Poll: Whats your opinion on dogs at the crag?

Dave Bn wrote: You spend a lot of time diagnosing other peoples mental disorders for someone with obvious compulsion disorder coupled with an irrational fear of dogs. Also, a lack of social filters. You should probably see some one about all of that.

Beware the toxic dog s**t cloud! LOL

Still think he has a house full of cats and dresses them up in little outfits...

I've never had to wait in line for a toprope train of timid terriers to terminate so that I could slay my proj...

Noob gymrats with glistening racks of X4s and shark attack chalk bags on the other hand....

img1.etsystatic.com/041/0/7…

David J. Jefferson wrote:I've never had to wait in line for a toprope train of timid terriers to terminate so that I could slay my proj... Noob gymrats with glistening racks of X4s and shark attack chalk bags on the other hand.... img1.etsystatic.com/041/0/7…

That chalk bag is pretty cool.... if you're 8 years old

youtu.be/dQSnua3M2lo?t=55s

Friendly well behaved dogs no real problem - aggressive and constantly barking are. I do think the owner should clean up after them though. My best good/bad dog story follows. Been climbing in one location when a big German Shepard came up to us - super friendly - hung out for a while with us while we ate lunch bumming food. Then he stood up - hiked his leg and peed all over the back of my pack - had to hike around the rest of the day with a stinking dog pee wet back. Pretty funny now but wasn't so much when it happened :)

I bring my dog to the crag for sport climbing but not multi pitch or trad. I tie her up near me at the base and no one has ever seemed to have a visible problem with that. My thing is that I cant stand the dog owner that thinks that their dog is perfect and that everyone should know it. My dog doesn't do well with other dogs while shes on a leash so when someone comes tromping up with their dog off leash and I ask them if they can leash their dog they get offended that I would ever ask that then that really pisses me off. Just because your dog is friendly doesn't mean all dogs are friendly. Have some respect for others and leash your dog.

limpingcrab wrote: I love animals more than just about anyone and that's why I studied field/wildlife biology for 6 years.

ok

limpingcrab wrote:^^^^^ dogs are all annoying unless they've been trained to play dead for hours on end. It's only the owners fault because they decided to own a dog, everything after that is just annoying dog genetics.

"I love animals more than anyone"

limpingcrab wrote:"Kids suck. If you need companionship so bad that you're willing to annoy other people and pick up crap with your hands just make a friend or talk to a specialist, don't breed the world's most annoying animal." Ha, touché! But at least my kids will turn into climbing partners while dogs are like annoying babies their whole life, and they can't even go to national parks. I don't take them climbing with other people around either.

"I love animals more tan just about anyone"

Most dog owners think they are above average at dog training. Therefore their dog is well behaved. Therefore if it acts inappropriately, it's not their fault or their dogs fault.

If you brought the dog, it's every movement and action is on you. Some people would argue that it's not possible to watch a dog and climb or belay at the same time. I'm one of those people.

I could keep my dog by my side with nothing but voice commands, until something got inside her bubble, which was about a 5 foot radius (then it became harder). I could get her to lie down when she was 40 feet away from me too. I considered that pretty good. But she new when I could and when I couldn't enforce the rules with her, and she took advantage of that. She was also a different dog when I was absent. Very protective and aggressive, which I never personally witnessed in her.

I like dogs, depending on the dog. But if you're going to bring them to the crag, make sure you have control of them. They are your responsibility.

There seem to be some very reasonable dog owners on here.

There also seem to be people who get offended when they learn that their pet doesn't "love" them, it just remembers the fact that you give them food and tricked them into thinking you're the head of their pack.

And I do really like animals, I'm just realistic about them. And I mostly like the real ones instead of the weird things people made with artificial selection.

I love dogs but I'm always afraid for them at the crag. Rock fall flattens Wiley Coyote all of the time apparently.

limpingcrab wrote:There seem to be some very reasonable dog owners on here. There also seem to be people who get offended when they learn that their pet doesn't "love" them, it just remembers the fact that you give them food and tricked them into thinking you're the head of their pack. And I do really like animals, I'm just realistic about them. And I mostly like the real ones instead of the weird things people made with artificial selection.

