Jump to content

4-legged Cachers.


Recommended Posts

While I've seen many cachers act alone or in small groups, many others cache as teams and include pets as teammates.

Our team includes two dogs. They love being outside with us, and leaving them home when they know where we're going sparks hours of crying and howling. They hate being left behind, and we hate leaving them.

But even worse, in the heat we've seen recently, its frustrating to go out caching and suddenly find that the cache is located in a "no pets" area. That kind of suprise usually results in wasted trips. We can't very well leave the boys locked in a hot van, and we can't take them out or we'll risk being fined. We can't always find this information easily without actually going to the cache site, or reading it on the cache page.

I have seen icons that some put on cache pages to tell cachers of poison ivy alerts, restroom availability, and whether or not pets are allowed. But few use them. Even more frustrating, those who don't use the icons often don't bother to post it anywhere on the cache page. In one day we had to abandon 3 caches a small local parks because we found out after we arrived that dogs were not allowed.

 

Please consider those who take along their 4-legged kids.

Ok, I'm done venting.

Happy Caching everyone!

-Jen

 

Surgeon General's Warning: Bad Influences may have a dramatic effect on your attitude.

Link to comment

I have to agree on this. I too, had to just yesterday turn around at a cache as it was a dog free zone.

 

I like the idea of people stating if it is a dog free zone.

 

My dog Trex

icon_biggrin.gif

 

"Before beginning a hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it." Pooh

Link to comment

I agree with this as well. I like the icons on the few cache pages that have them and wish they could incorporate it onto the pages here.

 

Another problem we've come across is bicycles as well. One area here that we went after a cache was as big as a road(I assume it was at once), but it's now a conservatroy and bikes as well as dogs(among many other things) are not allowed there. Heck the cache probably isn't allowed as well. The worse part was the cache was a mile down the road. If someone would of brought their bikes with them to go, they would of been upset, especially if there was no way that they could secure their bikes. Goes the same as taking pets with you. Reminds me, I need to go check that cache page and see if posted a note about that if someone else hasn't. It's not my cache either! lol

 

Brian Wood

Woodsters Outdoors

http://www.woodsters.com

Link to comment

I too hate the no dog caches not being posted till on site! Argghh!!!! The whole reason for caching was to get his and mine fat a$$'s out for some exercise. Driving to and from the parking lot is not a work out.

 

Maybe the caches could be seperated into classes. You know, general, biking, hiking, dogs, handicap access, 4x4 roads, etc...

Link to comment

I just logged on to post this exact comment. We were at a cache today and wished we had brought our dog. I agree 100% - if those that set up the cache would identify if pets could be there or not it would be a help.

 

From now on I plan on making a note of whether or not dogs can be there in my comments I post when I find (or don't find) the cache. If we all do likewise we may start something.

Link to comment

Some good points have been brought up here. Maybe we could make a request to Geocaching admin to add buttons for these issues when posting a new cache. These could include:

 

Dogs allowed or not

Bikes allowed or not

Watercraft required

Wheelchair accessible

Bushwacking required (and how far)

 

Can anyone else think of anything that would be a concern or an issue?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyone can go to a Tupperware party but it takes a special skill to hunt plastic containers in the wild.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by TroubleChild:

This is our dog Patch. He's just learning how to geocache.....and walk on a leash.....and pee outside. He's part Cataheula Leopard and part Lab. Nuthin beats a good mutt!

 


Nice puppy; Nice picture. What kind of camera you shoot?

 

Alan

Link to comment

I would like to see all pets on a leash.

 

I know everyone loves their pet, but a lot of pet owners treat public space as if they owned them.

 

If I can't sniff your wife's crotch, your dog can't sniff mine. Besides, dogs stink!! Ok, sorry didn't mean to go there.

Link to comment

I could not agree more. I make notes on my cache pages about if dogs are allowed or not. I would really like to see icons though. Could someone markwell me a cache page that includes this?

 

I think that the idea of options in the cache reporting for is good:

 

-Area open/closed times

-Dogs allowed

-Special Equipment: 4x4, Bike, SCUBA, Boat

-Wheelchair access

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

I would like to see all pets on a leash.

 

I know everyone loves their pet, but a lot of pet owners treat public space as if they owned them.

 

If I can't sniff your wife's crotch, your dog can't sniff mine. Besides, dogs stink!! Ok, sorry didn't mean to go there.


