Dogs and 14ers

Dogs, dogs and even some cats
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dumbsocrates
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by dumbsocrates »

First of all, I do agree that there is an etiquette that dog owners should follow but that they are too often too ignorant to mind, such as picking up after the dog, making sure it doesn't chase wildlife, doesn't get off trail, doesn't bother people who don't want to be bothered, doesn't eat others' food, doesn't get into a fight with another dog, to name a few. And I do agree that certain breeds are just not well suited for these sorts of hikes.

However, if there is a U.S. State with the potential of a dog to be happy, it's Colorado: It's big; it's colorful; it's got running space, meadows, and mountains.... I never had a problem encountering a dog on a trail; sadly, I can't say the same about humans. Does human hypocrisy know no bounds? Let's protect our animals, become vegetarians, get dogs/ cats from shelters rather than breeders, and certainly NEVER wear fur or leather, but god forbid we allow a dog the freedom to enjoy the beauty and grandeur of nature. ](*,) WTF?

It seems to me that the lawmakers of this country have all sat down and decided that freedom will be limited until all people can do is sit home and watch TV... only certain kinds of TV, that is. No nudity! No nipples showing! No violence! You will not smoke in public places. You will not smoke ganja at all. You will not drink beer in public places. You will not wear a thong on the beach. You will not drive a black car on Sundays (seriously! CO law!). You will wear a helmet if you're riding a bike. You will not ride your motorcycle into certain towns (Golden, btw). "You will not cry, or sneeze or barf or fart!" Who are these laws meant to protect? It's liberalism gone bad! Now I opened up Pandora's box! Don't get me wrong... I love America because it has plenty to offer, but I'm not going to keep my eyes averted from the obvious faults either. It's a country run by a bunch of extremist prudes, who want to protect the stupid few at the expense of everyone else's freedom. Phew.... that's a rant if I ever saw one... I don't think I'll be making any friends today :D

So I will take my dog on the trail on every 14er and hike (up to a certain class of difficulty, of course), so he can have his day off leash doing what he does best--RUN--(it's a shepherd) and to protect me from other people... not from other dogs!

Oh, yeah... and thank you for petting my dog! And if you stop me on the trail to tell me about some imaginary leash law, I will give you lip! :)
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randalmartin
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by randalmartin »

dumbsocrates wrote:So I will take my dog on the trail on every 14er and hike (up to a certain class of difficulty, of course), so he can have his day off leash doing what he does best--RUN--(it's a shepherd) and to protect me from other people... not from other dogs!

Oh, yeah... and thank you for petting my dog! And if you stop me on the trail to tell me about some imaginary leash law, I will give you lip! :)
In Wilderness areas (of which there are many in Colorado that encompass 14ers) leashing your dog is the law and you can certainly be fined for not having it leashed. Heaven forbid your dog not be able to have his day running all over the place. You sound like the parents of children that don't give a crap about their children misbehaving in public as long as they are "Having fun".
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jrsummit
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by jrsummit »

I'm with you Randalmartin. Some people have no clue.
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dumbsocrates
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by dumbsocrates »

ezsuperkev wrote:I thought the thread was about dogs ??
I did say that my reply turned into a sort of a rant :) tangential but still relevant.
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dumbsocrates
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by dumbsocrates »

randalmartin wrote:You sound like the parents of children that don't give a crap about their children misbehaving in public as long as they are "Having fun".
I may have gone off on a tangent, but your logical progression of thinking is seriously flawed :roll:
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Matt
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by Matt »

Seeing this on the trail would make my day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYNnxoni4rI
Maybe NSFW.
We are all greater artists than we realize -FWN
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cheeseburglar
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by cheeseburglar »

Nice rant socrates. Worthy of your screen name.
randalmartin wrote: In Wilderness areas (of which there are many in Colorado that encompass 14ers) leashing your dog is the law and you can certainly be fined for not having it leashed. Heaven forbid your dog not be able to have his day running all over the place. You sound like the parents of children that don't give a crap about their children misbehaving in public as long as they are "Having fun".
My dogs have run wild unleashed through quite a bit of the Maroon Bells Snowmass wilderness area.
Nobody has complained to me yet, and I haven't been fined.
I once climbed Massive with my dog and didn't even have a leash with me. A ranger gave me a warning and told me I should leash her up.
My dogs also chase marmots quite a bit. I'm pretty sure the marmots enjoy the game.
When I drive, I get passed by many people breaking the law by speeding. I don't confront them about breaking the law.
But if there was a forum topic about speeders, I probably would whine about them.
The marmot said “Nobody is perfect and you are not nobody.”

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randalmartin
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by randalmartin »

cheeseburglar wrote:My dogs have run wild unleashed through quite a bit of the Maroon Bells Snowmass wilderness area. Nobody has complained to me yet, and I haven't been fined.
Nice philosophy, "If no one complains then it must be fine". A lot of people simply don't like confrontation.
cheeseburglar wrote:I once climbed Massive with my dog and didn't even have a leash with me. A ranger gave me a warning and told me I should leash her up.
No different than a cop giving you a warning and not a ticket.
cheeseburglar wrote:My dogs also chase marmots quite a bit. I'm pretty sure the marmots enjoy the game.
I am pretty sure the Marmots just don't want to get beat up. Hopefully your dog doesn't make the mistake of chasing a porcupine or Mountain Goat.
ArloGuthroJeep
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by ArloGuthroJeep »

My dog (Double Merle Australian Shepherd) is half deaf and half blind. So when the Pika or Marmots make their chirping noises, he generally runs in the complete wrong direction (he can't locate where sound is coming from) \:D/ I prefer to use my own common sense when to leash and when to not leash - and not have the government tell me. At the summits I'll leash him, or if he is behaving poorly (not listening), or at the trailhead, or if it is crowded, or if there are kids around (he likes to lick kids in the face and they generally don't like that). If I get a ticket I'll graciously accept it knowing full well what the consequences are. So far hiking 14ers we have only had one instance, of a lady telling me I was breaking state law by not having my dog on leash (she had her dog on leash - perhaps she was jealous :wink: ) in the national forest (not Wilderness) - of which there is no such law :roll:

I can't make everyone happy, but I try and not upset too many of the people that don't understand that the world doesn't cater to them; and that others may have different opinions.
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randalmartin
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by randalmartin »

ArloGuthroJeep, your approach seems very reasonable. You actually take your surroundings, dogs behaviour into the account when determining whether to leash. As with a lot of things, common sense is lacking in many people, especially when it involves something they are so emotionally attached to (like their dog or children).
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Hiker Mike
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by Hiker Mike »

ArloGuthroJeep wrote:I prefer to use my own common sense when to leash and when to not leash - and not have the government tell me. At the summits I'll leash him, or if he is behaving poorly (not listening), or at the trailhead, or if it is crowded, or if there are kids around (he likes to lick kids in the face and they generally don't like that). If I get a ticket I'll graciously accept it knowing full well what the consequences are.
Thus proving the point that there are no bad dogs only bad owners. You sound a good owner who has a good dog. :D

Mike
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davidmarginian
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Re: Dogs and 14ers

Post by davidmarginian »

I use one for one of my dogs (the stubborn one). They are great. I shocked myself with it up to level 4 before using it on the dog. Level 1 is a tickle and my dog always responds to it. It also has a beep option which I use pre-shock (I hardly ever have to use the shock option). If you are going to get one spend some money on a good one.
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