- Joined
- Sep 5, 2010
- Messages
- 1,998
Today was my dog's first hike. His name's Badger, a rescued miniature schnauzer, though he seems to have a mix of something else in him. We went to Harriman State Park in NY and started at the parking lot at Lake Skannatati, headed northwest on the Long Path trail until Times Square, then headed back southeast on the A-SB trail.
Here's him suiting up--Ruff Wear Climate Changer for the cold and Approach pack to carry his own stuff.
He refused to let anyone else lead the way. It wasn't a problem, oddly enough he seemed to know the way. He's my first dog, but I have my guesses about how he and any other dogs can find trails. He probably just picks up the scent that seems off from the rest of the forest. However, what I cannot figure out is 1. how he knew we wanted to follow that trail/scent and 2. how he knew which trail lead back to the parking lot where our car was because we did a circuit instead of backtracking
dogs, I tell ya
Him looking serious as ever with his sweater off. It's funny because he's usually easily startled and likes to be babied. He looked so proud today leading us through the forest. I've started calling him Captain Badger.
I don't remember what I was doing here, but I like this picture.
We did get to this real steep, dangerous climb once, down some rocks on an 60 degree decent really, and I told him to wait for me to go first and I'd catch him if he fell down following me. All throughout the hike, about 3.8 miles, I'd tell him this way, left, right, find the trail (he prevented us from getting lost at least once!), etc., and it's as if he understood me. It was satisfying because my family had a pit bull who seemed like he understood what we wanted of him before we even said anything, and before then Badger had yet to really show that, so it was a cool time bonding with him.
Again... dogs, I tell ya
thanks for looking. Here are some generic pictures from the hike.
Here's him suiting up--Ruff Wear Climate Changer for the cold and Approach pack to carry his own stuff.
He refused to let anyone else lead the way. It wasn't a problem, oddly enough he seemed to know the way. He's my first dog, but I have my guesses about how he and any other dogs can find trails. He probably just picks up the scent that seems off from the rest of the forest. However, what I cannot figure out is 1. how he knew we wanted to follow that trail/scent and 2. how he knew which trail lead back to the parking lot where our car was because we did a circuit instead of backtracking
dogs, I tell ya
Him looking serious as ever with his sweater off. It's funny because he's usually easily startled and likes to be babied. He looked so proud today leading us through the forest. I've started calling him Captain Badger.
I don't remember what I was doing here, but I like this picture.
We did get to this real steep, dangerous climb once, down some rocks on an 60 degree decent really, and I told him to wait for me to go first and I'd catch him if he fell down following me. All throughout the hike, about 3.8 miles, I'd tell him this way, left, right, find the trail (he prevented us from getting lost at least once!), etc., and it's as if he understood me. It was satisfying because my family had a pit bull who seemed like he understood what we wanted of him before we even said anything, and before then Badger had yet to really show that, so it was a cool time bonding with him.
Again... dogs, I tell ya
thanks for looking. Here are some generic pictures from the hike.
the sooner i think i know everything there is to know about the outdoors the sooner i'll end up dead!