[Dante]

I'm taking a former boss/mentor hiking this weekend and he'd like to bring his dog. Leaving the whole "dogs on hikes" issue aside for the moment-- how are dogs on talus? The dog in question is a Golden Lab. Its owner says it is good on hikes, but the off-trail leg of this hike involves a 1,500 foot climb in about 3/4 mile on talus.

[Sore Feet]

Probably depends on the dog. My best friend has 3 greyhounds that go hiking with him or his father every now and then. They will not walk on gravel, like really course gravel. Apparently they've gone up the Foss River trail, but I dunno how they behaved on the first part (before it was rebuilt) up to the bridge. Prolly ought to ask your boss / mentor how his dog does on trails. I've seen some pretty ambitious dogs out there, so ya never know.

[salish]

Dante, I have a small black lab (60 lbs) that I backpack with and a llewellin setter (bascially, an english setter) which I hunt every fall & winter in the dry, steep scree and loose shale of the high ridges typical of the Yakima River, and places like that. It's very similiar to large boulder fields. Both dogs do well in general, but I keep them on a very short leash while going up or down really bad/steep rocky areas or on boulder fields. In these areas they, being dogs, take the path of least resistance and are not able to reason which boulder or rock is the safest to walk on. Sometimes they'll surge ahead and start some small boulders pitching downhill and it'll get interesting. It'll cut their pads up pretty well, too, if you aren't careful. I know you don't have time to do this, but I use a product called "Tuff Foot" for my dogs to strengthen their pads, and it helps a lot. Also, dog booties are available at pet stores and they work well. Good luck and have fun.

[MtnGoat]

In my experience dogs can have a tough time on the larger blocks, and the danger of them slipping onto a knife edge or other sharp block down between blocks after missing a leap or slipping is pretty high IMO. In addition they will scrape up their pads unless they do a lot of walking on rocky surfaces. I've taken our golden on some talus fields but I choose my route carefully and avoid direct talus ascents on large blocks if possible for his sake.

[Brian Curtis]

Last time I went from Glacier Lake up to Chikiman I was following the splashes of blood on the rocks from the dog that had gone up earlier in the day. That is a particularly sharp bunch of rocks.

[twocoots]

My Australian Shepherd goes with me every week on hikes in all sorts of conditions, snow, ice, rock, mud, and has never had a problem. Maybe she just has tough pads. I have seen other dogs with bleeding feet. I would think that if there is any doubt, either don't take the dog or pick another trail.

[Dante]

If my memory serves me, the talus in question is not large--it's mostly the basketball to three-drawer-file sized variety (as opposed to the car-sized stuff) and is reasonably stable. It was pretty easy for me to walk on. It's not very sharp as talus goes, either.

[Smokey]

My mutt of about 70# picks his own paths and never gets stuck. He loves that kind of thing and because we do a lot of it, his pads are tough enough. Still I carry a 1st aid kit for him and also booties just in case. Your first question might be how tough is the total hike and is the dog even used to that kind of exertion. If he's not leave him home. If he can go the distance I'll bet he would do fine on the talus you describe as long as he's been doing enough walking to toughen his pads. It would be best to have booties in case he does cut a pad or crack a nail though. Don't forget extra water, a leash, a bowl and extra treats suitable for a dog.

[catwoman]

I take my neighbor dog on hikes on occasion and I see how he is on talus. He's a good sized dog and I had to pick him up and carry him from one spot to another at one point. Several times he would jump down on a boulder only to hit his chin on the rock. Sounded painful. He enjoys being out there but was definitely stressing on this trip. At least the talus portion of this trail was not a real long one. I see no reason to take the dog on this particular hike that you speak of. The risks are not worth it. Leave him at home for this one or go somewhere else. Remember this..... once you decide to take him, he's committed. He doesn't have the choice to back out like you do because he's not in charge.

[Backpacker Joe]

Good luck Dante! I wouldnt go BEYOND the lake, if you know what I mean! I think the pooch will do alright (probably) up to that point! The last section of talus will be tough. TB

[MCaver]

[Backpacker Joe]

Everything is ALWAYS the Demo (commie)crats fault! In this case, it's probably God's fault! He didnt make that section of the Earth very dog friendly! TB