Is the Guy Who Lets His Dog Walk On the Edge of a Cliff a Bonehead?

Last month, Gary Currie posted a video of a hike with his dog to Punch Bowl Falls in Oregon. Before you see that video, read the words Gary is saying to his dog, as they walk along this ridiculous trail along the edge of a cliff in the rain. Keep in mind that if you ever find yourself saying these sorts of things to your dog while you’re on a hike, we recommend you STOP THE HIKE and go back to where you came from, slowly.

Here’s Gary:

There is my dog, doing what he shouldn’t be doing as usual. Standing on the edge; what am I going to do with him? Pico, come back here. I don’t want to lose you! Stay with me, stay with me.

The dog, Pico, is doing nothing wrong here. He is an intensely well-behaved dog, walking very slowly. It’s just that Gary has his dog walking here:

And here:

This is a picture of the drop:

Here is the dog looking at Gary after Gary called his name:

You’ll see in the video that Gary startled Pico a bit, causing him to sort of shuffle.

Here are some more of Gary’s words:

Again there’s my dog, just walking to the side. I’m always worried about him going to fall. He drives me nuts when he does this. Does he think he’s a mountain goat? And he’s just going to traverse down there like that? No.

The Facebook page that Gary posted the video to, Pacific NW Waterfalls, sort of erupted after he did so. Commenters flew to the comments, both praising his well-behaved dog and smashing Gary. One commenter said, “Nobody ever knows their dog as well as they think they do,” according to Oregon Live. Others had less kind things to say.

Currie responded in the comments, stating, “My intention was to share what I thought was a cool moment. I always have his leash ready, and the backpack has both a handle and a hook for his leash. My dog is very well trained and responsive to my commands. We always watch for others, and either I leash him or hang on to him until others pass. My intention was not to offend anyone.”

Gary also wrote that he has been hiking with his dog since he was a puppy, and said, “I believe I, and the vast majority of people I encounter while hiking, have great respect for others in regards to the care and handling of our dogs while hiking.”

“I honestly did not expect the controversy and attention that the video has raised.”

We think that walking your dog on wet, muddy catwalks along the edge of a cliff — especially when you don’t have to! — makes you a bonehead, no matter how well trained your dog is. What do you think?

Before you answer, take a breath, pat your dog, and watch the video.

Read about more boneheads:

• Boneheads Leave Their Senior Dog in a High-Kill Shelter, Only Take Home Their Younger Dog
• This Bonehead Stole a Yorkshire Terrier Puppy and Traded Her for Crack
• This Bonehead Drove a Car Through an Animal Clinic

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