135
votes
Do I still need to hang my food if I have two large dogs?
Yes, you absolutely need to properly protect your food.
Proper food storage in the wilderness isn't just for you, it's also for the bears. Even if your dogs or you are able to fend off a bear, you ...
- 10.7k
119
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
Couple suggestions for meeting people on the trail with dogs,
Keep the dogs leashed.
When passing people put the dogs on the opposite side of yourself so that you are between the dogs and the people.
...
- 69.2k
94
votes
Accepted
Should I run if I see wild dogs?
Wild dogs can indeed be dangerous, and packs can be extremely dangerous. You do not want to take on a pack of dogs if you can at all avoid it, and running is often a particularly bad idea.
I suggest ...
- 8,428
57
votes
Knife as defense against stray dogs
It can be used for sure, but there are better options. A knife would require you to be very close to the dog, whilst a stick or pepper spray would provide much greater distance between you and the ...
- 69.2k
49
votes
Knife as defense against stray dogs
Your primary objective when defending yourself against stray dogs is not to kill the dog, but to
avoid getting bitten
make the dog leave you alone
If you fight a dog with a knife, even if you manage ...
- 589
47
votes
Do I still need to hang my food if I have two large dogs?
You know, most black bears are probably going to be deterred by the presence of your dogs, but bears come in all sorts of personalities and degrees of desperation for food. Your dogs might be able to ...
- 3,034
43
votes
Should I run if I see wild dogs?
To the question of whether you should run from a pack of dogs that may be aggressive, the answer is an unqualified NO!. As to what you should do, the answer is a bit more complicated. In the vast ...
- 730
35
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
As someone who is fine with dogs, I'm saddened that my son was nipped by a puppy when he was very young and is now very nervous when needing to walk past dogs, and there are lots of strays where I ...
- 475
30
votes
Should I run if I see wild dogs?
I'd say the only circumstances where you could try to run is when a safe place is near (your car, some kind of shelter, a tree you can climb etc.), the dogs are already alert and running to you (...
- 574
30
votes
Knife as defense against stray dogs
Knife is not a good idea. It does not give an understandable warning to an animal. When it comes to a warning, they more likely understand a stick-shaped thing. So for carrying, light telescopic baton ...
- 401
26
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
Though you don't actually state it, I get the impression you normally let your dogs roam free on your hikes. If this is correct, then you are taking a very large risk with other people's health and ...
- 409
25
votes
Should I run if I see wild dogs?
So far all of the answers are assuming the wild dogs are actively hunting you or at least seriously considering attacking you. This might be due to the part of your question where you say:
... or ...
- 9,668
25
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
The most important thing is keeping all dogs on-leash in public areas. Technically, you can't make any person not feel afraid. But a leash will do a lot to reassure someone who is frightened or ...
- 367
23
votes
Accepted
How to Shoo away a stubborn Stray Dog/Dogs who decides to tag along with you on a hike?
I think the biggest issue here is that you're likely to find strays won't respond to commands that, for a normal dog, would work at keeping them from following (stay or wait).
I've actually had this ...
- 15.4k
19
votes
Accepted
What's the purpose of dog boots?
They protect the paws from injury or already injured paws from getting worse (and having bandages ripped off). Things they protect from include:
rough terrain - sharp rocks, etc.
chemicals like salt ...
- 5,153
15
votes
Accepted
Is there anything specific required for a dog first aid kit?
They are often basically the same but there are often three additional items listed:
tick tweezers
louse-comb
foldable cone (to be preferred), muzzle or strips of cloth to prevent biting (its wounds ...
- 23.5k
15
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
Some more points in addition mainly to @CharlieBrumbaugh's answer:
Both in Central Europe (where I'm from) and traveling Canada I've only once in my life encountered a "visibly" and truly homeless ...
14
votes
Accepted
Hydration for pets
I actually answered a similar question over on Pets not long ago... Warm weather walkies and water... however you've asked in a bit more detail so here goes...
How can I know that the dog is ...
- 15.4k
14
votes
Knife as defense against stray dogs
From personal experience with packs of stray dogs, especially coyotes, and also having some strange experience, carry a walking cane or staff (if you can).
Dogs, while attacking as a pack, or ...
- 241
13
votes
Should I run if I see wild dogs?
In Mexico, I learned that the best way to deal with wild dogs was to squat down very briefly and pick up a small stone. I never had to actually chuck it at a dog. They skulked off quite quickly when ...
- 321
13
votes
What's the purpose of dog boots?
These boots are designed for a few purposes actually.
Firstly, dogs paws can be affected by snow and ice - especially in breeds or dogs unused to colder climates. The boots help protect their paws ...
- 15.4k
12
votes
How can I take my dog kayaking?
We're planning to take our dog kayaking in the not so distant future. We both have two Sit on Top Kayaks which easily leave him room to sit between my feet. If you can fit him in your cockpit in a sit ...
- 15.4k
12
votes
Is it possible to differentiate between a dog howl and a wolf howl?
The answer is yes, but it may require equipment, which is not just the human ear. The publication quoted below is from Montana State University Disentangling canid howls across multiple
species and ...
- 23.4k
11
votes
Accepted
How to rappel with a dog?
Your dog needs a climbing harness:
I have a friend who goes everywhere with their dog, and they have a pro-rated harness for them. You need to get your dog a harness, and tandem rappel with them just ...
- 53.5k
11
votes
How do I make people not be afraid of me and my dogs?
It's really rather simple.
All dogs in all public areas must be kept under control at all times. If your dog goes toward other people, it is not under control and must be kept on a leash, as others ...
- 27.1k
11
votes
Do I still need to hang my food if I have two large dogs?
There are a couple of really good answers here. But I feel like something is being overlooked. You and the dogs are going to be asleep, when the bear comes walking through your camp.
If the food ...
- 30.3k
10
votes
Accepted
What to do with a wet dog while camping
One very helpful thing is to brush him while you're towel drying. The brushing will help separate the hair to keep it from matting and will allow more air drying to occur.
Also, if you use chamois ...
- 520
10
votes
Hydration for pets
Dehydration in dogs is very similar to dehydration in humans. This link should give you an in depth answer.
My main points are these:
If the dog has a dry nose, dry gums and/or dry mouth it most ...
- 101
10
votes
How to deal with dogs on public hiking trails?
Disclaimer: I am from Romania, my answer is a bit tailored to this corner of the world.
This issue is very common in Central/Eastern European countries and in the Balkans: not only the household dogs ...
- 2,832
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible