Corgi Camping in the Wilderness?
Ok, so my mom has invited me camping with her in the mountains, but told me I can't bring Shippo because he would be too much like "Mountain Lion Food." Is it really true that a corgi-sized dog could be in danger up there? I've seen many pictures on here of corgis camping and hiking up in the mountains. Is my mom just being paranoid? I may not be able to find anyone to watch Shippo in time to go camping. It would be easier to just take him along.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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Tough question, for me it really depends on how well my dogs listens to me. I have no problem with Vienna, she obeys my command and will drop a hot pursuit when I give a command (tried and true), so I belief she will be fine if we encounter a FL black bear :) However, Mocha on the other hand is too much of a social butterfly, he take more interest in creatures big or small, one time he fearlessly walk toward 6 footer gator in my hood, thank goodness for leash.
I think the best thing to do is practice, have a back up plan in place before you put yourself in the situation, therefore you won't be caught off guard :)
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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Yeah, I used to think, "What kind of idiot would ruin a perfectly good hike by bringing a DOG?!"
A much larger dog than a corgi would be a nice lunch for a cougar. A small child would be a nice lunch for a cougar. Cougars have attacked adults. There is an element of reality to your mom's fears. I share them. I backpack alone, and I might carry a gun if I had a gun that weighed nothing and knew how to use it. I sometimes take a big stick. Right.
I let the dogs of-leash in the mountains, but I keep the leash quick-draw handy, anchored to my pack, bundled with a rubber band on the strap. I leash them as soon as I hear anybody coming. I leash the dog at night, even in the tent when I use one. Al & Gwynn tend to stay fairly close, often at my heels. I don't let them run too far ahead.
Be alert for horses. A dog can spook a horse. Gwynn's cool with horses; Al has never seen one. When horses approach, get on the downhill side of the trail if possible, hold your dog and wait quietly, maybe wave and talk to the people so the horses see you.
Remember also that dog food is great bear bait. I have very tough screw-cap O-ring plastic cans, and try to keep my own food double-bagged in plastic, and do everything I can think of to minimize odors... but I still take landsjaeger sausage. So: know how to do a bear-hang that actually might work. Most bear-hangs I see are merely cosmetic. Takes practice, and you can spend an awful lot of energy on it.
bear hang
bear camp
bear hang
NOLS book
The illustration in this NOLS book is closest to my method. I take two 100' clotheslines with a tiny carabiner and stuffsack. Put a throwing rock in the sack, toss it over the highest branch you can (keep the other end tied to your foot). Same with the other end over another tree 20+' away. You're making a high-wire. Guess where the middle will be when this line is taught, then tie a figure-8 loop there (figure-8 easier to untie). the biner goes there, and the second line (halyard) goes thru it. Secure the high-wire super taught. The halyard should be hanging from the middle; you use this to hoist & lower your loot, which should be in a bag tough enough to resist crows if you're gonna leave camp.
Remember you're gonna have to untie all those frozen knots with cold fingers, and a SINGLE BOW is usually sufficient: just pull the string, like your shoe. Same with your tent.
I have a chest harness to belay the dog on dangerous log-crossings or steep snow. I have great confidence in them now, but remember at first, you're both inexperienced. Saturday, I CRAWLED across a scary log, then started getting out the belay gear while Gwynnie, behind my back, blithely crossed the log because I'd forgotten to put her on a stay.
I don't like those hiking ski-poles, but a 6' bamboo stave can be great for, say, fording a stream with a corgi in your arms.
Take some really good forceps and know how to improvise a muzzle in case Shippo doesn't pass the Porcupine Test. Look out for snakes.
Be safe, be realistically afraid, and don't let that get in the way of having a great time.
Al and Gwynn say: Shippo goes.
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Permalink Reply by Shippo & Koga Corgis on
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Thanks for this. I really want to bring him with me. My other dog is going. I can call them both off a wild animal, I've done it before (coyotes, rabbits, squirrels). The place we're going is not going to be completely remote. I'll be able to have my car right there by the tent. I was thinking about just keeping the dog food in the car. I don't think I'm talented enough to hang food from the bears LOL. We'll only be camping for 2 days.
I'll have to find some sort of stick to walk with. I have a can of mace. Should I bring that in case of bears?
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Oh, if it's car camping, just keep all food & cooking stuff in the car. Leash the dogs at night. Look out for coyotes, porcupines, skunks and cougars.
