Dog Walking or Hiking Groups

lilylarkin

I have a labradoodle and we both love hiking and swimming. i am afraid to go hiking alone and would love to be part of a hiking group or walking club. However all clubs I have contacted do not allow dogs. Are there any dog walking\hiking clubs out there? I dont get to spend much time with my dog during the week so i love to spend as much time as possible with her at the weekend. i am based in the midlands but would travel for a hike!!

cruais

It would be great to organise one! I'd leave my little on a lead tho as I don't trust her off it!

evilmonkee

I'd consider joining in come the summer (exceptionally busy before then ) .

I also want to suggest that you keep ALL dogs on lead at all times, as a country girl, I know how land owners feel about off lead dogs (regardless of how well trained a specific dog is) and on many occasions it has been the reason for not allowing people access to walk on their land.

Whispered

I don't think it's necessary to keep your dog on a lead so long as they have good recall and you're not walking through private land. Some trails have signs which say no dogs or dogs to be kept on lead and of course you should comply. Obviously if you bump into other walkers or so the lead should go on too, but not all the time in my opinion.

OP we regularly walk in Wicklow and often meet women alone with their dog. Depending on where you go I'd imagine it's perfectly safe. Granted the one we walk most would be about 7km so not anything major, I'm not sure if you're looking for something more strenuous.

I'd also be interested in a hiking group with dogs, however if it's an all out "dog on leads only" I don't think it would really suit us.

Zebrano

Hi All

My German Shepherd and I would love to join in the hiking group too!!! Shes not the best off lead either, so I would have to keep her on lead...

lilylarkin

Great to see others are interested in same. Like Whispered im interested in off-lead option. My dog is fine on recall, in fact she would lose her life if she lost sight of me. HOwever i do think people know their own dogs and would pop them on lead where necessary.
I like the idea of hiking a trail or incline as I have lots of nice walks around me here in laois. Im just nervous on long hikes in case I have accident or whatever, plus the company of others and their dogs would be great. My dog loves other dogs and im sure likeminded dogs would have great fun together.
I have no idea how to get this together, perhaps people would say what location they are from and perhaps we could organise an informal hike somewhere in between to see how it works out?

any other suggestions?

reeta

I would be really interested in this also, but like others only if I could leave my dog off lead most of the time. Like lilylarkin my dog would lose her life if I was out of sight !!
I am in south dublin and will to travel....

Whispered

Lily you could create a group on here for organising walks - that way you can have an open place where you can have multiple threads about areas, walking preferences etc - like if someone who can only walk their dog on lead didn't want to go with people who wanted off lead. Or people with toy dogs might not want to go with bigger dogs. etc.

lilylarkin

sounds like an idea, not sure how to go about it though

Cherry Blossom

lilylarkin wrote: »

sounds like an idea, not sure how to go about it though

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/group.php?do=create

mattser

I have come across unleashed dogs from time to time on waymarked ways in Wicklow. Mostly they're ok, but I have spooked them a few times rounding a sharp bend, with the owner lagging well behind the dog.

I believe they should be on the leash at all times in these areas. If owners prefer to have them loose, then they should at least have the cop on and manners to make sure they can hold the dog when they see someone approaching.

lilylarkin

Ideally we should be going in offbeat areas where a lot of dogs offleash wouldnt be interfering with walkers. Its a bit of a tricky one, isnt it?

lilylarkin

ive created a group in Uncategorized - Dog Walking/Hiking/Hillwalking

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/group.php?groupid=314

Not sure how this will work out, so any suggestions are welcome. I just want to take my dog on long weekend hikes with other dogs and owners along for company.

gud4u

Another gsd and their pet up for hillwalking....I go to a pet walk on saturdays in wexford but it's too short a walk. Most dogs are off lead, i'm working up to maybe leaving himself off when we're both confident enough.

lilylarkin

hi gud4u, how is the walk organised? where do they go so dogs can go off lead|? any issues with farm land etc? any dog fights?

RubyGirl

Has anybody gone on walks with http://www.tailsandtrails.ie/content.php they do walks in the summer when it's to warm to run with the dogs.

Roxbb

Hi I'd love to do this and like other would prefer offlead walks my 3 have excellent recalls and are fine with all size dogs...I can't join the group through as I dont have enough posts yet I am north county Dublin but would travel too would love to bring them to some new places

JustAThought

I'd be very interested; but only on marked paths as I don't fancy carrying a four stone dog with a damaged leg back through a bog (again!)
I'm going away for a few weeks but will catch up then & see what's going on!!!
I walk mine sometimes in Wicklow gelndalough ( from Dublin) but tbh the drive is a but of a chore on the dog as it's over an hour and a half each way
I've also discovered glendalough is a wildlife park & has a dogs in lead only policy :0
Would also only be interested in doing off lead walks.
Maybe we could come up with peoples suggestions for locations for walks!?

Great idea OP!!!
Might be a bit like herding fish thou:0

lilylarkin

wow, thats exactly what i was looking for Ruby. thanks for that info. have u tried them before?

ISDW

Tails 'n' Trails are having a hike in April, in either wicklow or Donegal, depending on where most members want to go. Check out the forum, it'll be updated with details.

