Dogs on 14ers

[metalmountain]

Vaughantimothy, I'm very happy to know you are looking out for your dogs health and safety :D

Exactly...I am about as far from anti dog as it gets, yet it appears some people seem to think bringing up an instance where neither a dogs nor fellow hikers safety and well being was taken into account is being "anti dog". I have hiked with many dogs, and always enjoyed it. But I have also just had a few encounters where it appears as though people seem to think their dogs have the same decision making ability as a person does. As owners we are responsible for their safety and well being, and what conditions we subject them to . Any animal that can be scared of a vacuum cleaner is probably not always capable of making the best route decisions

Which is why we have to make these decisions for them, and ensure their safety. I don't think most of us would drag a friend up a mountain with exposure and loose rock unless we knew for sure that they were capable, so I would think the same thought process would go into decisions when it comes to your dog. Just because the owner is capable doesn't mean the dog necessarily is. That is all I was saying earlier, owners need to take into account a lot of things before taking their dogs up high. Not just simply say "I love mountains, so that means my dog does too. He will go everywhere with me now!". I know that is not indicative of most people's thought process haha, but I do think that it exists. Again, I truly love dogs and have always had one since I was a small child and always will so there is no animosity toward people that climb and hike with theirs.

[metalmountain]

As am I :D I've also had inquiries of my own bashed pretty good a couple times on this thread. When able, I'm always with my dogs in the mountains. Unfortunately, I do love a breed that forces me to be VERY particular about which peaks I can climb with them. Having been up Blanca, I know its out for my Copper dog! I did offer some advice, via PM. I have also discovered the best way to gain appropriate knowledge about peaks is to just PM people who have climbed the peaks, and avoid potential turmoil. Everyone has their own, and sometimes VERY strong opinion!

I love seeing well behaved dogs on mountains.... I just with the whole world did too! One can hope

Totally Agreed!!! My dog is pretty bad ass in the mountains and extremely well behaved. Its just too bad more people dont take time to actually "train" their dogs. Mine can hang on class 3 but for her safety and mine I wont take her on anything harder than that. Glad to see there are people on here who enjoy spending time in the moutains with their dogs as much as I do.

I have had the pleasure of hiking with your pup...she does indeed kick ass.

[HikingSibes]

Hi - I hike mostly with my 2 Siberian Huskies - - I've done only 2 fourteeners 3x -- Handies, Sneffels -- both went to the summit of Handies with ease - they carry their own gear. However, only one of my huskies was capable of climbing Sneffels unassisted, so I sent both of them down with a friend who only wanted to go to the saddle.
They need to be accustomed to hiking (work their way up) & preferably carrying their own gear : ) & you need to be aware of how they are doing -- give them plenty of fuel & water. They need to be well trained &, sorry, not too old -- I can't stress enough how you need to be aware of how they are doing.
PS: My 2 stay on leash & are mostly behind me on the downhill -- I let them assist some on the uphill.....
hope that helps!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LulZjhT87p4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RosieTheSummiter]

Dog owners, please read:

1. I love dogs. I don't have one now, but I did a while back.
2. My friend from RMSR had to rescue/retrieve a dead dog atop a peak last year - PLEASE READ THIS LINE AGAIN.
3. I can't count on one hand the number of times I've had to offer water to other people's dogs (from my camelback poured into my own
hand) who were parched atop a 14er or other peak, because the owners "forgot" to bring water for their dog (as they drink their own from their camelback and give me thanks and smile in stupid gratitude).
4. I've been in groups where people brought their dogs who were dead tired atop the peak, and that was only the halfway point. If you think it's tough route finding atop Holy Cross for yourself, try route finding for a 4-legged pooch that is too large to be carried and too small to get over large talus easily. Pushing a dog up a rock is probably a sign that that dog is not meant to be there. Pulling (yikes!) a dog up a rock is probably a sign that you're maybe not meant to be there.
5. I've hiked with people who have inconsiderately let their dog run free atop a nearby 13er which ended up chasing a bunch of mountain
goats down a steep ravine. So much for viewing goats, and the dog nearly fell off the peak.

