bunglehead Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 So I have a question for you dog owners out there. I've taken my dog with me plenty through snow, but almost always late season snow. I want to take him snowshoeing, but the snow will be waay too deep for the guy. So does anybody here take their mutt with them in deep snow? Paw protectors? He's pretty tough, but I don't want to hurt him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 How about a penis protector? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglehead Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 Hmm, I didn't think of that..... Maybe I should send him to a Mounties class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I used to take my golden retriever with me once in a while, depending on the conditions. Can't anymore as he is old and arthritic. My red heeler loves to come along and I bring him but always ask my partners if its ok first. Â My rule of thumb is if its deep powder I leave him at home. If conditions are pretty packed down or its shallow snow I'll bring him. I always bring along some duct tape in case his paws get injured. Â I was skinning up the tilly jane trail once following a blood trail that got progressively bigger. Finally three woman appeared with a couple of dogs in deep powder. The yellow lab was bleeding pretty bad where the webbing between his toes had split. They were on their way back down. Â I never take my dog on groomed xcountry trails. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Might stop him from wandering tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 It is nie to have a dog along but a horse is even better in case you need to pull a Skywalker and slit it open for a warm bivi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Probably depends on the dog. I had a dog that used to go everywhere with me. Xcountry sking and climbing. Best route she ever climbed was Wyeast on Hood. The animal was an animal, she could claw up near vertical snow. Next dog I had was a pussy, (big Irish Wolfhound) and it would have been dumb to get her out on the snow other than short hhikes or hanging out in the Mazama lodge kind of thing. Great dog, but alas............... Â Best thing is to see what your animal can and want to do. Peter GAyeswqua had a dog that climbed Hood more than most people. He always took it out, they'll just trail behind while you break trail. Â Â Â Â My dogs name was not Butch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 We have a Siberian Husky who loves to go snowshoeing in any snow conditions. If the snow is deep and soft he follows the leader, but if he can manage to wallow through he practicaly drags us around. I am sure it is breed specific, but we take him anywhere non-technical, and in any weather. He has done Mt. St. Helens in Februry and he loves it. The only weather that he doesn't really like is strong wind, but you can tell he would rather be in snow and strong wind than at home. He never wears anything on his paws per our breeder's recommendation. You should keep the hair trimmed really short. I have seen other dogs that had long hair and big snowballs hurting their paws. One advantage of deep snow is that he can be off leash and not run off. When the snow is firm he has to be on leash. The only problem with him in following us is that he has always stepping on the tails of the leader's snowshoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 My friends dog used to step on the back of my skis at the most inopportune moments. I'm already so suck at skiing. Â My buddy had to have his malamute hauled out by sled attached to a snowmobile once cause the lazy bastard got tired. Â Some friends and I once rented a cabin that required a 7 mile ski to get to. We took turns pulling a sled with extra food and shit on it whining the whole time. Next day a friend shows up with his husky. That dog made it look like butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 They sell little paw protector things for fido, I imagine it being much easier on a dogs paws than duct tape. Unles sof course the dog is into pain and having fur yanked out when you remove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbw1966 Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 The booties don't stay on some dogs paws too well. My dog hated them and would chew them off post-haste. The duct tape was for emergency use only. Dog hair can be cut for removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 rbw1966 said: Next day a friend shows up with his husky. That dog made it look like butter. My sister just got a husky. She's 6months old, weighs 75 lbs and drags you for the whole length of a walk. I can't wait to get her on snow! Â From what I've heard/read from mushers the booties are for high mileages on icy/corn snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglehead Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 Thanks folks! Yeah, my dog drags me for a walk all the time. He's loved every condition he's been in, deep snow, rock slabs, wind blown crust, blah blah blah... the only things he seems to hate is when I brush him or bathe him. He's just never been in deep powder before. I imagine he'll just get behind me if he gets tired. Fucking dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minx Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 my dogs love to go out in the deep snow. their wimpy delicate sorts so they have paw protectors. they will let you know when they're tired and hang back behind you if they need to. take them and have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich_Sheffield Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I have a question. Do any of you " Climbers " Know the Difference between pack ice and sea ice ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpine_Tom Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I used to take my inlaws' dog (a golden retriever mix, part coyote, I think) out in all kinds of snow. He did just fine except for deep powder; seems like he got tired wallowing more quickly than I did, and he was never very interested in following my snowshoe tracks. I'd give it a try on a shorter outing, like up on the snow lake trail, so you don't risk blowing a big weekend if it turns out he hates it. A lot has to do with the sort of fur they have; our west highland terrier loves the snow, she never seems to get tired, but if it's damp sticky snow, like good snowball snow, it balls up on her and she bottoms out. She made it up Mt. Pilchuck in the middle of a blizzard a couple years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrashador Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Sounds like you have to find your dog's comfort zone. If it's a hyper spaz pooch like mine it'll probably cope with anything save for schtip icy conditions. Have never tried booties. They'll probably either just fall or be chewed off. With my dog anyhow. As for duct tape, I leave it behind in the cold, cold weather. I've had better luck with hockey tape on frigid days when skins can lose stickyness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglehead Posted December 9, 2003 Author Share Posted December 9, 2003 My dog's a total spaz. I'm pretty sure he'll be good, I just wanted to get some words from peeps with taking the dogs in the deep. I don't think he'd tolerate those booty thingies on his paws either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrashador Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Yeah, deep fluff and schtip ice are a dog's bane in winter. If lots of laps in fluff are the objective dog stays home or in the rig usually. Once on Jefferson a friend's dog and mine simply would not descend a rather schtip and icy slope. We had to ski 'n carry them for around 500 vertical feet until the snow softened up. It was a lot of fun nonetheless and the dogs tails were wagging again once we hit corn. If dog's could talk... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thrashador Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Rich_Sheffield said: I have a question. Do any of you " Climbers " Know the Difference between pack ice and sea ice ? Â "Pack ice is old sea ice." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 I have mutt lab pit bull. He looks like a lab mostly. Â He goes out in the snow like a pro. His first time out he was instanty luvin it. Â It's not a bad idea for paw protectors on some dogs. What many dogs get is snow balls on their paws and it's a good idea to check them out once in a while and remove them. If you see them stop and start chewing at their feet it's usually a sign they have snowballs on their paws. Â I dont have ruff wear paw protectors for his feet but I don't rule out getting a set if I was to take him out for an extended period of time. Usually I take him out for less than 8 hours in the snow... Â -Cpt.Caveman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scratchandsniff Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Rich_Sheffield said: I have a question. Do any of you " Climbers " Know the Difference between pack ice and sea ice ? Â Of course: Duhhh. Â Pack lice is in your crotch and sea lice is on your head. Go get yourself a little comb. Â Whats that got to do with the dogs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salbrecher Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 A friend of mine from Norway said they'd use dogs to pull them up slopes so they could yo yo ski. He said 2 dogs could pull you up pretty much anything. I also met someone from Canmore you who would do the same thing on cross country trails. Hmmmm, maybe i should get a dog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Yes get a dog. They might even dig you out of avvy. It's been reported before by "untrained dogs". Â Plus dogs are totally cool buds. A couple of meals of canned dog food now and then they look to you like the biggest hero on the planet. Â Plus you can piss off all the dog haters at the crags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 The best dog for winter sports has got to be the avalanche poodle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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