Yeah, I'll accept that as a reasonable opinion and stop picking on you.

I've had dogs most of my life and nothing drives me nuts like someone that treats their dog like it's their child. Seems to be more prevalent in CA, for whatever reason. People put clothes on dogs and carry them around in their purses everywhere they go. Eeee....

Whether dogs are capable of "love" for their owners is questionable, since nobody really knows what they feel and "love" is not easily defined. However, there is plenty of evidence that dogs, and other higher functioning mammals, do have a gamut of emotions- affection, joy, sadness, fear, anxiety, etc. Their emotions are much less complex than human emotions (which may be part of the reason people like them), but they are real.

BTW, I am a board certified neurologist, so I do know my ass from my amygdala....

limpingcrab wrote:There seem to be some very reasonable dog owners on here. There also seem to be people who get offended when they learn that their pet doesn't "love" them, it just remembers the fact that you give them food and tricked them into thinking you're the head of their pack. And I do really like animals, I'm just realistic about them. And I mostly like the real ones instead of the weird things people made with artificial selection.

Again, you are a biolgist who didnt know about the limbic system or the amgydala? Nothing else you say has any relevance because you don't even know what youre talking about in your own damn specialty...

cragmantoo wrote:Whether dogs are capable of "love" for their owners is questionable, since nobody really knows what they fel and "love" is not easily defined.

My dogs love me and there is no question about it. They've told me so. Regardless of how people want to dispute that.

FrankPS wrote: My dogs love me and there is no question about it. They've told me so. Regardless of how people want to dispute that.

I believe animals are capable of affection and their behaviour and behavoiral studies support this.
I don't know how one can say if that is love or not, but it could be and there is no way to really know (depends on how one defines love, I'd say).
There are some scientists that say humans only bond for survival purposes but that is an oversimplification. Saying dogs only bond because of instinct and don't have feelings is an oversimplification of complex behavior as well, in my opinion.

dave higdon wrote:"Don't let them chase my bike up the street at home, chase the neighbors chickens, chase sheep in the countryside, critters in the wild, or pee on my tent when I'm camping." I think your describing something more like an ottoman or a lamp... not a dog. Dogs generally have personalities and chase critters. What your hoping people bring to the crag is a some sort of lifeless creature that's had it's soul crushed by overbearing human's.

We're probably on the same page, actually! "Soul crushing" are those people who have them tied up outside all day, while they are off at work. You know that all day, listless woof? I HATE that!

Happiest dogs I know are "working" dogs who are truly valued for their dogness. Smart dogs that know their boundaries can be miles from their owner. I had a falconer friend who flew his birds with the help of a wonderful dog. He had to put a radio collar on her and pack a tracking antenna when they all went out hunting together!

So, if we ever cross paths, I'll be one of those people who come to a complete stop, take off my helmet, put my hand out, and let your DOG decide if he/she wants to say hello. And, if they enjoy being an ottoman, my shoes will come off and the feet be properly employed going back and forth across their belly. :-)

Don Ferris wrote:Bring em to the crag! The more the merrier. However, understand a few things: I will pet your dog at my convenience without asking. I will feed your dog whatever I eat. If you're dog bites me, I will kick it until it runs away. If you're dog bites my dog, I will hit it with blunt object until it runs away.

You really shouldn't feed peoples dogs whatever you are eating. Dogs like people can be allergic to different foods. Just sayin.

If you don't like dogs, you are an asshole. If dogs don't like you, it's because you are an asshole.

My dog comes bouldering if my wife comes because she doesn't boulder and is happy to hang out with the dog. The dog will also come if I'm going somewhere way off the beaten path, but even then she stays on leash and under control.

If I'm rope climbing the dog rarely comes unless there are enough people to manage her at all times. I would never tie her up or let her run while everyone is climbing or belaying because that's a recipe for disaster. She is really well behaved, but the minute another dog shows up looking to fight or play, and no-one is available to manage the situation, things can go downhill quickly.