Questions for you as the dog owner:
1. Are you prepared to carry additional water for your dog atop mountains like Princeton which are completley BONE DRY right now? Yes
- not a singe stream between the 11,000+ higher parking spots and the top. I can confirm this as of the past weekend. Don't rely on
water being on the trail - EVER! Creeks shown on maps can go dry seasonally. One piddly bottle is not sufficient for a large active dog.
2. Can you carry your dog when it is exhausted? When you are exhausted?
3. When your dog is whimpering at the higher altitudes, are you cognizant that it might not be "excitement of the peak" or a nearby
marmot but rather that he has a high altitude headache just like the rest of us and that you need to get him down instead of pushing
on? Are you prepared to sacrifice your summit in the better interests of your dog and not hold it against your dog?
4. Do you understand that when your pooch comes up to greet us as we're going up the talus ourselves that the greeting is appreciated?
Do you understand that when your dog does this 10 times in a row and almost knocks us off the rock that it's super annoying and
dangerous to us?
5. Do you understand that the lower portions of the trail can be upwards of 90+ degrees when you're finishing your hike and that your
pooch is wearing a fur coat? Would you want to hike in a fur coat in that weather while being pulled by your neck on a leash?
6. Do you understand that rocks get hot and sharp and can be painful to your dogs feet?
7. Does your desperation for a hiking partner (your pooch) and the excitement of seeing your dog in the photo with you at the summit on
Facebook outweigh the appropriateness of taking your dog on this particular trail?

I am very grateful to see people who love their dogs enough to share the beauty of these trails with them because dogs should be taken
out in nature. But 14ers are a whole different *animal*. The Jack Russel that ran circles around me at 13,000 on Elbert will always
amaze me; the dog that died atop the peak last year will never hike again. Two different peaks, two different dogs.

HUGE KUDOS to the two gentlemen that rescued (and carried!) the lost/injured dog on the 14er this past week!!! I got very emotional when a read that thread this week. And kudos to people who adopt and love animals. Please keep loving them by judging the appropriateness of the trail in your research beforehand.

[Matt]

Totally Agreed!!! My dog is pretty bad ass in the mountains and extremely well behaved. Its just too bad more people dont take time to actually "train" their dogs. Mine can hang on class 3 but for her safety and mine I wont take her on anything harder than that. Glad to see there are people on here who enjoy spending time in the moutains with their dogs as much as I do.

I like dogs, and have no problem with seeing them on the trail. Most are friendly and a welcome sight. 99% of dogs are cool and I take the time to let apologetic owners know that I actually appreciate a chance to pet a friendly dog.
Dogs that are hostile, well, they meet my foot or, in the case of a tandem of unleashed rottweilers in the La Platas, my ice axe.

However... I have seen you post several times about how your dog does class 3 routes. Bully for you.
One post would seem to be enough. Repeat posts smack of the narcissism that drives much of this back and forth about dogs.
It's nice that you're concerned for your safety and that of your dog. How about the rest of us?
Dogs kick rocks down steep routes. That's hard to dispute and impossible to train them to avoid.
People under you should not have to be at risk or wait for you to take your amazing animal up or down a class 3 section. That's plain selfish.
If alone on a peak, I see no problem with this. However, on most 14ers, you have other people to think about if you choose to.
As Jim Rome so aptly put it the other day, "No one loves your dog as much as you do or wants to see it everywhere you go." He was talking about restaurants and sidewalks. When it comes to the mountains and class 3 routes, bringing a dog along seems at best selfish. At worst....

[scalba123]

I've been thinking about this topic quite a bit lately. I am not a dog lover, but I have come to this conclusion...

Would I prefer to see dogs on the 14er trails and summit areas? [Absolutely not]

Would I offer my assistance to help a dog that is in distress/injured/lost...even at the expense of abandoning my summit attempt? [Absolutely]

While I may not like dogs, I strongly believe that the 14er community should have everyone's back even if that means putting personal feelings aside.

...just my two cents. [For what is is worth.]

[Missy_Goat]

My opinion about dogs on 14ers is..........

no, wait! Bad Missy! Must....keep......mouth.....closed!

Oh, the topics that never die!

[highpilgrim]

Oh, the topics that never die!

Kinda like the Lake Como Road threads... :D

[Roald]

Oh, the topics that never die!

Kinda like the Lake Como Road threads... :D

Don't forget guns

And Mt Bross access....

[highpilgrim]

And Mt Bross access....

And Silver Pick...

[ozone]

I can't wait for Marmot season to open up on August 10th so I can hike with my dog off leash and carry a gun.

[letourneau41]

I was on the Sawtooth Ridge this past weekend and while on the narrow traverse which has a ton of loose dirt and rock on it a dog came along and was trying to get up it started throwing a ton of rocks down my way. The owner didn't say anything other than "Come on buddy you can make it" I wasn't very happy to say the least. While I love dogs, I believe that there are some places that they should not be when it concerns other peoples safety, but I guess that's not the dogs choice it's their owners. Unfortunately a select few dog owners don't seem to care much about the safety of other nor their dogs.