backpacking with your dog

“I probably wouldn't have said a word if the people had apologized for there dogs but since they didn't to bad.

hey waterdog someone told me you were an idiot. I agree with them now.”

“Ewker, now be nice or I am gonna have to sick my Layla doggie on you.....:)”

“oh no!!! got to like her name though..did you name her after the song”

“Funny - everybody asks me that. I probably got the name from the song, but didnt name her "after" the song. Although it is a great song.”

“Sass, that's exactly right, do the side effects out weight the risks.

I use Advantix on my 3-1/2 pound chi with no problems so far.

Nigal, the lyme disease vaccine will definitely keep your dog from getting the disease, even if your dog is bit.

pixie has that right. That's what I'm trying to say, that even if your dog is great some people don't care and don't want them near them.”

“Ouch, I felt that. I'm gonna go tell the "ranger's".”

“I and Megan have gone to obedience school. She went after the cat because it came into her backyard. She lives just fine with the four cats who belong in the yard. Megan can pack her own waste out in her own pack! I do use advantix on her as western NY does have lyme desease. Thanks for all the advice. Well, most of it! LoL!”

“dogs will act much different in the wild than in the back yard. My dog is fierce in his back yard if stray dogs or cats venture in they'd better watch out. But when we walk, he can pass within feet of a snarling dog or hissing cat and simply ignore them. It's a territorial thing and only natural.”

“Thanks Indiana, that is what I believe, too.”

“I'll stick in my two cents. When hiking with dogs keep two things in mind, common sense and common courtesy. Personally I've never met a dog I didn't like. Sometimes the owners are idiots.”

“Well, I can't say I've never met a dog I didn't like, but I know I have met many owners I didn't like because of the way they cared or didn't care for their dog.”

“The movie for those of you who cannot understand why anyone would NOT want a dog on a backpacking trip:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000C825J/qid=1112325378/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-7945985-8019103?v=glance&s=dvd

Make sure you watch it all the way to the end, then look at Fido and decide who is the master in your relationsjip. Oh yeah, don't forget the bar-b-que sauce!”

“http://www.hoosiergazette.com/2004/September/Features/feature001.asp

For Shelbyville Korean War veteran, it’s a man-eat-dog world

By Quincy Washington, THG
September 5, 2004

When fall rolls around and the stifling Indiana summer heat begins to subside, there is nothing retired Shelbyville mechanic Percy Johnson likes better than watching college football, drinking a few beers, and grilling a dog over an open flame.

Yes, you did read the previous paragraph correctly. The 71 year-old Johnson’s favorite delicacy is man’s best friend
..
..
..
Percy Johnson’s Herb-Grilled Dog Recipe
(serves four)

Ingredients:
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Hunks of skinless dog meat (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed and rinsed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red chile flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, flat-leaf parsley, or other fresh herb

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges for serving

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling

Directions:
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Lightly wet a hunk of dog with cold water and set it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound it into a broad, flat sheet about 1/4-inch thick, using a meat pounder, the side of a heavy cleaver, or a skillet. Pound the other hunks the same way and arrange them on a baking sheet.

Generously season each hunk on both sides with salt and pepper and a pinch or two of chile flakes. Sprinkle both sides with the garlic and rosemary. Drizzle both sides with the lemon juice and olive oil and pat into the meat with your fingertips. Refrigerate the hunks for 20 minutes while you prepare the grill.

Heat a gas grill to high or prepare a hot charcoal fire. Brush and oil the grill grate.

Arrange the dog hunks on the grill grate and grill until cooked and firm to the touch, 1 to 2 minutes per side. (Use a long, wide spatula to move and turn the hunks.) Transfer the hunks to a platter or plates. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing.”

“Sick!”

“taste like chicken I bet”

“He probably eats horses and cats, too!”

“I scored a fleece coat for Honey Dog yestarday for $6 at Old Navy. It is nice and thick and has velcro tabs that make it real easy to put on and off. It ain't pretty but hey, it's $6.

”

“Hope he stays on a leash on the trail.”

“As a matter fact she doesn’t most of the time. She is great with voice command even when deer jump in front of us. When someone is coming down the trail I leash her.”

