Author Topic: Trail dog  (Read 443 times)

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Offline ecrepeau

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Trail dog
« on: November 12, 2010, 08:06:08 AM »
Coming back to my home state of FL next week and am bringing my dog with me. He comes with me on all the trails up here in my adopted state of NY.

What is the deal of having a trail dog with you on this trail?

Also, probably going to be doing the Croom Trails too, so any info on having a trail dog on those trails would be good too.

Offline SandPine

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2010, 08:20:53 AM »
I think the law (at least at county and state parks) says Dog must be on a leash.  As with any public place, there will always be someone who may say something to you. Specially if the dog is not well mannered.  I know of others ride with their dogs but is not often.  San Felasco has a no dogs rule.  I would definately NOT take the dog to Santos, Carter, WTA, or Alafia.  I know of people who have gotten hassled about it at those trails.  I don't think anyone will care at Croom but is probably because you may never run into anyone.  Same thing at Boyette but it may be best to avoid Boyette with a dog when is very crowded (Sat and Sun mornings).
 
I am sure you know about taking extra water for your dog.  At croom there are no many places where the dog can go for a swin. Only over by the 12 mile bail out.  Boyette has many lakes.  Just watch him or he will become alligator bait.
 
 

Offline ecrepeau

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2010, 08:44:59 AM »
So the suggestion to not take him with to Alafia is based on what? Cause the place gets crowded? Or is there another reason?

If that is the case I am going to be going in the middle of the week anyways and I would assume that there aren't many riders during the middle of the week. Yes/No?

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2010, 08:50:39 AM »
So the suggestion to not take him with to Alafia is based on what? Cause the place gets crowded? Or is there another reason?

If that is the case I am going to be going in the middle of the week anyways and I would assume that there aren't many riders during the middle of the week. Yes/No?
Middle of the week will be great for having the trails to yourself  ;)
 
At Alafia, anyone can easily report you to the Ranger and they can quickly find you to ask you to leave.   But you getting this info from me and I don't have a dog.  Hopefully others will chime in if you want more intel. 
 
It has been a while but I have ran into a rider with a dog at Alafia before.  I can tell you that many let him have it for riding with the dog there.  Not sure he cared though and the worse thing they can do to you is ask you to leave and not come back for a while.

Offline ecrepeau

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2010, 09:04:12 AM »
Not sure why people would give him such a hard time about riding with his dog. Guess it is different up here in NY as it is not that uncommon to have a dog with you.

I could see giving him a hard time if the dog is all over the place, etc...

In my case my dog stays glued about a foot away from my back tire and then my wife is behind him. So unless another rider was planing on riding over my wife and on my back couldn't see why anyone would have a reason to complain.

Like I said if people are coming onto any trail and their dog is all over the place getting in the path of other riders, etc... then that would be a problem.

Offline eclark

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2010, 09:16:22 AM »
there is more traffic on trails down here due to the limited number of places to ride, Alafia is a bunch of little loops, so you are likely to run into people.  I take dogs to Boyette when I ride with them, it just seems to be the easiest place and no one has ever seemed upset.  I have taken dogs to Alafia and had both good and bad outings, stopped after the bad one.  Carter was fun and painless with them too.  I don't want to ruin someone else's day for whatever reason.  If someone doesn't like trail dogs and complains, they are the automatic winner since it really is illegal here.
 
one thing to keep in mind down here, it is unsafe to allow your dog up to the waters edge.  unless it is actually cold, I keep mine away from any thing that might harbor a gator.  we had a big one approach the dogs at the TOE and it skeered me bad.

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2010, 10:12:55 AM »
I've been to carter twice where someone had two very annoying and hyper dogs. One of those barked maniacly. It was  awful. one of those dogs actually jumped inside of my riding partners car getting mud all over his seats. The owners apology was barely contrite like it was a cute baby  doing something naughty. Dogs are not people and should be kept in their place. Reminds me of when at a 4 of July fireworks with thousands attending waiting in line at the water fountain a few persons in front of me a lady let her dog lick the fountain. I love dogs but don't ruin someone else's fun if your dog isn't well behaved cause I would be one pissed off man if I get hurt. To that guy at carter,do something about that barking dog.

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2010, 10:15:20 AM »
Dogs on the trail = dumb...
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Offline ecrepeau

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2010, 10:25:05 AM »
Yeah don't plan on him swimming anywhere except the bay off of one of the islands when I take him out on the boat. Even though his name is Gator I don't think he needs that close of an introduction to what he shares a name with.

