Dogs/Bears

I've recently moved to Georgia and I'm taking advantage of the backpacking opportunities here in the northern mountains. I'm doing alot of short weekend trips and plan to start taking my dog (black lab mix, old girl has alot of spirit still in her) for company. Will she attract or turn away bears? Are there things I can do to minimilize her chances (and mine) of encountering a bear?

Paco,

This topic has been beat to death in numerous threads here on Trailspace (and lots of other places on the web). What it comes down to is "it depends". It depends on your particular dog, where exactly you go on a hike/backpack (not just generally "northern Georgia", but just where - for example in GSMNP, on the AT, ....), season of the year. Here are a couple of the threads:

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/73426.html

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/72677.html

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/67177.html

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/68820.html

http://www.trailspace.com/forums/backcountry/topics/57471.html

and many more, ranging from storing food, training your dog, what to do when encountering a bear (and please, do not get into the long, repetitive, and adversarial arguments on knives, guns, and other ways to single-handedly kill the attacking giant grizzly - that set of topics is off-limits due to the excessively nasty tone it has taken every time).

Read through the threads I listed, and do a search within the Trailspace archives (top right of this page - just enter "dogs and bears", and you will get a long list of threads and posts or just click here).

I think we should all just get along. Rest when needed.

I've found that the best way to combat bears is with mind control. Like in Men Who Stare at Goats, but don't kill the bear, that would be inhumane. Just send him on his weight.

In all seriousness, we're lucky in the southeast that black bears don't generally attack humans. Precautions like bear bells, bear spray, hanging food, etc are usually more than sufficient.

Noddlehead; I guess everyone needs to rest every once in a while.

That's killer! Absolutely priceless.

Bill S;

Thank you. Most helpful.

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