This is very true. It is because so many people can not keep a pet on a leash that so many areas have "no pet" restrictions. My dog is very used to working off leash and I can put him in a down at any time but I still have him on leash when we are caching except in a few select areas.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by SearchRescueDog:

This is very true. It is because so many people can not keep a pet on a leash that so many areas have "no pet" restrictions. My dog is very used to working off leash and I can put him in a down at any time but I still have him on leash when we are caching except in a few select areas.


 

Everyone's dog works well 'off leash' at home.

 

Take the dog to a new area... the dog is distracted.... dog owner is distracted... I have to kick a dog away from me.

 

I should not have to do that.

 

Please use a leash on public land.

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by solohiker:

quote:
Originally posted by SearchRescueDog:

This is very true. It is because so many people can not keep a pet on a leash that so many areas have "no pet" restrictions. My dog is very used to working off leash and I can put him in a down at any time but I still have him on leash when we are caching except in a few select areas.


 

Everyone's dog works well 'off leash' at home.

 

Take the dog to a new area... the dog is distracted.... dog owner is distracted... I have to kick a dog away from me.

 

I should not have to do that.

 

Please use a leash on public land.


Actually, I have no problems with distraction or buisy areas (he is a search & rescue dog and works in this type setting several times per week). However, your point is dead on and I agree 100%, that is why he is on a leash 99% of the time while caching- because it is setting an example. BTW- any time he is off leash he has a "Search Dog" vest on and there is permission of the land owner.

As for having to push a dog away, I think that if you run your dog off lead you need to accept the fact that someone may mace your dog or worse as there is no way to know who is and isn't friendly (both my dogs are working dogs 1 is 65lbs and the other is 95lbs I would not expect a stranger to accept them as friendly if they where just running around without their vests).

Link to comment

Agreed. We have a four-legged team member that we plan on taking with us on our searches. Took him with us just this evening. Getting somewhere only to find that it's dog-unfriendly would make for a very bad event.

 

BTW, there are some places that it's alright to keep your dog off leash. You just need to be alert and recall your dog when you encounter other people. It's the polite thing to do. Being able to recall your dog effectively requires a LOT of dog + handler training -- something that every dog owner needs to work on continuously.

Link to comment

Our team includes one 9 year old black lab (shadow), and one 8 year old wolf/husky mix (tok, pronounced toke). There's a pic on our profile. Shadow and Tok both stay on leashes all the time outside. Being the type he is, I'd never consider leaving Tok off a leash, he has so much energy he'd run in circles for hours before he slowed enough to catch him.

 

Most areas where caches are located, for the safety and comfort of everyone, dogs should be on leashes. We also carry tons of baggies along to clean up after our dogs, as I'm sure most cachers do.

 

But pro-dog or not, people should consider doggie cachers when placing a new cache. If its a no dog area, post it somehow.

There should be icons that we can use easily to label new caches with that information.

With caching being as broad and vast, not to mention constaintly evolving, a sport as it is, all types of cachers should be considered, cyclers

handicapped

pets

etc.

 

Surgeon General's Warning: Bad Influences may have a dramatic effect on your attitude.

Link to comment

After going to a cache two days ago only to find the sign NO PETS, I came home and found the site below that allowed me to put all pertinent information about my cache right on the page. Maybe if a few more people tried this, we cachers with four legged partners wouldn't run into this situation. http://www.texasgeocaching.com/selector.asp

 

"Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused"

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Quoddy:

After going to a cache two days ago only to find the sign _NO PETS_, I came home and found the site below that allowed me to put all pertinent information about my cache right on the page. Maybe if a few more people tried this, we cachers with four legged partners wouldn't run into this situation. http://www.texasgeocaching.com/selector.asp


Very nice... If only this where part of the cache reporting form. At least it is easier that the way I do it now.

Link to comment

There is a local caching family that allways lets us know if their cache is dog-friendly.

Here is just one of many of them. I generally take a dog with me on my jaunts especially if I cannot coax a human to go. I steer away from taking them if I'm going to a formal type park, generally because of the reasons solohiker stated. I peronally don't mind an inquisitive dog, but I know others have the right not to have a strange animal giving them the sniff-over. My dogs are harmless, of course, but a stranger would not know that!

 

There's my two cents worth.

 

OG

 

Prophetically Challenged (or is that Pathetically?)

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...