RubyGirl

lilylarkin wrote: »

wow, thats exactly what i was looking for, Ruby. thanks for that info. have u tried them before?

I'm signed up on the forum, have started bikejoring but have'nt been to any of the meets. Have met them at the Madra show in Galway last year, a really nice bunch.

gud4u

lilylarkin wrote: »

hi gud4u, how is the walk organised? where do they go so dogs can go off lead|? any issues with farm land etc? any dog fights?

This is organised by the local pet shop and the walks are on wexford race course. There were 4 gsds, 2 labs, a boxer, a couple of crosses and my rottie pup. No fights, all owners seem to have great control, I was the only one that left my gsd on lead as my recall is still weak. I have no worries of him fighting. All the dogs are well introduced over a week or two before being allowed off lead. It's down to trusting the other owners too I suppose.

There isn't an issue with other walkers as people seem to know we're there for an hour on saturdays, people have always walked their dogs there afaik. There is no issue with other animals. My gsd Max, even met his half brother today, that that was nice, and my 12 week old rottie pup is getting great socialization. I had him off lead and working on his recall.

The gsds wear the light mesh muzzles as does any other RB when they're out.

gud4u

RubyGirl wrote: »

I'm signed up on the forum, have started bikejoring but have'nt been to any of the meets. Have met them at the Madra show in Galway last year, a really nice bunch.

:oIs 'bikejoring' a typo or something i'm not aware of.:o

I ride my bike with the gsd around a big yard, is it any relation:D

RubyGirl

gud4u wrote: »

:oIs 'bikejoring' a typo or something i'm not aware of.:o

I ride my bike with the gsd around a big yard, is it any relation:D

http://www.tailsandtrails.ie/content.php?137-Bikejoring

Yes it's pretty much what your doing.

Burnbaby76

I'd love that... I've a rumbustious boxer but uber friendly! He's a nightmare on a lead when walking at first... far too much energy but then settles down.

Reckon he believes that "there's no such thing as a stranger - just a friend i haven't met yet!"

As a result we've had some "interesting" walks!!

Have joined the group keep me posted!!!!

madon

Hope I done this right!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/236884163066305/
That should be a link to a hiking group recently set up on facebook.

ISDW

gud4u wrote: »

:oIs 'bikejoring' a typo or something i'm not aware of.:o

I ride my bike with the gsd around a big yard, is it any relation:D

its a sport where a dog, wearing a pulling harness is attached to the front of a bike and pulls as the cyclist pedals. Its a big sport in mainland Europe, and growing slowly here. The name comes from the sport skijoring, where a dog helps to pull a skier along, and bikejoring obviously is done during the months where there is no snow

Whispered

ISDW - what is the training process for this? Does your dog have to be 100% on the lead or do you somehow maintain some control?

lilylarkin

Hi Guys,

Was thinking if we organised a little walk/get-together in next couple of weeks, say Sunday 18th or 25th March. Im in midlands, only an hour from Dublin so was thinking maybe somewhere in Wicklow.....or Dublin. Open to suggestions.
Apologies to the Western and Southern group members, hopefully we'll get more members from your neck of the woods so we could organise same close to you guys.
Let me know if a) interested b) date suits c) location suggestion

lilylarkin

Madon, that facebook page links to what seems like a really fun group.

I recommend people to take a look and join the group. http://www.facebook.com/groups/236884163066305/

gud4u

Whispered wrote: »

ISDW - what is the training process for this? Does your dog have to be 100% on the lead or do you somehow maintain some control?

My previous GSD could not be left off lead due to behavioural problems and the only way I could give him a good run was with the bike.

It helps if your confident on a bike, I'm used to cross country and used to bring him up the hills when my husband was doing off road, I'd stick to the fire roads.

I can only say this is how I did it and the reason was that I just couldn't keep up with Max for the first few kms if walking.

I left him see, smell, have a good look at the bike.

Cycle around the back yard, braking, changing gears, circling around and letting him see/hear all the different noises a bike makes.

Introduce high end treats to get Max over to me.

Still in the back yard, I put his lead on and walked with the bike and the side I prefered to have him on.

I built it up to cycling while giving him treats and praise.

Still holding the lead, I anticipated when he'd like to go in a different direction and just give him a correction.

When he's used to it, I then attached the lead to the bike stem, not under the saddle as some people advised me.

I have more control when he leads from under the handle bars.

The harness came later for me as I just stumbled across this 'sport'

This was introduced as you would anything new, smell, treats etc.

I attached it to the stem and the harness and leave the dog go ahead.

Never allow the dog to pull you, even up hill, I don't anyway, but maybe others do.

It's just the same commands as you'd use for walking but the dog can get their excess energy out and then a nice handy walk or swim can follow.

I also use this when I have any old injuries that flare up, I have also taught Max to use the threadmill, just for short periods if I'm stuck.

You need to be careful not to let the front tyre of the bike snag his back paws, or if he's trotting beside you, make sure the bike is well clear of his paws as they can get skint.

Sometimes you have to cycle at an angle if they are trying to get away to something, but once they know the rules, it's a great thing for them.

Tbh, because they are trotting along at a pace they enjoy, they don'y take much notice of anything. So far I've had no problems with it and never even knew it was a sport.