Solo tripping with a dog ...

[Bob B.]

I realize folks trip with their dogs. However, I am wondering how many trip with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever? There are not a lot of them compared to other breeds certainly. They have a unique temperament so I figured I would ask the board their opinions of this breed of dog and solo tripping with them.

Bob.

 

[Waterdog]

Bob,

I've been tripping with my dog since she was 6 months old. They are big dogs and require a lot of upfront training from day one. They are super smart and super willful. People lump them in with labs, but they definitely have a different disposition. People have a tendency to lump them in with Labs and they are definitely not. Though the puppy love of her life are a black and another yellow lab belonging to my brother. She has been a great dog and I don't know if I would ever have another breed. However, if you aren't set on Chessies, there are dogs that are probably better suited to wilderness canoeing. Mainly smaller (medium size dogs) that don't require as much food and don't affect the performance of the canoe as much. If I ever decided that a smaller canoe dog was in order, I like the Nova Scotia Duck Tollers. They are very water friendly, tough, but more compact. Probably half the size. Mine is 90 lbs. I guess my point is, that if you put the time up front (a lot of time), they can be great trippers, but their size will probably impact your tripping style.

6 months old BWCA


5 yrs old at ADK



7 yrs old at BWCA


Cheers,
Barry

 

[oldie moldy]

Hi Bob, It would be difficult to add much to what Barry wrote above, all well said. Perhaps I can amplify a little.

About the training: Any dog to be welcome in a canoe or a campsite must be trained. Chesapeake's are big strong working dogs who need to be doing something, not as driven as a Border Collie to be sure but left alone can get into trouble. Any consideration of breeds really needs to ask; what experience at training dogs do you have and are comfortable with? They will require a firm hand and it can get down to a contest of wills which many trainers find exhausting and unrewarding. (generality there)
The idea of canoes and water dogs just seem to go together, but think about it for a minute: do you really want a wet muddy dog in the tent with you? And there is the factor of how long they live; rough rule of thumb is that the smaller the dog, the longer it lives. And too, bigger dogs fall heir to various joint and skeletal problems way more than the smaller breeds.

For about ten years I had my Rose, GSD, who tripped with me, finally had to put her down and it just about killed me.
Borrowed my wife's little Shetland Sheep dog a few times and he was a grand little tripper, very alert to anything occurring near us. Shelties have a deserved reputation for barking, so I was careful to curb that with training. He gets three barks and then hush unless it's a bear. As far as temperament he's like a sugar cube vs. the Chesapeake's concrete block.

My dog now is a farm collie, soon be 18 months. Sixty pounds and a very sweet dog, anxious and willing to please. Very smart without making it a contest. We'll see.

I only had one Chesie, she had a will like spring steel, I could bend her but as soon as I let up it would spring on back to what she wanted and was willing to do. For me anyway, life's just too short for that kind of stuff.

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[Waterdog]

From a strictly canoeing standpoint, my chessie is pretty well mannered. In rough seas or class 2/3 rapids she feels she needs to stand up and navigate. I have trouble seeing around here and she's been knocked out of the boat, sometimes harshly, quite a few times because I couldn't see a rock coming up. I think I could have been able to correct this when she was a pup, but at this point I figure that's how we're going to roll. She will not get out of the boat without being told to, with two exceptions: Fisher cats and River otters, If she sees those, she can only tolerate my commands to stay in the boat so long and then she's gone. Again I just live with it and I have a good brace.

She will respect my wishes to stay out of the water in the evenings except for her feet to get a drink. That allows her to dry off before we go to the tent. Sometimes if its too hot for her she will go into the woods at the edge of the site and sleep in bushes. By the way, they require almost no grooming maintenance other than a bath every few months.....unless they roll in something dead, she loves to seek out deer season gut piles. She once ate a rotting walleye at a port once. Forgot about it until she burped in the tent that night. I had to leave the tent.

Since you probably won't be canoeing every day, mine loves to hike and go on backpacking trips and she's a born hunter/retriever too. She is very protective of our property and family, maybe too much sometimes but that's in their blood. Some PA police units are using Chessies for K9 purposes.

One more thing, they really like to be with their people. For all their power, brutish manners, and guarding abilities, mine rests humbly with me when we are hanging out. She loves to watch hockey with me after a hike in the woods.

Lamenting the fall of the Pens to the Rangers in the Stanley cup playoffs last year.


I guess we'll have to wait until next season.


Barry

 

[Bob B.]

