BACKPACKING WITH A DOG

BACKPACKING WITH A DOG

Taking a dog on LEJOG poses many additional problems, over and above those encountered by other walkers.

Most cafes and many pubs will not allow dogs inside the premises. This means that when you wish to eat out you may well be literally eating out(side).

Most B and Bs will not accept dogs. This means that at the end of a rainy day (when other walkers are sitting in the warm, drinking tea and watching Emmerdale) you will be cuddled up in your tent next to a sodden animal.

You are twice as likely to suffer problems and setbacks due to injuries or illnesses. You are three times as likely to suffer from damage to feet or legs!

The weight of the dog food, dish, lead, muzzle, towel, small piece of matting and extra water add up to another 1500g to carry on your back.

My dog seems to attract the attentions of every unruly cur that we meet. This means that whilst she may be under control and on a lead we still have to fight off the occasional hell-hound that we encounter. Even worse, passing through a field of cattle is always an adventure in itself, especially in Spring when they are protecting calves.

What do you do if you are solely in charge of the dog and you need to visit a doctor, dentist or barber?

By law all public footpaths must have stiles and gates where appropriate that are easily passable by walkers. This does not mean that they are easy for dogs to negotiate. Think of how many times a dog must be lifted up and transported over a high stile or cattle grid. This is not easy to do with a 15kg pack on your back. It is very messy when the dog is wet and muddy.

So the obvious question is why am I taking Gyp?

She is a great companion and a real source of motivation since she is always a few yards ahead, when off the lead. She is also very good at finding the path - I don't know how she does it! Strangers tend to talk much more readily to a scruffy middle-aged man when he is accompanied by a cute looking dog. Finally, when I am dossing down in a seaside shelter or wild camping on the banks of the Severn or Forth, it will be a great comfort to know that she is at my side. She is not quite so cute as she looks - hence the need to carry a muzzle!