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Solo tripping with 2 dogs?

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Has anyone - does anyone trip solo with 2 dogs? I realize the commitment needed in training one dog to have the obedience to trust on a wilderness trip. Does anyone trip with 2 dogs?

Bob.
 
That's a great idea! I'd have one trained to eat Glenn's hat and the other to poop in front of his tent door. ;)

Alan
 
That's a great idea Alan! The only problem is to be sure you've got the right tent, Glenn's is the one with the flag on a pole that proclames "Isn't your life extremely flat with nothing whatever to grumble at!"

I'd suggest that the optimal time for "bombs away" would be after it gets dark, for maximum effect. And then in the middle of the night..........

Best Wishes, Rob


That line was lifted from W.S. Gilbert's "The Baffled Grumbler"
 
Hi Bob, You keep coming up with these great threads! At this rate the horrible January-February doldrums won't be so bad!

With the two dogs you've introduced "the eternal triangle" , how each dog relates to you and to each other. Some very serious variables at work here.

Two young dogs: worst case. They will fixate on each other and any training is only an annoying interruption in an otherwise non stop play time. You are relegated to providing dog food. The mischief that two (or more) dogs can get into is beyond anything you imagine. Serious stuff.

Best case: Solid, stable, well trained older dog who will be invaluable in showing the pup the ropes and serving as an example during training.
I've only experienced this once but it was such an eye opener; my wonderful old GSD Rose and my wife's Shelty. What ever we were training on at the time, the little Shelty was constantly looking to Rose to see the correct response and modeling off her. I never, ever had so easy and quick time of training a dog.

But Bob, you haven't said why you would be considering taking two dogs. Maybe if we knew your thinking, the advice could be more specific.

It's always important to be "Leader of the Pack" but with two dogs it's absolutely critical. From the dog's point of view, he has a willing co-conspirator in other dog, up for just about anything. The only stopper for this is your firm hand and pack discipline.

Best Wishes, Rob
 
Absolutely. I have tripped with 3 dogs a couple of times. I usually have two in my boat, and then put my Border Collie in my brother's canoe with his small, yellow dog SYD. That makes for a pack of 4 which is a match for even an aggressive bear. They are little trouble and have the time of their lives with all of that swimming and running around. Last year I went backpacking with another couple, we had 4 people and 5 dogs with no trouble at all. Obviously the dogs need to know each other before the trip starts and they all have to obey verbal commands. The more tired they get, the more obedient they are. I use my Border Collie to adjust the trim of my canoe when paddling solo on day trips.
 
Why 2 dogs ... Good question Rob. I remember another canoeing board I frequented years ago that had a poster named lady di. She paddled a Nova Craft Pal specifically set up for her and her 3 dogs. They did great, but I do not know of anyone else who trips with more than one dog and although I romantically dream about so many excellent adventures, I doubt in reality it would be feasible ... more likely a miserable experience. I figured I would post the question and see what others thought.

Bob.
 
Well, I think that once you move past the one dog, you pretty quick get into space considerations, canoe and tent, plus volume of dog food. Although this time of year sure lends itself to daydreams and speculations of the improbable, in practice it might be more like polygamy: fun to think about but more than I could handle.

Just to sample the dynamic you might try a trip with a friend who has a dog as well. You might find that you like the social interaction the extra dog provides.
I believe I've got enough brain power to camp and look after my dog and be relaxed and enjoy myself, putting another dog into the mix, for me, just might be too much.

Best Wishes, Rob
 
I believe the most important one to ask is your Chesapeake- to- be. "Say Chessie, how do you feel about sharing your Master, you know, the one who you love more than your own life itself?"


"GGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........."

Rob
 
Why 2 dogs? Why 3 dogs? Because 4 won't fit in my 18 foot canoe. I love dogs. Having 3 makes traveling still feasible. They are a pack. The whole family is a pack, and each pair is a sub-pack. There are 3 sub-packs, the Black Dogs, the b*tches, and the Corgis.
 
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