CHAPTER VIII
THE USE OF DOGS. MAN PACKING
There is no good reason why every hiker should not be accompanied by
A Hiking Dog
For if there is anything a dog does love better than its own soul it is to hike with its master, and every normal boy and girl, and every normal man and woman, loves the company of a good dog. When they do not love it the fault is not with the dog but with them; there is something wrong with them that the outdoor world alone will cure.
But if a dog is going to enjoy the pleasure of a hike with you, if it is a good square dog it should be willing to also share the hardships of the hike with you, and to help carry the burdens on the trail. Any sort of a dog can be trained as
A Pack Dog
But the sturdier and stronger the dog is, the greater burden he can carry and the more useful he will be on the trail. The alforjas for a dog, or saddle-bags, can be made by anyone who is handy with a needle and thread. A dog pack consists primarily of two bags or pouches ([Figs. 209] and [210]), with a yoke piece attached to slide over the dog's head and fit across the chest ([Figs. 209], [210], [211] and [212]). Also a cincha to fasten around the waist or small part of the dog's body, back of its ribs. The pouches ([Fig. 210]) should have a manta, or cover ([Figs. 211], [213], and [214]), to keep the rain, snow or dust out of the duffel. Simple bags of strong light material on the pattern of [Fig. 210] are best, because the weight of anything unnecessary is to be avoided.