“your dog looks gay.”

“Not that there's anything wrong with that!”

“LOL”

“Some of those sweaters do more harm than good. A dog has a guard coat and an undercoat. In the winter the undercoat comes out and increases the loft of the fur since it is soft and "downy". A sweater can actually decrease the amount of loft in the dogs coat and make it harder for them to stay warm. Also, I feed my dog more fat in the winter which helps him stay warm. Dogs have different diet needs than people in this regard.”

“My mom made my dog a fleece coat recently. She definitely needs it on colder days. Shes a german shorthair pointer, my mutt (beagle elkhound) needs no help. He will sleep on the deck in a snow storm if you let him.”

“Well birch it is a she so the colar's are ok. She refuses to wear it where other dogs will be around for some strang reason. ????

Jimmy San- It's only for winter camping at night when she gets a bit cold anyhow.”

“Does your dog have a tent and sleeping bag too.”

“She sleeps in my tent and has a Ridge rest and a beach towel she sleeps on.”

“Mine has his own tent and a fleece bag.”

“thanks for the info nigal, i've been looking for one for mine too...i just might be makeing a trip to old navy, oh wait it's a week before christmas maybe not”

“Nigal, my chihuahua has a nice fleece coat also. Honey's coat looks great on her and that price was unbelievable! I should check out my Old Navy store near me. Who ever thought they had doggie gear. The coat looks like it fits her perfect too.

If you (or your wife) can sew, you can make really great doggie wear. I wish I had a sewing machine.”

“She is clearly very well cared for. Her coat is beautiful, very shiny and clean.”

“My chow would have a heat stroke if I put something like that on her.

”

“Psssst sticks - that ain't no dog. I hope you didn't pay a lot for it.”

“Mauling Death Sets Off Review of Dog Laws
By KRISTEN GELINEAU, Associated Press Writer

RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia lawmaker is proposing tough legislation to punish dog owners whose pets injure or kill, following a fatal attack on an elderly widow by three roaming pit bulls.

Dorothy Sullivan, 82, was attacked March 8 while walking her small dog, Buttons, in her own front yard in Partlow. Buttons also was killed.

Her family and some legislators say her death spotlights the need for legislative action.

"The horrific nature of Mrs. Sullivan's death, coupled with the prosecutor telling me he really didn't have a whole lot legally as means to pursue the case, told me that Virginia law really seemed to be lacking," said state Sen. R. Edward Houck. He plans to present the Dorothy Sullivan Memorial Bill to the General Assembly when it convenes next month.

In the absence of a specific law, the woman who prosecutors say owned the pit bulls, Deanna Large, faces trial Tuesday on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. It is the first time in Virginia a dog owner will be prosecuted on such a charge in a fatal mauling.

Large, 37, who lives down the road from Sullivan's house, could be sentenced to up to 13 years in prison if convicted of the felony and of three misdemeanor counts of allowing a dangerous dog to run at large.

Houck's bill would add a provision to state law to make fatal dog attacks a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.

It also would make certain dog attacks that result in serious injury felonies, instead of the current misdemeanors, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $2,500 fine. The penalties would be harsher for owners whose pets have previously been declared dangerous.

"There should be an option for the commonwealth to seek a stiffer penalty," said Kim Hamilton, executive director of the Virginia State Crime Commission.

The measure also would allow law enforcement officials to petition a court to declare a dog dangerous. Currently, only animal control officers have such authority. Owners of dogs declared dangerous would be required to maintain a $300,000 insurance policy, up from the $100,000 required now.

Despite the public outcry over Sullivan's death, Houck acknowledges getting the General Assembly to pass the legislation could be tricky.

"There's an old saying at the General Assembly: 'You do not introduce a dog bill,'" he said. "There's such a wide assortment and differing opinions about dogs that it's very difficult to develop a consensus."

Passionate debate between dog owners and attack victims makes it a tough issue for lawmakers to tackle, said Los Angeles attorney Kenneth Phillips, who has represented victims in more than 1,000 dog bite cases.

"It's tricky politically," Phillips said.