Yeah I always yield to other riders when I have him with me anyways and like I said he is glued to my back tire. Since I am going to be riding in the middle of the week it doesn't sound like the trails are that used then, so from the sounds of it I don't think it will be much of an issue . Probably going to do Alafia and Boyette. Also, yes if the trails are that congested on the weekends then i would say nope to bringing him.

Thanks for the info.

As for the dog on the trail = dumb comment. If the dog isn't in your way and is trained properly to stay out of the way then the problem is.....

It sounds like you guys down there have a bunch of people who don't know how to properly train their dogs to be trail dogs or behaved dogs for that matter if they are running around jumping into other peoples cars. Like I said in my previous post if the dog is all over the place and getting in the way of other riders that is a problem.

A properly trained trail dog stays glued to you and gets out of the trail with you when yielding to other riders.

Offline Clay

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2010, 10:47:31 AM »

Dogs on the trail = dumb...




WOW!!! Really....... thanks for the insight Darwin! And sorry MM, my dog is more than a person and he knows his place better than most humans! 


Bottom line ecrepeau is that a majority if not all of our county/state parks require that you keep your dog on a leash. With that being said if you are out on the trail all by yourself and your dog is right beside you, then enjoy the ride! I agree w/ SandPine, shoot for midweek. However, do be ready to be approached by either a ranger or others who don't think dogs should be allowed on trails. It's happened to me so often that I don't bring my dog to any of the local trails any longer & my dog stays glued to my wheel as well.

Also, many dogs have been taken by gators at Carter road and other local trails. All of our trails have gators some where on the grounds, so please be careful.

Welcome back to the sea level my man!
« Last Edit: November 12, 2010, 10:54:51 AM by Clay »

Offline northbkr1

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2010, 10:54:29 AM »
At Alafia, dogs MUST be on a leash. Park Rules.. During the week.. dogs MUST be on a leash. I hit someones dog going down a drop one day and hurt him pretty bad. Riding at croom is fine with your dog, you won't get any complaints there. 

Offline ecrepeau

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2010, 11:08:07 AM »

Dogs on the trail = dumb...


Also, many dogs have been taken by gators at Carter road and other local trails. All of our trails have gators some where on the grounds, so please be careful.

Welcome back to the sea level my man!


Yeah I don't plan on let him go around the water at all. Sounds like the gators have gotten a little too comfortable with people, etc... since I last lived down there.

Sea level no kidding. It is going to be strange riding these trails. I have gotten so used to the trails here in NY that a trail with no roots and rocks every 3 feet and the "drops" you guys have it is going to be like riding on the road.

All the trails do look fun though.

Offline Clay

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2010, 11:13:52 AM »
Unfortunately, that is definitely the case with the gators ecrepeau.

If you ever need someone to ride with let me know. I live about 30min south of Croom and can get to any of the other trails in about an hr.

Cheers!

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #13 on: November 12, 2010, 11:24:08 AM »
Clay , I'm trying to funny when I say this so don't get mad especially if you think you dog ,what ever his or her name is more important then Sara palin. But I don't see a problem if its well behaved. But if you human dog gets caught in my car or under my  bike tires his name will be " YELP ".
« Last Edit: November 12, 2010, 11:34:57 AM by MM »

Offline Clay

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #14 on: November 12, 2010, 11:36:59 AM »
Clay , I'm trying to funny when I say this so don't get mad especially if you think you dog ,what ever his or her name is more important then Sara palin. But I don't see a problem if its well behaved. But if you human dog gets caught in my car or under my tires his name will be " YELP ".


Whats funny is your grammar & thanks for keeping it classy!

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2010, 11:55:45 AM »
How was my punktuation

Offline JamesinIT

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2010, 01:20:39 PM »
I would personally not want to come across a dog at any of our parks and don't understand bringing a dog with me to one, but as long as he/she is well behaved and isn't acting agressive or causing a problem, I don't see the problem.

Now if the dog is unruly and the owner is just riding and ignoring the problem, that would be another situation altogether.

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #17 on: November 12, 2010, 05:29:32 PM »
Clay , I'm trying to funny when I say this so don't get mad especially if you think your dog ,what ever his or her name is more important then Sara palin. But I don't see a problem if its well behaved. But if your human dog gets caught in my car or under my bike tires his name will be " YELP ".


Whats funny is your grammar & thanks for keeping it classy!
Bad karma clay. may you endo on the trail and your face into some dog * ;D
« Last Edit: November 12, 2010, 05:35:45 PM by MM »

Offline Chris K

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #18 on: November 12, 2010, 06:08:44 PM »
I used to ride Boyette all the time with my dog and never had a problem.  I only took him during the weekdays though to cut down the chance of interfering with anyone else. 
 
