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Pinned Hiking Buddies

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    • Hiking Buddies

      Please read before posting! This is a thread to share your pics, videos, and posts about your personal hiking pals of the four-legged variety. This is strictly a sharing thread and not a forum to discuss the general issue of dogs on the trail. If you want to discuss that issue, there is a thread called Dogs on the AT where you can have at it :dry:
    • Hiking Buddies

      I had a little 8-lb dog who loved to hike (day hikes). He was so well behaved. I left him off leash most of the time because all he wanted to do was stay about 30 feet ahead. He would always stop and wait for me if he went round the bend and out of sight. Always no more than 30 feet ahead. He never left me. He totally ignored squirrels, hikers, and other distractions. He just wanted to hike and be outdoors with me. I could take him fly fishing with me and he would sit on a rock and watch me for as long as I fished. He was a very unique and special little trail dog. Freddie could hike up to 7 or 8 miles round trip, which is a lot for a little dog. He hiked parts of the AT in Georgia, NC, part of the Foothills Trail, some of the Chattooga River trails, and lots of local trails. He probably logged at least 200 miles of hiking over the years. RIP little buddy.


    • We didn't know. Shellie sends her love. Freddie will be missed. RIP little one.[/quote]

      Thank you. We lost him at Thanksgiving from a combination of advanced congestive heart failure and a very aggressive cancer that showed up just 2 weeks prior. We had monitored Freddie's heart condition very closely over the last few years. His vet said that the years of hiking actually benefited and strengthened Freddie and he wouldn't have lasted as long as he did without the exercise. After his heart murmur worsened early this summer, I started taking him for short walks instead of the longer ones, and had a sling to carry him in so we could still hike but he wouldn't overexert himself. I was very fortunate to have had so much time to take/carry him along to some of his favorite places right up to a day or so before he passed. I am really going to miss him the next time we go walking in the mountains.
    • Hiking Buddies

      TrainWreck wrote:

      It's Blaze!
      Do you mind if I post the picture of Blaze in the truck cab?
      I would ask you to do it, but the last time I asked you to post that photo on WB, we had an attack of GBD. :lol:
      I saved the photo, here it is!




      That looks like a real killer on the left, it's having to be restrained, definitely should be on a heavy duty chain.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.
    • Hiking Buddies

      grayblazer wrote:

      Freddie sounds and looks like he was a cool dog.


      He was a great little dog. I got him from a shelter about 7 years ago. We think he was a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix. Boy did he have some muscular hind legs. He just loved hiking. He got to meet the crew during the sock hop in March, and hung out with us at the hiker bash. His last big hike was a year ago, in November 2012, when he walked with me from Winding Stair Gap to the summit of Siler Bald, and all the way back again (over 7 miles round trip). I was trying out a pair of lightweight hiking shoes and rolled my ankle so badly I fell down, hard. Freddie was so worried! He came running back and was licking me all over the face till I got up. Then he kept pressing so close to my leg it was even harder to walk on without tripping over him. I sure miss the little guy. I plan to take some of his ashes and scatter them somewhere on the AT this spring.
    • Hiking Buddies

      Drybones wrote:

      TrainWreck wrote:

      It's Blaze!
      Do you mind if I post the picture of Blaze in the truck cab?
      I would ask you to do it, but the last time I asked you to post that photo on WB, we had an attack of GBD. :lol:
      I saved the photo, here it is!




      That looks like a real killer on the left, it's having to be restrained, definitely should be on a heavy duty chain.


      The kid or the dachshund? :lol:
    • Hiking Buddies

      TrainWreck wrote:

      grayblazer wrote:

      They're both terrorists.


      I thought I recognized the dog as being on the No Fly list.


      Our daughter gave us that doxie. My wife fell in love with him (he was a good dog) and she was heart broken when the Vet discovered a "micro chip" in him and we gave him back to the owners. That's when we got Wolfgang and life has never been the same especially for Blaze).
    • Hiking Buddies

      grayblazer wrote:

      TrainWreck wrote:

      grayblazer wrote:

      They're both terrorists.