Barry, I sent you a PM.

Rob, thanks for your thoughts. I understand about how willful a Chessie is. I have a Mountain cur, and they are a wonderful dog for our family ... and he challenges me often still ... he is 10 years old. He needs reminding on occasion who the alpha is. We are in the dog research phase currently and the dog is not going to be a canoe dog only. We are looking for a watchdog as we live in a remote area, a water dog and a devoted family member. A Chessie is high on my list, but there are others. I certainly understand the concerns and am thankful for you offering them. I am hoping there are few others here who trip with this breed of dog. I believe if properly socialized and with extensive training they can become a very good dog that will be a good canoe dog as well.

Bob.

 

[Quinn]

If you enjoy solo tipping, I would recommend a Newfoundland. They will definitely enhance your tipping experience, and guaranty you'll be tipping more than you ever have before. Oh wait, TRIPPING. Never mind.

 

[Guest]

Just please be considerate of other trippers. Other people may not feel the same about your dog as you do and your dog may not behave as you expect towards strange people in a strange wild place.
Turtle

 

[ppine]

I think dogs and boat trips are the perfect combination. I grew up near Chesapeake Bay and there were lots of retrievers around. My neighbor just lost his Chessie. They have the focused work dog mentality and tend to be one person dogs. They are not for everyone. They can be stubborn, especially when it comes to controlling them around waterfowl. The solution for any dog problems is more time in the boat. Take them everywhere. Get them socialized, and get them tired so that they pay attention to you. I insist that my dogs lie down in the boat during rough conditions. I have trained them to move and stay where I tell them to trim the boat.

Last summer I was preparing to go on a week long river trip with my new 8 month old Border Collie. She was not much of a swimmer and kept jumping out of the canoe. It took some patience to get her to jump in the boat. When she did, she got a handful of biscuits. Within 10 minutes she couldn't wait to get in the boat. She was good about lying down and could still see over the gunwale. The trip was uneventful with respect to dogs. My BC improved her swimming ability in the warm water of the undammed river. It was the people that caused a few problems.

 

[oldie moldy]

Hi Turtle! I saw a bumper sticker the other day and thought of you.

"The average dog is a better person than the average person."

It looks like you still have your thing about dogs, dang, that's too bad and you seem such a nice person otherwise. Was watching the dumb TV the other day and they have this program about intervention or some such. It seems like they help folks over problems. I didn't watch it all the way through but looks like it involves a lot of shouting, crying and wailing and hugging. It's too bad we live so far apart, a bunch of us dog guy's could come and do an intervention on you! I wouldn't mind the crying and shouting part but I gotta tell you I'm not at all into hugging guys. Maybe it would work without that last part. Well....doesn't matter, the distance thing and all.

Best Wishes from the dog hair in the soup...................Rob



P.S. I just noticed there seems to be a strong resemblance in the photo above our names! Ppine, Turtle, Quinn (and his dog Tilt) and me! Now you don't suppose we're related somehow?

 

[Alan Gage]

I wouldn't mind the crying and shouting part but I gotta tell you I'm not at all into hugging guys.

That's what the dogs would be there for.

Alan

 

[Odyssey]

