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Does this dog bark?

Deborah

Active Member
Does your dog bark?

I'm sorry to ask such a silly question, but I'm asking for two reasons.

First, I was attacked by a neighbor's dog when I was 22, and just the sight of a large dog makes my heart pump. Yes, I know, their owners always say, "Oh, she's friendly...." So was the dog that attacked me friendly up until the day of the unprovoked attack.

Second, I just returned from a camping trip where the campers next to us had a dog that barked all night long. We had planned for a nice quiet weekend in the forest, and instead got 3 nights of dogbarking. Not only that, but the dog got loose and helped itself to some people's food supply, leaving a nice "present" for them to pick up as well.

Needless to say, many of us weren't too endeared.

Lastly, what about the dog's feet? This is a long, hard trek. What do you do for doggy blisters? Don't their pads get thrashed? Especially dogs that don't often do this type of walking?

From what I'm reading, there are enough difficult situations to work through on the camino without having to deal with someone's dog?

I'm trying to say this with a smile because I don't want you to feel attacked. I just wish people would leave their dogs home due to my personal experiences. I do love dogs. My mom has one. I've had them. But they're like children - their "parent" doesn't see their faults.

Anyway.. I'll sit down now.
Just wanted to voice my opinion.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Deborah,

I'm sorry to hear you had such nasty experience with dogs. By the sounds of it, the dogs you encountered had a lack of training and believed they were the alpha members of their human pack and displayed uncontrollable behaviour.

Have you read up on huskies? They are bred as working dogs and pull 200kg sleds for 100km a day during snow storm blizzards for 11 days in minus 50deg. And this is running.. not walking! They do safaris on all sorts of terrain. Have a look at http://www.husky-holiday.com for some interesting facts as well as http://www.iditarod.com. They are extremely strong physically and mentally, and because they have to work in teams, they are non aggressive and very human friendly.

As for the paws, there are special products available called paw wax, a protective wax as well as dog shoes. These are specially made as part of dog backpacking/mushing equipment to protect the paws in harsh conditions. Dakota regularly hikes with me on all sorts of terrain.

I hope you won't have any further nasty experiences with dogs... The dog that attacked you tried to protect its territory, as it believed it was the alpha of its human pack. This is obviously not your fault, and can be rectified with proper training the owners and the dog. Unfortunately most people don't take the trouble of understanding animal/dog psychology and cause their dogs to "misbehave".

You really can't judge future situations involving dogs on your own bad experiences of the past. The world can't come to a halt because of your personal wishes. Not all dogs misbehave and some people take great care and effort to train themselves and their canine companions and looking after them. My point being, if you love your "child" would you really abandon her at home for a month for an experience you could have shared with her? For you the answer might be yes, but for me it is a sure definate no.

You will be sharing the camino with many people and their issues and hassles. You will have to put up with whatever you come across. Whether it be noisy and smelly pilgrims or dogs or whatever..

Perhaps this book might help to take away some of your anxiety towards dogs, it's really great book. The Dog Listener, by Jan Fennell.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006008 ... oding=UTF8

ps. Fortunately Huskies don't bark and Dakota sleeps by my side like a baby all night :)
 
Does your dog bark

Hello Deborah,
Does that put your mind at ease?
I encountered several pilgrims with dogs last year on the Camino Frances.
Several of the owners took exception to the fact that their dogs were(quite rightly) not welcome in the refuge,alpha members or not.
Regards.............Terry. :D
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Dog Listener

Yes, I've seen the dog listener on television. He is amazing, isn't he?
I'd like to get a job as an apprentice with him!

Well, I realize that I will have to "put up" with a lot of things on the camino, and like I said, I don't dislike dogs. It's weird. Even though I tell myself they're ok, I still get the shakes when a strange dog comes up to me, especially if it's large.

Anyway, thanks for your informative reply. I'll take a look at the websites and if I see you on the trail, maybe you can introduce me to a "good dog" and help me put my fears aside.

Buen Camino!
Deborah
 
Once i completed my camino ill post a list of dog friendly places and camping sites along the route. Enjoy your caminos!

By the way, Jan Fennell is a woman (not a man!). She lives in the UK and is known for her "Amichien bonding" technique, a dog friendly method of bonding and training based on wolf pack behaviour.
This is her site http://www.janfennellthedoglistener.com/

K
 
Perro Peregrinos

Believe it or not, but there are stray dogs on the camino that just follow pilgrims! I talk to the animals I meet on my hikes and in 2002 a large brown dog (beautiful light eyes) followed us from the albergue in Triacastela. When we stopped, she stopped, when we walked she walked. When we stopped over in Sarria she was waiting for us the next morning and followed us for three days. Finally in Ribadiso she took up with a pilgrim who was walking the other way and we didn't see her again.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Awww.. how lovely is that! Just goes to show how many different souls long for a pilgrimage. Perhaps Dakota will make some friends along the way :)
 
Dog Whisperer

Oh, I guess I'm thinking of the Dog "Whisperer" maybe? He's an Hispanic guy who has a television show here in the US. He's amazing. He just wrote a book. His name is Cesar Milan.
 

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