Skiing with dogs

[JimG.]

I was inspired by the thread in hiking about hiking with dogs.

I've seen dogs at ski resorts; I know a few people who bring their dogs to the mountain. I don't think it's a great environment for a dog, ski resorts are crowded and there are collisions daily. Add an excited canine to the mix and it bodes ill for the poor animal.

I also know folks who bring their dogs out in the backcountry. I even know folks who put a transceiver on their dog. I think this is the height of stupidity. Not only is it dangerous for the dog, I don't want to go BC with someone who brings their dog with a tranceiver because if there is an avalanche who is to know the "person" you are digging for isn't the dog. How would you feel if you saved your dog but lost a friend because you couldn't tell the difference?

Comments?

 

[tommy5402]

Was at Gore this past season, when someone tried to bring their dog on the mountain. Staff was on him pretty quickly, so I guess its not allowed. Can't speak for anywhere else.

 

[dmc]

Sharp edges... Bad things for dogs that like to cut in front...

 

[loafer89]

My wife and I brought our male Saint Bernard to Killington for some early season skiing in October of 1998. The dog liked being on the mountain, and the only hard part was getting him in the gondola as he was a little afraid of it at first. My wife walked him around the summit while I did some skiing so we kept a low profile with the dog and he stayed out of people/skiers way.

 

[Marc]

I agree with you Jim re. the transceiver. That is the height of stupidity.

If one wants a safety measure for the dog, use an old avi cord on the down slopes.

Other than that, I'd love to bring a dog into the backcountry with me. Obviously it isn't practical at a resort.

 

[L2RAFO]

I agree with most of what's been said to the point that there is really no safe way to include dogs at crowded, eastern ski areas ( at least during normal operating hours ), but, having spent a fair amount of time around the avi rescue dogs at Snowbird, I have to tell you there are some dogs out there that make most of us look stupid on the hill by comparrison.

 

[Marc]

Well it kinda goes without saying a dog's sense of smell is a bit better than Marc running around in circles with his transceiver.

And it def. goes without saying a trained avi rescue dog is superior.

I don't think Jim was talking about that type of dog though...

 

[L2RAFO]

I don't think Jim was talking about that type of dog though...

Obviously, if you reread my post, I get that. I was simply making an additional point in praise of the beloved, multi-skilled canine.

 

[Marc]

Obviously, if you reread my post, I get that. I was simply making an additional point in praise of the beloved, multi-skilled canine.

WOAH. You're lucky I read it once. I stopped rereading stuff a while ago. It makes my brain hurt. What's left of it, anyway.

 

[L2RAFO]

WOAH. You're lucky I read it once. I stopped rereading stuff a while ago. It makes my brain hurt. What's left of it, anyway.

Damn, Greg, it doesn't take long to find the dicks over here. I'm beginning to question your invitation to join in.

 

[Marc]

Don't look to Greg for help. He's the biggest one here...

 

[L2RAFO]

Don't look to Greg for help. He's the biggest one here...

I don't need any help dealing with nickle 'n dime egos like you, just making a comment Greg will get, and you never will. Regardless, hope you have a great 4th.

 

[catskills]

I read this story a few years ago where a guy was BC skiing with his dog in Wyoming just above the Teton Pass road. They got into an avalanche and the guy got pushed off a ledge and fell about 50 feet right onto the Teton Pass road. Folks driving on the road witnessed the avalanche and him fall directly onto the road. Ouch that has got to hurt. Within minutes there were at least 6 people with transceivers and shovels, that they just happened to have in their cars, searching for this dude. Anyway they dug the guy out in no time and he had absolutely no injuries falling on the road. The fluff built the guy a nice soft landing on the road.

Oh yeah the dog. I almost forgot about the dog. Unfortunately the dog did not have a transceiver on. Just kidding. The dog was fine. The dog found another way down after he saw his partner in the avalanche.

I agree having a transceiver on a dog is a bad idea. On the other hand, if the transceiver is turned off and the dog is trained on how to switch it to search mode when needed and knows how to use it in search mode, that would be very cool.

 

[catskills]

For you folks that like dogs and skiing here is a cute dog story written from the dogs point of view . By the way I have talked to the owners of these dogs. Yes these dogs do ride on chair lifts. Because these dogs are expensive the chair lift is stopped every time the dogs load onto the lift. The answer is no these dogs don't wear a transceiver.

Here is a picture I took a few years ago of the Jackson Hole avalanche dogs after a hard days work sleeping in Corbets cabin above 10,000 feet.

 

[dmc]

I don't need any help dealing with nickle 'n dime egos like you, just making a comment Greg will get, and you never will. Regardless, hope you have a great 4th.

Pot calling the kettle black...

 

[Dr Skimeister]

I agree with most of what's been said to the point that there is really no safe way to include dogs at crowded, eastern ski areas ( at least during normal operating hours ), but, having spent a fair amount of time around the avi rescue dogs at Snowbird, I have to tell you there are some dogs out there that make most of us look stupid on the hill by comparrison.

I saw an avi dog rescue demonstration at a veterinary conference I attended at Copper Mountain this past January. How fast those dogs found the buried "victims" was amazing.

I remember 20+ years ago skiing a day at Hunter where a Lab ran up the mountain, trying to follow underneath someone that was on the lift a few chairs in front of me. The dog followed along for what I remember to be at least half way up the mountain before the chair went over terrain the dog couldn't do.

 

[snoseek]

years ago at sunday river the girl that ran the former barker ski shop would take a few runs with her dog. she would load the lift (high speed) and the dog would run up agony to the top, then chase her down. I saw this several times on mellow weekdays. that dog was friggen amazing!

 

[Marc]

Pot calling the kettle black...

I is white as rice... :dunce:

 

[JimG.]

I agree with most of what's been said to the point that there is really no safe way to include dogs at crowded, eastern ski areas ( at least during normal operating hours ), but, having spent a fair amount of time around the avi rescue dogs at Snowbird, I have to tell you there are some dogs out there that make most of us look stupid on the hill by comparrison.

Well, I wasn't talking about the trained avi rescue dogs. I've seen them in action in Europe, amazing animals. I was standing near a dropoff at the top of a lift in St. Moritz and one of the dogs ran over and stood between me and the edge. Wouldn't move. One of the patrollers came over laughing and in broken english explained the dog is trained to keep people from going too close to dropoffs.

Amazing.

 

[JimG.]

MMM.. makes me wonder how they were trained to "drag" you back if you continued to get closer .. :-o

That was a big German Shepherd...I don't think he was going to let me get any closer to begin with. He was quite a physical presence.