Most regulation of dog laws is done at the local level. Some cities, including Denver and Miami, ban pit bulls. Last month in San Francisco, city supervisors passed a law requiring spaying and neutering of pit bulls following the killing of a 12-year-old boy. In August, Ontario became the first province in Canada to ban pit bulls following a string of attacks by the dogs.

Banning certain breeds simply doesn't work, said Ledy VanKavage, an attorney with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"It's a knee-jerk reaction," she said.

Sullivan's daughter, Betty Greene, said her family has collected more than 3,500 signatures on a petition calling for stricter dog laws. She hopes the General Assembly will take her mother's death to heart when considering the legislation next month.

"A lot of people agree with our petition and they want something done," said Greene, 57, of Partlow. "If they do pass the law and it does some good, at least she wouldn't have died for nothing."

___”

“If your underage child, who lives with you, kills a person should you go to jail?”

“I believe there is some difference between dogs & children. You are (in most) states financially responsible for the acts of your children & in some cases criminal.

I have been nipped on the trail by so many un-leashed dogs with un-caring owners who all swear that their dog never did that before (until you check complaints). I will just shoot the next dog that bites or threatens me.”

“I had someone tell me their dog would be friendly if my dog went near him. My dog being a leashed 3-1/2 pound chihuahua and his dog being a slow looking overweight lab. Well, his dog went to bite my dog. It was a good thing she had her fleece jacket on for protection.

Then the idiot says he just got back from kayaking, so maybe his dog was upset. Well he should have told me that first, especially since his dog was off leash, @hole!!!”

“My dog hasn't biten anyone and as I said I always leash her when there are other hikers around.

In short, stop whinning.”

“catshiker warned us about people like you, Nigal.”

“I've been stomped in the balls by more than a few babies and small children but I don't run around complaining about all children and I don't act like kids are bad. :)”

“I have to agree with ya, having owned chows for so long I have developed thick skin about fearmongers out there because none of them have bitten anyone. Just like the a$$hole that just cut you off on 75 take a deep breath and let it go.”

“Yea, OK. When do you leash her? After she's charged & snapped/growed at somebody? If dog owners were responsible, you wouldn't have any difficulty. Obey the laws for once.

I just simply stated that I will shoot the next dog that nips at me. Your choice.”

“Having met and hiked with honeydog numerous times(since she was a pup) I find the notion of her ever growling let alone biting/nipping to be absolutely hilarious....I let me my 4 yr old around Nigals unleashed hell hound with no problem. Of course some folks find a wagging tail to be intimidating too.”

“What is so difficult? 90% (or better)of public land REQUIRES that the dog be leashed, tied, held, in a structure etc at ALL TIMES. It's also illegal to leave your dog unattended in a vehicle in many communities. If you don't want to do this, then don't bring the dog.”

“I don't have a dog of my own anymore, but I have hiked with Stick's dog, the Fridge's dog and LumberZacs cousins dog. Each time was a pleasure, as they were all so full of wonder and amazment at everything around them. A well trained dog really adds to the experience. IMHO.......”

“I like Honey's new coat. It goes beautifully with her coloring, lol.”

““Yea, OK. When do you leash her? After she's charged & snapped/growed at somebody? If dog owners were responsible, you wouldn't have any difficulty. Obey the laws for once."

I leash her before other hikers even get near. I don't have any difficulties. That's my point. If my dog is off leash and she bites you (sha! Right!) and you shoot her that is on me. If I then beat you hald to death my Komperdels that too is on me and I'm more than willing to pay the penalties in a court of law. I'm very responsible that way.”

“Not likely Nige. I've been handling high risk felons for many years now. Your komperdels wouldn't do you a lot of good. All I ask is that you keep your dog leashed. Not too much to expect & I don't over react.”

“No, I think she'll stay off leash for now thanks anyhow. Please let me know when and where you'll be hiking and I'll aviod those places for your personal comfort.

BTW- I'm a 4th degree blackbelt in Komper-Kwan-Do and faster than a speeding bullet to boot so I still think I can take ya. LOL! (In other words, let's move on and go back to being nice)”