I happen to have a can of bear mace (not the small human personal-protection stuff), and I've actually carried it before, but I wonder if it's just a security blanket. Very, very rarely, a black bear will be predatory, but almost all bear problems are animals habituated to humans, usually eating garbage or raiding campsites.
It is prudent to be aware of cougar danger:
cougars
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The general advice to avoid being eaten by a mountain lion is to travel in groups. If you encounter a mountain lion by yourself or with your children, stop, make yourself look as big as possible, and pick up small children and put them on your shoulders to make you appear even larger. Aggressively defend your position. The idea is to deter their attack by making them think that it isn't going to be easy for them. Pick up a branch or a rock to help fight them if needed. They are just big kitty-cats, so you don't want to appear as smaller prey to them. In particular, running away makes them think you are prey, and will encourage an attack. Yell for help by screaming cougar! or something similarly specific rather than just help!.
Do not take your dog with you into the wilderness, if you want to reduce your chances of a cougar attack. According to Banff National Park Chief Warden Ian Syme, "Many people like to take a dog along in the wilderness because it gives them a sense of security. They feel they will be protected from cougars. But that's not the case. Dogs are an attractant in most cases."
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Disconcerting reading, as my favorite activity involves flagrant violation of all the cougar-safety principles.
Another thing I'd suggest: NEVER separate a party, even briefly. Stay together. We had 3 people and 2 dogs last weekend, frequently spread out from hell to breakfast. We left 1 person alone while the other 2 went on to a summit. 2 trailing people missed the turn-off back to camp (partly because I stupidly didn't wait at the junction) and walked on for almost a mile before I fetched them (me running along alone, no pack, gear, compass or map, only a cougar-bait dog). When you split a party and something goes awry, it's really a mess.
Remember that your car or someone else's car is vastly more likely to hurt you tan a cougar is.
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Permalink Reply by Beauty and the Beast on
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It'd be sad to go camping and leave your dog behind. Just keep him on a leash even if you can trust him. If he never camped before you never know what he might find interesting.
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Permalink Reply by DR, Nala & Simon on
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I really hope Shippo can go. Let us know.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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We don't rough camp (I like my creature comforts) but we like to hike. It is always tempting to let the dogs off leash but we don't because of the porcupines and skunks. You really don't want to be within a mile of a dog that has visited with a skunk much less sharing a tent with them! Otherwise they love hiking but bring water for him especially if it is hot. I doubt if a mountain lion would bother Shippo if he is with you. Be really careful with your food at night like John said because all the creatures become very brave at night. Have fun and let us know how it went.
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see my reply above.
"Do not take your dog with you into the wilderness, if you want to reduce your chances of a cougar attack. According to Banff National Park Chief Warden Ian Syme, 'Many people like to take a dog along in the wilderness because it gives them a sense of security. They feel they will be protected from cougars. But that's not the case. Dogs are an attractant in most cases.' "
cougars
Note that one thing you DO NOT want to do when you encounter a cougar is to bend down -- like, to leash your dog. It makes you look smaller, more vulnerable, breaks your eye contact. Cats are ambush hunters.
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Permalink Reply by CaptainCorgi on
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That is a possibility. I live in the desert where we have cougars and coyotes and I worry about having Eowyn out of my sights. I always keep her in my sights. But I take her camping and hiking way out in the deserts with me. But I think you could bring him with you if you keep him close or on a leash. :-) If it is a quite busy camping ground, i think it would be safe.
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Permalink Reply by Vladimir on
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There's always a possibility that something could happen....but that doesn't mean you can't bring them.
We bring our dogs (corgi and a borzoi) everywhere we go: hiking, camping, etc, etc....and it's perfectly fine and we have cougars around.
But reading what you wrote, I pressuming it's one of those camping areas where there are people around as well camping?
If so,
You just have to have precautions and what not, just like you do with everything else. Just basically make sure your corgi doesn't go wandering off without you and too far out of eyesight and what not. Putting food in car would suffice from keeping the bears away. It's not 100% foolproof but better than leaving it out in the open if there are bears around.
Camping with your dogs is great!! I wouldn't dream of camping without them!
Have fun!
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Hey so how did it go?
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Well the camping trip almost didn't happen so Shippo ended up staying at home this time. I'm going to schedule another one soon so I can take him.
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