Yes, I have seen some abuses too. Abuses to the dog, abuses to the surrounding environment, abuses to other people. Here are my personal thoughts on good canine citizenship in the wilderness, which I follow, and wish others did. As you can guess, I think about this a lot, and once wrote up a piece on hiking with your dog for the local Sierra Club newsletter. Sorry if this comes out bossy ... these are just the rules I follow myself, and wish others did, realizing that folks will do what they want....

1. Respect the rules in a national park. Don't hike with your dogs where you are not supposed to.... (sigh, I do see this one violated).

2. Keep your dog leashed in the wilderness/national forest, or at least don't let him/her go off trail. (That is very controversial ... others would disagree ... say its the wildnerness, so I can do what I want... the wild animals run free after all). There are a lot of problems with dogs running off trail -- they scare other animals, destroy nests/habitat, drop poop that may possess bugs that can kill wild animals, and can be predatory to delicate local life. Also, it is dangerous to them ... they are more likely to get bitten by a snake (or get a foxtail, etc.) and one cannot just assume that a helivac is possible (see 3). I do, however, let my dog swim in lakes, so long as I don't see water fowl or nests in the immediate vicinity (Oh boy, does my dog love lakes).

3. Carry first aid attuned to your dog's needs, not just your own. In this respect, one cannot assume that a helivac is going to be possible for a dog ... they may not send a helicopter. So, you may want to be prepared to carry out your dog if necessary, and to treat more serious problems (e.g., snake bites).

4. Train your dog's paws, and carry a variety of things to address paw issues.....

5. Carry enough water for you and your dog. But, as noted, I am more likely to let my dog drink from more pristine-looking water sources in the wilderness than myself. They can get parasites, but they are hardier than we are ... and a dog will be a dog....

6. Don't let your dog jump up on other hikers. Let other hikers show interest first in your dog....

7. Be aware that dogs can get poison oak. Or carry the oils on their coats, and then give it to you. (Another reason to keep dogs on leash...so you can better control their movement...)

8. At rests stops, check for ticks, rocks in the paw pads, scrapes or cuts in the paw pads, foxtails....

9. If you are camping overnight, make sure to account for the dog's comfort, particularly if it is cold. For some, this means bringing a sleeping pad, particularly if the ground is cold. So far, I have done fine by letting my dog sleep in the tent with me, and using a backpacking towel as a pad underneath her. Once, I saw she was cold (she was panting/shivering in the early morning), so I wrapped her in my down jacket (something she normally would not tolerate) and that did the trick.

10. Know your dog's limitations! And respect them.

Snow hiking raises a different set of issues. But oh-so-much fun!