      I thought I recognized the dog as being on the No Fly list.


      Our daughter gave us that doxie. My wife fell in love with him (he was a good dog) and she was heart broken when the Vet discovered a "micro chip" in him and we gave him back to the owners. That's when we got Wolfgang and life has never been the same especially for Blaze).


      Wow, that must have been terribly hard to do :(
      Did your daughter get him from a shelter or something? usually one of the first things they do is scan a stray for micro chips.
    • Re:Hiking Buddies

      TW sorry about Freddy.
      I have fond memories of him.
      My favorite dog I met on the trail was Whitey,s dog Moose.
      I shared a hotel bed with Moose in Stratton.
      I'm not a fan of pits and staffies but Moose was an absolute darling.
      Lots of video of Moose on YouTube under WeWillFinish.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.
    • Hiking Buddies

      Here are my current hiking buddies... My other favorite hiking buddies were my Shelties. They never knew they were small dogs - Both loved the trail and loved just hanging out with me.

      Holly & Jolly (these hoodlums) are the same way. We always have an awesome time hiking together!
      Images
      • DoubleTrouble.jpg

        51.98 kB, 800×600, viewed 436 times
      There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
    • Hiking Buddies

      Just in case anyone notices some missing posts in here...in a rare instance of full-on thread drift :whistle: right out of the gate, this topic quickly logged about 20 posts related to tech issues, laptops, Windows 8 complaints, PC reviews, tech tips, etc., etc. I stand guilty of some of the wayward posts myself. I thought it was a good idea to remove the irrelevant posts because the original subject was buried about 6 feet under in tech talk. It was bound to confuse anyone who opens the thread expecting to see photos of dogs hiking and instead has to slog through 2 pages of tech talk to find fewer than 10 entries dealing with the topic itself. However, if you can prove your hiking buddy and BFF is a laptop or other computing device, I will be happy to let such future posts Sit, Stay, or Speak on here. Woof woof :lol:

      P.S. If you still have technical issues regarding the site, please pm one of the moderators and we will do our best to help you figure out a solution :)
    • Hiking Buddies


      Here's 2 that we watched for my sister for about 3 weeks. The first time I took them to the Heart Trail in the local County Park they loved it. Ran like crazy then gave out. One has arthritis in his hips and gets goin' sideways but gives it hell. Can only go about ¼ mile then needs carried. The other one at first could go about ½ mile at the beginning and at the end of 3 weeks could do the whole mile. When I gave them back to my sister she said what did you do to these dogs? All they want to do is go, go, go.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.
    • Hiking Buddies

      milkman wrote:


      Here's 2 that we watched for my sister for about 3 weeks. The first time I took them to the Heart Trail in the local County Park they loved it. Ran like crazy then gave out. One has arthritis in his hips and gets goin' sideways but gives it hell. Can only go about ¼ mile then needs carried. The other one at first could go about ½ mile at the beginning and at the end of 3 weeks could do the whole mile. When I gave them back to my sister she said what did you do to these dogs? All they want to do is go, go, go.


      The one in your lap looks like those teddy bear creatures from Star Wars.
    • Hiking Buddies

      TrainWreck wrote:

      I had a little 8-lb dog who loved to hike (day hikes). He was so well behaved. I left him off leash most of the time because all he wanted to do was stay about 30 feet ahead. He would always stop and wait for me if he went round the bend and out of sight. Always no more than 30 feet ahead. He never left me. He totally ignored squirrels, hikers, and other distractions. He just wanted to hike and be outdoors with me. I could take him fly fishing with me and he would sit on a rock and watch me for as long as I fished. He was a very unique and special little trail dog. Freddie could hike up to 7 or 8 miles round trip, which is a lot for a little dog. He hiked parts of the AT in Georgia, NC, part of the Foothills Trail, some of the Chattooga River trails, and lots of local trails. He probably logged at least 200 miles of hiking over the years. RIP little buddy.

