurt, and I have to carry him out?
And especially: 4. How could I live with myself if my dog was hurt or killed because I led him to a risky place? Who was I trying to make happy -- my dog or me?

Pretty much this. I hike with my dog a lot (his 13er/14er peak list is north of 30), but I leave him at home for anything above Class 2. To me, the reward isn't worth the risk. We humans put ourselves in danger willingly and are able to reap the perceived mental/emotional/spiritual rewards. Dogs aren't given that choice, and really, all they want to do is run around and sniff stuff. They don't gain anything from a Class 3 they couldn't get on a Class 1. I've seen first-hand what can happen to a dog who takes a fall (she survived, barely). I can't imagine putting my pup through that -- or what my girlfriend would do to me.

That said, there are exceptions. I've hiked with some truly remarkable dogs (Sophie!). I'm not one to judge or admonish their owners. Take your dog where you will, but be ready to accept the consequences and make the safety of human climbers paramount.

[GeezerClimber]

Ha. Time for the annual dog-in-a-dicey-spot mudfest.

Several very conscientious hikers on this forum have successfully led their dogs up Class 3 and 4 routes. I have not done that with our dog. My problem is the what ifs:
1. What if my dog kicks a rock onto a climber below?
2. What if my dog ends up off-route in a bad place?
3. What if my dog falls and gets hurt, and I have to carry him out?
And especially: 4. How could I live with myself if my dog was hurt or killed because I led him to a risky place? Who was I trying to make happy -- my dog or me?

Amen to all 4, especially #1.

Dave

[ameristrat]

There was a story about a dog that was killed last year in a fall on El Diente. I don't have a dog right now, but I wouldn't risk it. I couldn't live with myself if I led my dog to his or her death.

If a dog was kicking rocks on me on a tough mountain, I would have no problem laying into the owner for endangering other people on the mountain.

Just because a dog CAN do it doesn't mean they SHOULD.

I love seeing dogs on the trail - I'm always amazed to see the energy and joy with which they explore a foreign environment. But there's a thin line between an enjoyable outing and a dangerous outing with your dog - please be kind to your pooch!

[polar]

And especially: 4. How could I live with myself if my dog was hurt or killed because I led him to a risky place? Who was I trying to make happy -- my dog or me?

+1 to this.

As another dog owner, I can understand the feeling of pride if we accomplish something hard with our dog, because I've done that. However, like others have already mentioned, our dogs don't really care if they are climbing a 14er or running around on a small hill. They are happy as long as they're outside with their human. So we are really just pumping our own ego.

Personally, I don't take my dog (Polar) on any dry route that's class 3 or above. Snow climb is different. Polar excels on snow climbs, her little paws have built-in crampons that work just as well as my BD sabretooth. Here I'm going to show my ego by saying I've taken Polar on snow climbs above 17,000 feet. But on rock where she can't dig in her claws to get purchase, she is less comfortable. She is actually pretty good at scrambling, but I can tell that she doesn't enjoy it as much. So I made the choice to only hike class 1 or class 2 with Polar. If I encounter some class 3 scrambling when I'm out with her, I'll go up it and see if she follows. Sometimes she will impress me by finding her own way up, but often she will just run around for a bit, can't find an easy way, then look at me with sad puppy eyes and whimper a little, and I'll go back down to her. That's fine with me because I don't have a peak I have to bag.

At the end, it's your decision. If you do make the choice of taking your dog up class 3 routes, a couple of suggestions:
1. Take off the booties for the scrambling. Dog's bare paws and claws get better traction than booted paws.
2. I know you said he carries his own water. But on hard scrambles, don't let him wear a pack. The added width and weight of the pack can throw a dog off balance, and they tend to rub into stuff with their pack on, potentially knock stuff loose.
3. Have him wear a good harness with a handle on the back (Polar uses one made by Ruffwear). The handle let you help him by hauling and stabilizing him.
4. Have a short length of rope with you to protect dangerous sections. I had to cross a large crevasse field with Polar once, I had her harness roped to my harness the whole time. When we had to cross the bergschrund at the end, I gave her a hip belay while my climbing partner gave her a little boost from below.
5. Plan how you're going to get your dog down a class 3 section if he hurts himself and can't walk. Maybe practice it a little. It's not gonna be easy...

Polar scrambling.

PB060374.JPG (140.88 KiB) Viewed 4569 times

[aliciaf]

Ha. Time for the annual dog-in-a-dicey-spot mudfest.
And especially: 4. How could I live with myself if my dog was hurt or killed because I led him to a risky place? Who was I trying to make happy -- my dog or me?

This. I'd never forgive myself.

[John Landers]

How about a cat?

http://www.9news.com/story/life/pets/20 ... /13283123/