Good Technical Canyons for Dogs?

Does anyone have suggestions for technical canyons that are conducive to run with a dog? Something not too narrow or awkward with no more than one or two rappels would be ideal.

Welcome to the group (+ worm can)

Prior discussion:

http://canyoncollective.com/threads...ake-on-canyoneering-with-furry-friends.19087/
http://canyoncollective.com/threads/purpose-of-taking-the-dog.22158/

Heaps is a great canyon for dogs

http://www.math.utah.edu/~sfolias/canyontales/tale/?i=shtheaps

Oh boy - this is right up with "ethics of bolting a canyon" and "Donald is a mis-understood President"
Given my dog has the attention span of a hummingbird on Meth, the idea of bringing him canyoneering is right up with getting a root canal.
I vote for leaving doggo at home

This instagram account has been blowing up over the last year. If you see a large increase of dogs in canyons you know who to thank.
https://www.instagram.com/briannamadia/?hl=en Chacos, helmets on the side of their packs, and the dogs between their legs while on rappels



Dogs in technical slots are a horrible idea.

Hey Bill
My dogs are EXTREMELY well trained and PERFECTLY safe in a technical environment!
......(not)

Thats a great chew toy! What could possibly go wrong

Lighten up, guys. Let's just cite the one rule that determines whether a dog is allowed in a particular canyon. Here it is:

Rule #1: Dogs are disallowed in all canyons, unless they can do perform the following two activities:
a) put on their own harness and tie a figure * on a bight using only their rear paws while blindfolded;
b) can pick up their own poop in a "doggie" bag, and carry it out of said canyon and deposit it in a trash can.

So far, we have had some dogs who could do a), and some dogs who could do b), but not a single doggie could do a) AND b).

My buddy has taken his Jack Russell named "Bob" with us through Winter Camp Wash, the Baptist Draw-Upper Chute combo, as well as a couple of lesser known technical canyons in Colorado. We pack out any waste Bob creates and he has years of experience around ropes, rappelling, drops, being patient whilst on rappel, etc. My buddy has a sweet harness that he puts him in and he dangles beneath him as he rappels. Bob seems to love it. Never had an issue with him before, but of course every dog is different because of their rearing and experiences so like Shane is fond of saying, YMMV.....

[EDIT] This is not a wholesale advocation for dogs in canyon, just that depending on the dog and the canyon and the situation for the day, it's maybe not the 100% shut down that others will have you believe. Would I take a dog down Heaps? No. Would I take a dog down a canyon that has swimming? No.....But in a dry canyon with the right circumstances, no reason the right dog can't join in on the fun. But just my personal opinion, nothing more.

I can recommend Winter Camp Wash, and the Baptist Draw-Upper Chute combo.

Tom

The comedian Demetri Martin summed up owning a dog pretty well. Basically you're saying "my need for companionship outweighs my distaste for picking up sh#&."

In all seriousness, if you think your dog can stay by you, not freak out being strapped to you on a big cliff, not jump all over me, and you are okay packing around it's byproducts, feel free. Otherwise, don't torture the poor creature (or us fellow canyoneers).

Most dogs do not enjoy rappelling and slot canyons. Here is a video of a dog in Baptist Draw:



Are you sure your dog enjoys rappelling? If you aren't, why take him or her?

Scott is right on here. I here it all the time -- my dog likes X or Y; it's often malarkey. Dogs are descended from social animals (lone wolf is an oxymoron) and were then intensely breed to become even more social. That is what makes them "man's (or woman's) best friend" (hopefully, that is PC enough for this crowd).

They absolutely crave to be with people -- AKA their owner, the family that adopted them -- ALL THE TIME. And they really like to play, play, play. But this shouldn't be mistaken for "my dog likes to skydive, hang glide, canyoneer, etc." I guarantee you they had much rather tug on a rope, retrieve toys and balls, play chase, eat, etc. than rappel. I imagine they have a natural (and healthy) fear of heights, given that a fall would be deadly and contrary to their "survival of the fittest" instincts.

As a cat owner (not by choice), I feel extremely disenfranchised by this thread...

I am personally against animals in slots, but I would make an exception to watch you try to take a cat through some potholes.

mee owch

Nice helmet... or perhaps staff is especially hard-headed.

T