      Very sorry to hear this news Train Wreck, as a long time dog owner I can relate, but that never makes it any easier to deal with. Dogs have always given love and companionship unconditionally, I expect they always will...I'ts one of the "great givens" in life. again sorry for your loss.
    • Hiking Buddies

      Hey Toli those picks remind me of my shepherd. Loved his boots and hiking in the snow. I would break them boots out and he would start jumping and running all over the house trying like hell to open the door, then would finally settle down and lay down with all fours in the air letting me put them on. He was 95lbs. and thought he was a lap dog.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.
    • Hiking Buddies

      Toli wrote:






      "SideKick" AKA EB's Forest Whistle, AKA "4-DOGG" was just diesel on the trail, but as gentle as could be... I never had to leash him, as he was true to form, a "Velcro Dog"...


      What a great looking dog. Weimaraner, right? He just about bent himself in two to get in that recliner with you, the big baby :)
      Such a beautiful coat. It's not really blue-gray, more like a lavender gray. Have you ever heard that particular shade of lavender/gray is also called "Isabella"? I first heard that term in reference to one of my dogs, a lavender/gray short haired chihuahua.
      Where were some of the places you took him hiking?
    • Re:Hiking Buddies

      Trebor wrote:

      Introducing Maggie, the best hiking dog ever. Doesn't bother wildlife or other hikers. All she wants to do is run free and take a occasional swim.

      Nice looking dog. I had one that looked a lot like her. He was a cross between a black lab and a blue tick hound. The mother, the blue tick broke out of a double fenced heat pen and into the single fenced pen of the black lab. I think she was horny. My pup was one of 16. 12 females and 4 males. They had to be rotated at feeding time. That boy could eat a whole baked potato in 2 bites. Chomp, chomp, swallow. - Gone. Thanks for the memory.
      Changes Daily→ ♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ ♪♫♪♫♪♫ ← Don't blame me. It's That Lonesome Guitar.
    • Re:Hiking Buddies

      I've done four overnight trips with her. She does well. She sleeps in my Contrail on a Wal-Mart blue foam pad and I have half fleece blanket that I bring depending on the weather. She's probably the best and most loyal friend I've ever had.
      RIAP
    • Re:Hiking Buddies

      Trebor wrote:

      I've done four overnight trips with her. She does well. She sleeps in my Contrail on a Wal-Mart blue foam pad and I have half fleece blanket that I bring depending on the weather. She's probably the best and most loyal friend I've ever had.


      She sounds like a great all around companion.
      Have you ever heard of the Black Dog Syndrome? It's a term that originated in the animal rescue community. It seems that medium to large black dogs, simply because of their color, are the most overlooked dogs at any shelter, and take the longest time to adopt. Theories vary, but the reasons may be due to the black dog's size, unclear facial features (it's harder to see the eyes and expression on a black dog), dimly lit shelter kennels, the perceived "generic" appearance of black pets, and negative associations of black pets from books or movies. I was really surprised when I first heard that. I've always thought black dogs with their shiny coats, regardless of the breed, are some of the best looking dogs around.
    • Hiking Buddies

      TrainWreck wrote:

      Toli wrote:






      "SideKick" AKA EB's Forest Whistle, AKA "4-DOGG" was just diesel on the trail, but as gentle as could be... I never had to leash him, as he was true to form, a "Velcro Dog"...


      What a great looking dog. Weimaraner, right? He just about bent himself in two to get in that recliner with you, the big baby :)
      Such a beautiful coat. It's not really blue-gray, more like a lavender gray. Have you ever heard that particular shade of lavender/gray is also called "Isabella"? I first heard that term in reference to one of my dogs, a lavender/gray short haired chihuahua.
      Where were some of the places you took him hiking?


      Yep, a Weimy... That's an 80lb dog too :ohmy: ... We "Dog Thru'd" the AT 3 times... Hiked Springer to the NC boarder prolly 50 times on the AT( I lived in Dahlonega for 3 years) Georgia Loop 20??? times... He's been on the Florida Trail, BMT, Foothills Trail. PCT, CDT, not to mention many thousands of miles Mountain Biking, where he first learned to be a good trail ambassador and not chase after wildlife... I was told his color was "Champaign" and as he got older, it changed to "Grey Ghost" lol...



      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...