The reason for the training

I want to hike the Appalachian Trail with Gency. I wanted to do it this summer. The problem is, the trail takes about 6 months to hike. I'm hoping I can squeeze in a trip from my Grandparent's house in VT to my dad's house in NC. That's part of the reason I'm working so hard with Gency. I figure that stay and come will be the two most important commands on the trail. I'm trying to get her to respond to strangers or dogs on the street by sitting and waiting patiently for them to approach. We are making progress, but she still likes to make the first move, and that won't fly with surly hikers. Also, most of the trail has strict leash laws for dogs which I don't plan on following. Ideally, Gency will walk by my side, explore the woods to her heart's content, and ignore any hikers and animals that don't feel like being bothered.

For Christmas, I asked for a dog back pack for her. That way she can carry her own food and water, and while we're training I can fill it with sand to get her to build some muscle. She should like that, due to her inclination to pull. It would be really great if I could pull this off. A logistical obstacle is money. I might have to increase my student loan to fund the trip. I could justify that if I could get the Eng dept to give me some sort of independent study credit for the trip if I wrote about it or something. I've always enjoyed camping and hiking and that sort of stuff, but usually with other people. If it ends up being just my dog and I, it will be a very different experience. I've heard there is a very large social aspect to the trail, like people meet up and walk a few days together. So maybe that will happen. Perhaps I can find someone to do it with me though. That would be pretty cool. Wish me luck!