Has anyone else been annoyed by the tenor of some of the recent threads in the Trip Planning and Listening Point forums about dogs in the BW/Q? It seems the haters of dogs and their owners have really taken over. I think it's pretty obnoxious. Am I overreacting?

Ignore it.

I've noticed there are a few that don't seem to like dogs in the BWCA. As Legacy13 said, just ignore it. I will add that the dogs I've run into there have all been well behaved and I never had the urge to shoot one.

I'd say just let it go. Most of the dogs I've seen in the BW are well behaved, but sadly there are a few owners who do not take full responsibility so I understand why some folks get annoyed and vent. The few who turn a blind eye (or deaf ear) to their dogs poor behavior just make it tougher on the rest of us. All I can do about it is keep drilling good manners into my dog and encourage others to do the same.

Thanks for the responses. I try to make sure our dog is as well-behaved as can be. Is she perfect? No. Well, almost. I'm biased. :) But she is really good. When we meet real people on the portages (which is not often in Quetico) they are all really nice. But reading some of the posts, you would think dogs are pretty much the same as the Taliban.

It is just one of those things you learn to expect. Any posts about dogs, guns, mining, hanging food packs, portage encounters, and people fishing too close to THEIR campsites is sure to get a few people riled on this board.

Nice to have this subforum without all the crabby folks.

I always wonder about the people that hate dogs. Last time I went up, I took my dog, Willow. She's a wonderful canoe dog, sticks around and doesn't run off, and I don't think she barked more than two times while we were there. If something scares her, or if another canoe gets too close to our camp, she'll bark. I never leashed her because she stays pretty close and it didn't seem safe while carrying a canoe over my head. However, I was a little nervous when we met other people and/or their dogs. I trust her, but I don't always trust other dogs to get along with her. Also, I felt guilty about her approaching other people. I was worried they would be scared of her. I know she only wants to great and be petted. They don't know that. My other dog, Badger, is more excitable and might wander off a bit too far for my liking. He can get pretty loud when he's excited about something. So, he stays home. They're both golden retrievers and they're my children.
As far as the haters, I just try to keep my dog questions and statements to this forum. No haters here. I always read the dog posts on the other forums, but choose not to comment. I try to avoid the conflict. It just gets me too worked up.

I've had some of the same thoughts while reading the dog threads in the trip planning forum. Although I don't think its that people dislike dogs but rather some people have zero tolerance for anything that might even slightly annoy or inconvenience them on a trip.

If you read through enough threads over time you start to get a sense that there is a certain population present on this site that sometimes comes off as a little high and mighty. They of course do everything right and anything different from what they do is either wrong or inconsiderate.

I chalk it up to some people being slightly selfish and unable to grasp that there is more than one way to enjoy the BWCA.

I find it helpful to filter responses as you read through the different threads. There is a lot of good info and helpful information but there is a fair amount that is best ignored.

We always bring Decoy on our trips and yes, she may run the portages but she's wearing a bell for goodness sakes so you have fair warning. And she's friendly...she may bark once a while, but sometimes she is just barking at her echo. :) I ignore dog haters. We love bringing our dog and it is satisfying seeing her enjoy all the wonders of the woods too!

Haters gotta hate.

I'm tired of the dog hater threads, the scary bear threads, etc

I've noticed this for a long, long time, even before we had a dog. I don't understand where the vitriol comes from, either.

Our dog barked twice on his one BW trip: when he treed a red squirrel. We didn't keep him leashed on portages because he's my husband's dog, really, and stays right by him, and it didn't seem feasible to portage the canoe and have the dog on a leash, and if we kept him at either end of the portage when hubby wasn't there, he would be a bit anxious about where hubby was. We did have a leash along with us, just never used it. If we didn't have a friendly dog (with strangers and other dogs), we would not have brought him. As it was, he had a grand old time and I would not hesitate to bring him again.

I like going to WCPP, there is no one up there to hate me or my dog.

SunCatcher

My dog, a husky-German shepherd mix, goes where I go. Actually, one of the many reasons that I travel mostly in Quetico is to avoid having dog issues with other people. Like HoHo's dog, mine is not perfect. He will bark and put up his hackles if we haven't seen anyone for a long time and suddenly encounter people on a portage.

I worry a lot more about the numerous yahoos that are roaming the BWCA at any one time (you know the type--up all night, drinking and yelling, cutting trees, and building furniture, etc.) than I do with most dogs. That said, don't leave dog shit on campsites, and keep your dog tied up at really busy places.

If I see your dog while on a portage, I will greet and pet it. I've enjoyed the vast majority of dogs that I've met.