 
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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #19 on: November 12, 2010, 06:31:28 PM »
I've seen dogs at Boyette and Croom. Some well behaved. Some not so much. I have often wondered what the owner's reaction would be if his/her dog was hit on the trail? What if the dog barked at the rider, putting the rider in a position to possibly crash, and the rider took action to subdue the dog to avoid further confrontation? (Say, for instance, the rider unclipped while still moving and kicked the dog in the head?) Would you get mad at the rider? If so, I'd say leave the dog at home.


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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2010, 10:54:59 AM »
Yeah don't plan on him swimming anywhere except the bay off of one of the islands when I take him out on the boat. Even though his name is Gator I don't think he needs that close of an introduction to what he shares a name with.

Yeah I always yield to other riders when I have him with me anyways and like I said he is glued to my back tire. Since I am going to be riding in the middle of the week it doesn't sound like the trails are that used then, so from the sounds of it I don't think it will be much of an issue . Probably going to do Alafia and Boyette. Also, yes if the trails are that congested on the weekends then i would say nope to bringing him.

Thanks for the info.

As for the dog on the trail = dumb comment. If the dog isn't in your way and is trained properly to stay out of the way then the problem is.....

It sounds like you guys down there have a bunch of people who don't know how to properly train their dogs to be trail dogs or behaved dogs for that matter if they are running around jumping into other peoples cars. Like I said in my previous post if the dog is all over the place and getting in the way of other riders that is a problem.

A properly trained trail dog stays glued to you and gets out of the trail with you when yielding to other riders.




Just curious, how do you train a dog to ride with you?  That would be sweet if I could get mine to run while I rode.


I used to run with mine off the leash and she's not glued to me...she runs ahead and then waits for me to catch up, but she doesn't wander off.  If someone approaches I put the leash on her.  I run at WTA and haven't had any problems.  Nor have I had any negative comments.  Most people fall in love with my dog and her white eyelashes when they meet her.

Offline eclark

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #21 on: November 18, 2010, 12:07:21 PM »
Hey Jenn,
  I started riding with my golden retriever back in NJ when she was only 3 months old and she picked it up naturally.  Since then I have had a bunch of other trail dogs and they have all been naturals.  I have 2 dogs that ride right now, both were adopted as adults and just took to it naturally.  It is different then running where they are naturally way faster than you, here they need to actually work too.  One is a pit mix and stays glued to my tire, the other is a bisenji/lab mix who is a little more fun.  She will run alongside the trail instead of on the trail whenever she can, she is very polite and always yields.  I put a cowbell on someones collar when i take dogs, so riders won't come head on and hurt themselves or my girls.  Once at Boyette, we caught up with some guys and someone said he could here us clanging for a long time and was sure someone broke a bike or something.  I have thrown myself down a couple times avoiding my own dogs, usually in a tech situation so you rarely worry about it down here in FL.  I also had an episode where my dog hesitated going over a wood bridge and caused someone in my group to go down.  Luckily for me, all my bros seem to love having the dogs as part of the group so it was no issue, we all laughed.  If you are the type to take your dog to the beach(LOOOVE FT DESOTO!!) then you will probably like letting your mutt go for a run on the trails.
  I find ill behaved dogs on the trail no more annoying then slow kids or even slower parents, everyone can enjoy the woods, just be nice.
  erik
 
 

Offline ecrepeau

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Re: Trail dog
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2010, 08:27:44 AM »
Just got back to NY after the visit to FL. Once again thank you to everyone that gave input on this subject. While I was down there I decided to ride Boyette first and brought my dog with me. I also rode Alafia, but didn't bring my dog with me on that ride.

My suggestion to anyone looking to bring their dog on a ride with them would be to do the same. The layout of Boyette is far more favorable to having a dog with you then the layout of Alafia. Also, the biggest other factor is the amount of trail use between the two. Alafia is BUSY.

With that being said you guys have done an awesome job on the trail down there. A far cry from what was the only option when I previously lived down there which was Morris Bridge.

To the inquiry about training a trail dog. I start my dogs off by hiking first and train them with a short lead and anytime they try to go past a quick correction and guidance of where they belong on the trail. After they have picked that up it is just a natural transition to the bike, since then they have more "freedom" since they are running instead of restraining themselves to walk with you. My dog likes hiking, but he loves riding since he can truly stretch his legs. Also, since there is far more exertion in running to keep up with a bike be sure to watch for overheating. Had to stop once with my pup to let him cool down at Boyette.

Oh yeah you guys forgot to remind me that FL has armadillos. My dog really couldn't figure out why they didn't want to have anything to do with him.