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Show - - - " 1 in-.--1 i ;- .WJI fIJxia Jfi.iJ rii Jirt as iiliii4 a juegj ' moo-! bwteiffwW Jfe MaDUQmntafiim llpr SQSdDim by Nan Chalat Camping with your critter Every summer we promise our dogs a long camping trip to make up for all the times we chained them up and neglected them throughout the year. After all, that's why we adopted them in the first place to keep us out of the bars and in the wilderness. It has worked out pretty well, but over the years we've learned that hiking peacefully past natural wonders with our loyal four-footed companion wasn't always as simple as it appeared. ap-peared. Here are a few tips we've picked up on the trail. By now, our dogs know that when we get out their packs, something's up and they watch the proceedings with great interest. They have their own luggage which is used primarily for dog-related gear. Any notions of transferring gear from our backpacks to theirs was quickly dispelled on our first expedition. ex-pedition. The packs are commercially-made dual pouches of tough waterproof cordura which drapes over a dog's back just behind his shoulders. The packs come in small, medium and large sizes and you should take your dog along to try them on before buying one. The packs shouldn't hang much lower than your dog's chest and the front and belly straps should fit snugly. Your animal will, of course, cour-se, not appreciate the fact that you have just spent $30 to $50 on his very own backpack. He will try to rub the packs off on trees, cars, salesmen and failing that he will pretend that their weight (even empty) has paralyzed I him. But after he learns what they are for, he ' will wear them willingly. I The first rule of thumb is to only pack expendable ex-pendable gear in the dog packs. Some crit-I crit-I ters are cleverer than others and will find ingenious ways to dump their load no matter how well you attach it to them. At the very . least, the packs will take some hard knocks I and several dunkings in the nearest creek. . We usually start the dogs out carrying I their own food, two small water dishes, a rope, a dog brush and their morning biscuits. I As the trip progresses they end up.carrying I water bottles, our mess kits and carry-out , trash. (Nothing we couldn't afford to lose.) I Maybe they know they are carrying their biscuit supply because we haven't lost a pack yet- , We learned an important lesson on the Escalante River not to pack dry dog toni After our first river crossing their five-day food supply was soaked and had quadrupled in weight. Fortunately we had also packed individually-wrapped doggie burgers which were wet but not ruined. If you plan to carry dry dog food, it should be sealed in waterproof water-proof containers. Wide-mouth polybottles are perfect and double as flotation for your dog if he has to swim with the packs on. In our own backpacks we carry a canine first aid kit. It contains needle-nose pliers for removing quills or thorns, an antibiotic ointment oint-ment and a roll of self-adhering bandage. At one time or another we have had to use all of these items for such emergencies as bee stings and cut feet. If you are camping during tick season, you may also want to equip your dog with a fresh flea collar. Once you decide to take the dog along, you have taken on the responsibility of watching out for his health and safety. All those years of domesticity have ruined his instincts and he has come to rely on you. If you want your dog to come along, the trip may have to be altered to suit his needs. We have come to realize that our dogs aren't happy in the desert. They are water dogs and so we try to take them on trips where there will be lots of rivers and creeks. If you take your dog to canyon country, make absolutely sure he has plenty of water. Every now and then, feel the rock you are walking on to see if it is hot enough to burn his feet. Learning what to bring for the dogs has only been half the battle. We have also come to realize that our dogs had a lot to learn about wilderness ethics. On one of our first trips with the dogs we stopped to watch a herd of peacefully-grazing elk near Flaming Gorge. While we were entranced by the sight, our domestic pets reverted to their wild heritage and took off after them. A half hour later after chasing, beating and screaming at the dogs, with all tranquility shattered, we started to wonder if it is wise to bring the beasts along at all. Mostly out of guilt, we have persevered. We have learned not to let the dogs get out of command range and they have learned that they will be punished for chasing anything. If there is a chance they will wander at night we tie them up. We feel that our well-fed dogs have to observe the same camping ethics we do, and that it is our responsibility to enforce them. |