Kankujoe wrote:I may regret posting this but here goes... I would prefer that dog owners keep their dogs at home. On those occasions that I camp in traditional campgrounds I find a fair percentage of dogs a problem. Or should I say the dog owners are the problem.
K-joe, please don't regret your post. As a dog owner, I want to know if my dogs are causing ANY type of issue when they are out of my direct sight--and believe me, I'm well aware and three steps ahead of you if they're causing an issue while I'm right there. I agree with Dennis--you r points about noise, cleanup and canine campsite invasions are valid points. But I also agree with him that your problem is with the two-legged end of the leash; not the canines.
I've spent a fair amount of the last 25+ years teaching JQPublic how to train their dogs for any occasion from in-home behavior issues to competition performance events. I do not train the dogs; I train the people. Training the people is far and away the tougher job, believe me. If I could just train the dogs and walk away, I'd have finished the job years ago!
This past weekend I was at Table Rock SP near Branson, Missouri. Both nights there was a chorus of barking or howling dogs most of the night. During the day some of the campers left their dogs tied to a leash all day while they went off playing or sight-seeing. Some of the dogs barked continuously at kids (and me) who road their bikes around the campground. I also do not like when a someone walks up to me to start a conversation and their dog proceeds to stick its nose in my crotch or those who may be with me. I've been bit more than once by a dog who did not appear aggressive.
I'm what the average pet owner might consider a dog professional--I show at minimum one weekend a month, more often when I'm working on a title, and I both camp and stay in motels with my dogs. If I wouldn't put up with the behavior from my human neighbors, you can bet your cooler I won't put up with it from canine neighbors either. My dogs are my pets, but even when I'm traveling with dogs who are just along for the ride, they have to respect my house (and camp and motel) rules. IMO, the issues you point out here are absolutely inexcusable discourtesies on the part of the owners of the dogs. These people are displaying a lack of common courtesy that makes it tough on more responsible dog owners. I am no saint either, and stuff does happen. But I do know how to manage dogs, a lot of dogs at one time, and if I can run 20 dogs quietly then keeping one dog quiet and clean ought to be a cakewalk. I manage my dogs at all times so that they are not a distraction or detriment to any neighboring camper's holiday--and I expect the same consideration. If I don't get it, I offer them a complimentary lesson. If they don't take me up on it, then I let the park staff know--and I give them my business card, so it's obvious that I'm a professional making a complaint about an unacceptable situation.
Dogs need a repertoire of travelling skills, just like kids do. It's the pet owner's job to teach the skills the dogs will need, and that ain't rocket science. Not teaching them is just plain inconsiderate. Madison had never camped before last weekend, at least not out in public...but she had several years of dog show travel under her collar. She's no stranger to the road. She made her camping debut at a dog show, where her skills could be have a little leeway if she wasn't quite perfect the first time. And I have an electric collar and I know how to use it. When she woke up the tent one morning, it took about one minute to teach her that howling in public had best NOT be repeated in her lifetime!
Let me end by saying that I've had atleast one dog most of my life and that I like dogs but unless it is a little lap dog I would prefer that you leave it home or atleast muzzle it at night, pick up after it, and don't walk it into my campsite or allow it to attempt to put its nose in my crotch. I also don't appreciate someone allowing their dog to wrap its leash around my legs...
Picking up after the pets you bring, regardless of whether you're at home, in a campground or in the deep woods is just part of responsible pet ownership. In camp--well, even hunting dogs aren't allowed to just 'air' any old place when they're in the field--at least not in the bird fields I've worked! It is worth mentioning that there's no muzzle made that will effectively keep a dog quiet, so not sure what point a muzzle would be. If it's to prevent a bite, well...size of the dog is in my experience irrelevant in that area. The worst bites I've gotten or treated came from small dogs (under 25 lbs.), and that holds with what other dog professionals (vets and groomers) report about their clientele. Big dogs have their own dangers and issues--my training specialty is aggression problems, so I've seen more than most--but small to medium sized dogs tend to be the ones who do the most damage.
http://www.geocities.com/genealogypubli ... gBites.htm
At any rate, there's simply no excuse for inconsiderate dogs in camp. If you encounter someone whose dog(s) are misbehaving, please either speak up or talk to the park staff and have them do it.
Gaelen (who has camped with as many as 18 dogs, the occasional cat, and one year, a parrot--not mine, just visiting.)
So, I get to stay also.
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All of that grass on either side of the trail, and they let the dog do its business on the path! What's worse are the ones who do that on concrete trails. Uhgg, it is sooo unsanitary!