I meet some of the nicest people. Just this past weekend I was in a wine store squeezing through the Christmas crowd, making my selections for a Sunday brunch with friends. An older couple asked me in an exasperated wheeze "Oh my! We don't know what to look for. Could you help us choose a nice red wine? We really haven't a clue." There was no mistaking me for a store clerk, so they must've been bravely friendly. I said choosing wine was a bit personal, but I'd show them a couple lovely little reds to go well with whatever they were planning. I picked two, and put my own two in my basket, and wished them good day and "I hope you enjoy those reds!" The gentleman stopped me and shook my hand "Merry Christmas! Thank you so much!" We exchanged a couple more thank you's and Merry Christmasses before shuffling on through the crowd. On my drive home I counted no fewer than three irate hurried drivers, promising me and others immediate harm with grimaces and middle fingers. They kinda spoiled my happy mood. Not everyone is as nice as the gentleman in the store; not everyone is as nasty as the jerk drivers on my drive home. But I still love people.
Well, most of them.
I'm a dog lover too. So many of my canine friends and acquaintances are like perpetually happy 10 year olds. I feel the same when we get reacquainted. They smile. I smile They say woof. I say hello. They wag their tail. I ...say hello again. But I only love some of them. I've had to fend off unfriendly dogs. Once on a rail trail a couple dogs out for a walk (off leash) ran up to me barking. I recognized one friendly woof and the other one a threatening snarl. I didn't get off my bike before the second one attacked. His buddy just cheered him on. I managed to get my bicycle between us as I tried to calm him down. When the owner finally approached he tried to admonish me for "messing with his dogs". I showed him my bloody ankle. He refused to believe his dog had done such a thing. I said our two solicitors and one judge would have no problem believing it. "How would you like this to play out?" He immediately backed down and whimpered an apology. I suggested he should a) get to know his dogs better, b) train his dogs better, and c) when in public, keep them on leashes until he'd accomplished a&b. An apology was all I really wanted, and the acknowledgment that he'd made an error in dog walking judgement. That's not the only time and way I've had to fend off snarling dogs and their owners. I've been attacked walking in Conservation Areas too. I was always able to fend them off. Thank God my grandkids weren't hill walking with me. It's funny, but every single owner of an attacking unfriendly dog has always said "My pup would never do that! I had no idea he/she would!?" Go figure.
But I still love dogs. Some owners though, need a little training.
I don't see any unfriendly message in Turtle's post. Perhaps he's had some unfriendly experiences. I can relate to that. Or maybe Turtle isn't a dog lover. He's entitled to that too. I see no good reason to circle round him snarling. But if Turtle is ever in my neck of the woods, there's some friends I'd like him to meet. They'll smile. We'll smile. They'll say woof. We'll say hello. You'll learn the rest. Oh, by the way. Their owners are kinda nice too.

 

[Hanz]

A well mannered dog is never a problem although it can be a problem to find a well mannered dog. Any dog taken out in public needs a strong foundation of obedience coupled with a good temperament. I am pro dog but I know they can be nothing but trouble regardless of breed.

 

[Robin]

I went to a gathering a few years back in Quebec with a group of like minded folks, lots of canoes and two dogs. The dogs where friendly, but had a habit of chasing each other through camp and getting in folks faces when they where trying to eat. I was ok with this, but one nice lady really had a problem with the dogs and it showed. The owners seemed to ignore the whole thing or just thought we all liked this behavior.

I went to Maine two years ago with a group and two dogs which turned out well, both dogs where well behaved and a real pleasure to be with. Nothing better than to be sitting around a fire with a nice dog.

I have been cornered by a Pit Bull at a truck stop and held him off with a garbage can till the owner responded. He was another clueless owner.

I don't have any experience with Chessies, but have had labs for years. My best partners on solo canoe trips where smaller female labs. They where well behaved, ignored other people and stayed by my side on the portage. I now have two big male labs who stay home. They are nice dogs, but my wife refuses to let me take either one on a trip, she fears I'll loose them, plus she likes their company when I'm away. For that matter, she prefers their company when I'm home too.
They are just not trained to be running loose off my property and they are never off leash on our daily evening walks. Carrying a canoe across a portage with a dog on a leash would be difficult for me.

 

[Guest]

I hesitated to even post on this often emotional subject. I decided a positive,not accusatory appeal without any of my personal experiences(always labeled as lies) might be taken open mindedly and produce some open minded thought among dog owners? Was I wrong? I just want to trip in peace-too much to ask?.
Turtle

 

[Hanz]

I hesitated to even post on this often emotional subject. I decided a positive,not accusatory appeal without any of my personal experiences(always labeled as lies) might be taken open mindedly and produce some open minded thought among dog owners? Was I wrong? I just want to trip in peace-too much to ask?.
Turtle

Nope, you're not wrong. Everyone deserves to have a good experience when in a public place.

I have many reasons why I would like to trip with my dog. I have less reasons why I wouldn't but they are stronger issues and deal breakers. This dog won't trip with me. Perhaps if I ever have another, I'll train that one better and have a tripping companion that wouldn't negatively impact those around me and my furry responsibility A.K.A. "the dog."

 

[Bearleealive]

I have had three dogs in my adult life, and every one has done backcountry travel with me, from skiing, to hiking, and canoeing. Every last person I have met has enjoyed having one of these dogs around, especially the ones with kids.

I have never once had a dog threaten me to the point I was worried while canoeing. I have had that happen away from canoeing though, but no way in this world I am giving in to a dog, and I think they end up sensing this, so they always back off. You just have to have a meaner growl, is all.

