Dogs In The Desert.

[Hurakan]

I have an Airedale pup with a very strong prey drive and I'm debating whether it's worth taking a dog to the desert. My main concern is rattlesnakes. Chewie has a Habit of checking out everything. Any suggestions?

 

[Nick]

I teach my dogs to hike by my side or right behind me most of the time to keep them out of trouble and to keep their impact on wildlife to a minimum. Usually I can see an issue coming and have time to get physical control of them before it's ever a problem. Using trekking poles to keep them from running around you is a great way to teach them and doesn't really slow you down. I also will use a trekking pole as my leash for when there is something I don't want my dog to approach like wildlife and depending on the setting, other people and dogs. I just keep a mini caribiner handy and then clip it into the wrist strap on the pole and then quickly onto the dog collar. Easier than frantically digging for the leash.

It hasn't always been that disciplined, but I've never had a problem other than the occasional cactus in the paw and wear and tear issues on the paws and claws.

Re: rattlesnakes, my active dogs get a rattlesnake vaccine each spring so that we have time to get them to help if they were to get bit. It's about $20 and the first year they have to get it twice about 4 weeks apart. Info: http://www.redrockbiologics.com/rattlesnake_vaccine_for_dogs.php

I've also thought about doing rattlesnake avoidance training with my youngest. If you search around the web, there's quite a bit of info on it. The stuff I've seen basically involves putting a shocker on the dog, then having it approach a caged rattlesnake. The shock makes the dog associate the look, smell and sound of the snake with trouble and they will hopefully avoid it in the future.

 

[Hurakan]

Thanks Nick, he's only 5 months old and we're working on off leach skills. Airedales are very stubborn and independent so it's going to take awhile. Hes actually pretty good but it takes one hell of a shock to get him to listen if he's dead set on something. The vaccines and snake awareness I didn't know about. I'm definitely going to go that route.

 

[gnwatts]

We have had a few huskies, and I don't know of a more stubborn and free spirited breed. When we would walk them at home they were most always on a leash lest they take off. But in the backcountry, when off leash they seem to want to hang out and not take off. I have no idea why. Our biggest issue with both of our huskies were porcupines. Hard to believe that such a smart breed of dog could be so repeatedly stupid. The worst time was when he decided to rub himself in a dead rotting porcupine in the middle of Grand Gulch. Quills sticking through his mouth, not a good scene. Never ever had a problem with snakes.

 

[Hurakan]

I cant imagine the vet bill on a porcupine quill removal...ouch!

 

[Nick]

None of my dogs have ever gotten into one, but a friend's has. It's nasty. Some break off and they'll continue to work their way through the flesh until they come out. You'll be sitting there petting them 6 months later and feel something sharp on their face and it's a quill coming out the other side. Crazy...

Check this out: https://www.google.com/search?q=dog...a=X&ei=UmPrVJvIA4fcoASxqIDYDg&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

Skunks on the other hand I've dealt with a couple times. Best solution, by far, is dawn dish soap.

 

[Nick]

Breed obviously plays a big role in all this too. My youngest, Sage, is a cattle/collie mix and when I put a backpack on her, she just falls in line. I barely even had to train her. Sometimes I try to get her to hike in front of me so I can get pics of her and she just stops when I stop. Meanwhile her hiking buddy Mya is a pointer mix and her desire to roam is incredible. She just goes back and forth with her nose to the ground non-stop. Next thing you know she's like 100 yards away half way up a cliff. She doesn't take off or anything, she's just obsessed with smelling what's out there.

My oldest dog Nikita is an Akita/Pit mix and she was kind of in between. She'd hike with me, but she was really gamey and aggressive to wildlife in her prime. And sometimes she'd take off for like half an hour. Her breed is meant to hunt bears, so when she saw a big animal, it was on. Moose, elk, deer, etc. were all fair game in her mind and it was hard to control in her younger years. She is the reason I started forcing the issue of having her walk behind me. It takes some work at first, but they get used to it and I think it actually helps in a lot of other ways as they begin to see you as more of a pack leader. And it makes hiking with them so much more pleasant not having to worry about them getting to everything and everyone before you do.

 

[gnwatts]

I cant imagine the vet bill on a porcupine quill removal...ouch!

I wish I could have paid a vet. My friend had to sit on her, while I used my leatherman to pull about 30 quills from her mouth and face, all covered with rotting porcupine flesh. Lovely.
Then she did it again on our last day in the Gulch (this time to a live porcupine) but not nearly as many quills. I had to leave a couple in her mouth for the ride home to San Diego because I did not feel comfortable removing them, really imbedded. They were in her mouth for 2 days. That did the trick. I never had a porcupine problem with her again.
Skunks I could never cure her of. She loved them.

 

[slc_dan]

Mya is a bit crazy, but most of it has worn off with experience, and age. She still likes to roam, but stays decently close these days. I used to always pack a tent always when she came, but now I'm not really worried. She listens well that if I need her to be close she will be.

She stepped on a cactus a few times early on, but learned pretty quickly to avoid them. On my last trip in the Roost she wouldn't even get within a few feet of them. The first couple of trips she wore her pads out, again, now she has tougher pads. I have some booties I've sewn from an old retired jacket, but only bring the as a precaution.

Experience has been the best teacher for her.

 

[Bob]

A firend had his dog die from porky quills, got into a live one in CO one year, we pulled 20 quills out. About two weeks later he took it to the vet because it was still in a lot of pain and a embedded quill ended up piecing it's heart. Sad....

 

[WhereNext?]

A 6 ft leash with about 10 ft. of accessory cord tied on works well. A harness with a handle, instead of a collar, can help too if you expect off angled tight spots.

We generally keep ours leashed, it can be a hassle but ours is overly curious and likes to wander.

 

[Wyatt Carson]

I have an Airedale pup with a very strong prey drive and I'm debating whether it's worth taking a dog to the desert. My main concern is rattlesnakes. Chewie has a Habit of checking out everything. Any suggestions?

I know this thread is almost two years old but since it has been bumped I'll chime in. How did your foray go?

I've had several Terriers and although they understand everything you say, they are really the smartest dogs, but they don't mind and they are super stubborn. Once they get out and hear the call of the wild you really have to keep them leashed. But most Terriers don't like the leash, they like to work as free agents and don't think they need any supervision. Cairns are supposed to be the most tolerant the leash. I had a beauty of a Cairn for 17 years. They are supposed to start to sort of mind at 8 years old. Ha! They just get smarter and learn new tricks to trick you. There are many breeds of better trail dogs that do mind. But mine did learn to heel pretty good, stay on my left side and did not pull me on down hills but did help pull me up hills, super smart dog.

Also dogs don't do well in heat so it has to be a fairly cool day for them to feel good. They will run themselves to death to please you.