How do you feel about dog encounters?

Evan S wrote:Dogs fighting with eachother is the most problematic thing I've encountered. I've had blood drawn trying to break up fights, and my roommate had 1/3 of his thumb bitten off doing the same thing. Just food for thought... I was ice climbing (sort of), near Boulder yesterday. There were three dogs at the base running around dodging falling chunks and running all around us and getting in our way while walking on ice in crampons... The owners were very considerate and offered to tie them up, but the damage had been done. Don't bring dogs ice climbing maybe? Can we all agree on that?

Yeah, I'm absolutely horrified to bring my dog ice climbing. Falling shrapnel, crashing pillars and a air-mailed ice-axes don't make me feel like I'm doing my pooch a favor by bringing him outdoors on a day of ice climbing. I would also feel heartbroken if I saw another person's dog get injured - no assignment of blame to me or to the dog owner would fix the pain I'd feel from seeing a 20 lb chandelier strike a dog on the head or from accidentally sending a crampon through a pooch's paw.

I can't be an absolutist because if someone has a good dog who knows to stay back from the cliff and the climbers, then I see no problem with their dog roaming through the woods behind us. As a rule of thumb, though, I would definitely advise my friends to leave dogs and little kids at home for ice climbing or for rock climbing on chossy cliffs. I'm not saying they can't or that any moral/smart/respectable person wouldn't, but just that I don't think it's a good idea due to the higher risk of heartbreak.

Matt Wolski wrote: I don't really care if you think my dog is annoying or if it ruins your wilderness experience.

Then you're a fucking selfish douchebag.

Have you seen what people do to each other? War, murder,rape,etc. Im more scaried of people than dogs. Even if their climbing people.

NEVER use your hands to try to break up a dog fight. This used to be one of the first things you were told when you got a dog. Even a little one can bite your finger off and they don’t discriminate when in full fight mode. At most, kick one of them (your own if you can) hard enough to get their attention if they are really going at it and the blood is flying. Throwing a bucket of water on them works, but who has a bucket of water in their climbing pack? Most dog fights are not lethal and at worst lead to some stiches, so don't freak out even when they sound like they are going to kill each other. But if your dog gets in a fight and the other dog’s owner is silly enough to try to break it up with their hands you might end up with some liability for their lost digits, so if you can, you should probably prioritize kicking the owner’s feet out from under them before they can reach the combatants. The problem is that it all happens pretty quickly and you are usually up on a climb or belaying someone when it starts. Less aggressive dog alternatives are awaiting adoption at your local shelter.

I see no problem as long as the dog's owner is responsible.

- keep them leashed and tethered
- clean up their mess
- keep them quiet
- keep them in a safe, out of the way area

md3 wrote:NEVER use your hands to try to break up a dog fight. This used to be one of the first things you were told when you got a dog. Even a little one can bite your finger off and they don’t discriminate when in full fight mode. At most, kick one of them (your own if you can) hard enough to get their attention if they are really going at it and the blood is flying. Throwing a bucket of water on them works, but who has a bucket of water in their climbing pack? Most dog fights are not lethal and at worst lead to some stiches, so don't freak out even when they sound like they are going to kill each other. But if your dog gets in a fight and the other dog’s owner is silly enough to try to break it up with their hands you might end up with some liability for their lost digits, so if you can, you should probably prioritize kicking the owner’s feet out from under them before they can reach the combatants. The problem is that it all happens pretty quickly and you are usually up on a climb or belaying someone when it starts. Less aggressive dog alternatives are awaiting adoption at your local shelter.

I know, this is common sense. Tried that first, didn't work, grabbed a collar, which broke, got bit right after that. You can pull their tail too, but that's easier said than done. An Akita tried to kill my dog once, that's total BS that dog fights are usually harmless scuffles.

Will S: strong work lifting a quote out of context. My point is, on public lands that are designated mixed use areas (i.e. no leash laws) I'm not inclined to respond well to someone lecturing me about my off-leash dog from the seat of an ATV. Go call someone shooting guns at New Jack City "a fucking selfish douschebag" and let me know how that goes.

Matt Wolski wrote:Will S: strong work lifting a quote out of context. My point is, on public lands that are designated mixed use areas (i.e. no leash laws) I'm not inclined to respond well to someone lecturing me about my off-leash dog from the seat of an ATV. Go call someone shooting guns at New Jack City "a fucking selfish douschebag" and let me know how that goes.

Good point, most of us take an ATV to the crag.

Having the right to be a fucking selfish douchebag on public lands doesn't protect you from being recognized as one when appropriate.

I'm a little bummed by all the talk of dog kicking going on. I really prefer this thread:

mountainproject.com/v/best-…

I have a dog and love dogs myself. With that said I agree with Tony B. If the dog bites me, there are going to be issues.

Sedative-laced dog treats.

Should solve any dog problems you encounter.

My dream, my number one on the bucket list, is to strangle an off-leash and aggressive dog to death while its horrified owner watches in disbelief and then throw the dog's corpse at said owner and walk away. And I love dogs.

Sir Camsalot wrote:My dream, my number one on the bucket list, is to strangle an off-leash and aggressive dog to death while its horrified owner watches in disbelief and then throw the dog's corpse at said owner and walk away. And I love dogs.

Now that shits funny, go pro that shit while your at it.

England wrote: If that was true, then we wouldn't be seeing the same bags in the same spot, and never disappearing.

Well yeah, assholes exist at some percentage in every facet of every level of humanity. Count the number of dogs you see to the number of bags that remain for days on end

mountainproject.com/v/best-…

From what originated as a discussion of a local leash ordinance in a cragless urban space and degenerated into fantasies about strangling aggressive dogs to death and the gross personality deficiencies of their owners (and all largely by people who don't live in Salt Lake, or Utah, or west of the Mississippi...), as an unapologetic dog owner and lover, I much prefer the best-dog-photo thread. Thanks Name.

Name wrote:http://www.mountainproject.com/v/best-dog-photo-/106611827__7

There's a lotta hate in this thread. Thanks for the detour, Name :-).