I have run into dogs in the backcountry that I believe should not be there, as they lack the training to properly behave in all the situations they encounter. This is not a dog problem, but a lack of training on the owners part. I have never met a well trained dog that was not a pleasure to be around. I respect those that realize that their dogs may not be trained for backcountry travel, and leave them at home, just as much as I respect those that only bring a well trained dog along.

Dogs are happy creatures by nature. I like to be surrounded by happy.

 

[memaquay]

My son and his girlfriend just adopted a rescue dog, a four year old 140 pound rotweiller, against my advice. I told them that people do not just give up 140 pound dogs unless there is a problem. They claim it is a sweet little kitten. When I went over to be introduced, it came to the front porch and turned into a rotty. When confronted with aggressive big dogs, my instinct is to choke them to death, I guess I'm kind of rotty like that too. Anyway, I backed out before I did something silly. I called my son later and told him me and Mr. Rotty needed to meet on my turf, not his, so I showed up and took it for a truck ride. I wanted to try out a new gun I had anyway. Well, the dog was perfectly behaved, wasn't gun shy, and seemed normal and even lovable.

However, I know it's not. That dog is a loaded gun. I wouldn't take him canoeing, or anywhere off leash. Whatever happened to that dog in his previous life is unknown to us, and I'm not sure if it will ever be normal.

I have tripped with many of my own dogs. Some were excellent, others would not go on a trip again after their first outing. My Brittney Spaniel had an inexplicable appetite for human excrement. Let's just say that after his snack was over, and he belched a couple of times, he never went on another overnight trip. My Siberian was the best canoe dog ever, but didn't like people. Fortunately, where I trip, I never see people. I would say if you were going in a big group, or even solo in area where there are lots of people, and your dog is not well behaved, leave him home.

Here's a pick of my loveable little poop eater.

 

[Alan Gage]

I hesitated to even post on this often emotional subject. I decided a positive,not accusatory appeal without any of my personal experiences(always labeled as lies) might be taken open mindedly and produce some open minded thought among dog owners? Was I wrong? I just want to trip in peace-too much to ask?.
Turtle

Not wrong at all and I took Oldie's comments to just be good natured ribbing.

I'm biased heavily towards dogs but I also realize that many people who own dogs shouldn't be allowed to do so. There are a lot of bad dogs out there, mostly due to the owners and poor training. But most dog owners think their's are fine.

And people who are biased towards dogs, just like fisherman, hunters, and campers, can easily brush off small breaches of etiquette from others while to some people those same actions can be very offensive.

I realize that there are those who don't particularly care for dogs and I try not to subject them to mine. Both for our daily excursions as well as traveling I seek out areas with very few people. If there's a crowd she's on a leash. If not I let her run. As a result there are places that I'd really like to go but don't for the simple reason that she either is not allowed (national parks and monuments) or wouldn't be able to go off leash (crowded). But those are mostly my preferences. Not much she'd rather do than walk through a crowd on a leash.

She's not allowed to bark more than once or twice unless she has a good reason (bear). Even then I get her to to back off to a growl after the first few barks. Barking dogs is my big pet peeve, even my own dog, drives me nuts.

Alan

 

[Bob B.]

Anyone have any specific experience with a Chessie? I find them to have a unique temperment, they are very devoted and affectionate but many are one family, one person dogs and can be aloof with strangers should one be encountered. Others, can be so very protective I have concerns about that instinct - especially on a port. They can be stubborn, but again, early training is the key with any dog - more so with a Chessie. As large dogs, I just wonder if folks have experienced them to be a good partner or just too much work to be worth taking along. I appreciated Barry's pictures and comments. He must have a wonderful dog ... I hope she is not the exception to the rule on that breed.

Bob.

 

[Alan Gage]

It's important, and difficult, to remember that how I perceive a dog's intentions isn't necessarily how others will see it. I think I've got a pretty good feel for the aggressiveness of a dog. Even if it's barking you can usually tell by body language how serious it is. Same goes for a mean dog that isn't barking.

But to people who don't have familiarity with dogs any barking dog can seem ferocious. I met a gal from India this summer who wasn't used to being around dogs and was very scared of them. When my dog trotted up to her with ears perked and tail wagging she about freaked out. Even after I told her the dog was friendly she was always scared of her, even after they'd met a few times. We see the same thing with customers, usually Hispanic, who come in the shop and are very scared of the two friendly dogs in the office.

Not trying to say that people who have expressed concerns with aggressive dogs are mistaken but rather a reminder to us dog owners that we don't all have the same perception of reality.

Alan