|   good trail dog | kelly floyd
Jan 17, 2002 2:16 PM | | what is the best breed of dog to take on rides with you, thinking of getting one because i ride alone most of the time. |
| re: good trail dog | NOPE
Jan 17, 2002 2:37 PM | | Some kind of hearding dog would be best, High energy, small, and nimble. I have a queensland blue healer, and I have seen red healer's on the trail as well. Good frisbee dogs as too |
| A grateful dog from the pound | seattletim
Jan 17, 2002 2:49 PM | | He/she will run with you forever for saving their life....
A lab mix or a an Aussie cattle dog would be good....
dachshunds, not so good. |
| re: good trail dog | cg
Jan 17, 2002 3:52 PM | | Agree with the above; people call Heelers/Aus. Cattle Dogs (same thing) "velcro dogs", because they prefer to stay by your side.
By contrast, sight hounds (greyhounds, etc.) and scent hounds (beagles, etc.) will chase whatever they see/smell and completely ignore your frantic "Heel!" commands unless they are intensively trained.
I've heard people say that German Shepherds are the smartest breed; I've had shepherds, shepherd mixes, and now a Blue Heeler, and I have to say that the Heeler is smarter. "Training", as such, is almost unnecessary--once she understands what you want, she's happy to do it.
If you can find one at a shelter, that's probably the best way to go. If you buy one, keep in mind that "Australian Cattle Dog" usually means it's pedigreed (expect to pay $250+), while "Blue Heeler" or "Red Heeler" usually means no papers (we paid $50). |
| Herding Dogs re: good trail dog | boboso
Jan 17, 2002 5:59 PM | | Agree with all of the above. I have a mix (Cattle Dog, Austrailian Shepard) and he's great! Sticks with me wherever I go... We can't have dogs on most of the trails where I am but when he can he goes... |
| Nice bike, dood. | Finch Platte
Jan 17, 2002 7:52 PM | | What is it about them damn SS rigs?
fp |
| Border Collie....... | Markv
Jan 18, 2002 7:31 AM | | Going into my third riding season with mine......great bike dog! |
| re: good trail dog | head
Jan 18, 2002 8:48 AM | | my k9 pal is 1/2 german shepherd 1/2 beagle. i found him at a pet assistance league adoption drive and he rules. i wasn't sure how he would do on the trails but the first time i took him out he launched straight down the trail and only went off course one time (it was where two trails came within 8 feet of each other and he jumped to the other one). he averages about 9 mph and has no trouble rolling for about 40 minutes. i've been working him up to longer rides but i don't want to stress him too much.
just make sure that you ride trails with several streams so they can get a drink or pack along a collapsable bowl and extra water.
word,
head mcm#500 |
| re: good trail dog | Kapusta
Jan 18, 2002 9:07 AM | | I think the most important thing is that they listen to you, and stick close. My German Shepard is a wonderful riding companion for that reason.
However, I will say that she has unusually good hips for a Shepard. She is 6-1/2 yrs old, and can still go 15 miles no problem, much more on occasion. She is one of the very few larger dogs I know that can put down those kinds of miles on a regular basis. I really lucked out with her. I keep her pretty lean (~73lbs durring the summer) and I think that helps. Also, heavier dogs are sometimes more likely to tear up thier pads. Kenya (my dog) is outside running around about 90% of her waking hours, so her pads are pretty tough.
I've yet to loose her on singletrack (I ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On fireroads I will loose her, and have to wait, so I stick to singletrack.
I think smaller leaner dogs are generally best at keeping up over long distances, at least that is what I've noticed. Kenya keeps going just fine, but cannot keep up the pace of some small, wirey dogs I ride with (who I can barely loose bombing fireroad). On the other hand, she is by far the most well behaved and obedient, and I think that is most important. I can easily call her off of a deer chase.
As much as I like riding with Kenya, I think some of the dogs suggested above would be a safer bet. Plus, German Shepards scare some people who have seen too many episodes of "COPS".
I may make this a separate post, but you need to take the dog's water into account. I know too many people who ride with dogs, and do not carry enough water. I'm alway giving other dogs water. I carry a camelback for myself, and use the bottle cages for Kenya's water. If needed, I used 1 liter bottles. I'm lucky that she drinks right from the bottle, but those little foldable dog bowls work great. Also, dogs drink just about anything (mine is partial to toilet water) so bottles can be filled in almost any water source (within reason). |
| re: good trail dog | Phillip
Jan 18, 2002 9:53 AM | | My ex-homeless street dog, a small Shepard mix is the best trail dog I could ever hope for. He is smart, loyal and good natured. Better perhaps than any of the pure breed dogs that I've owned. He has the appearance of a Dingo. When we are out on the trail, I put a red bandana around his neck so that there will be no mistake that he is a pet. |
| re: good trail dog | Stickers
Jan 18, 2002 10:23 AM | | Great story! I bailed out a mutt (I thought) from the pound. Turns out to be a Catahoula Leopard Hound Dog. Now, She didn't train me well. I used to have her on a leash while riding. She bolted one time and my handlebargrip jammed into my ribs (pain for 5 weeks). She went around the block for a quick one before a road ride with my man, and at 25 mph she hearded him into the gutter, blew the front tire, took 1 1/5 hours to fix the bike before the ride. Rider healed, only road rash and sorness. So, she's a herder and a hunter, will try to please better than any pooch I've had the pleasure to live with, but she's got the herding bred in her, so, my safest ride with her is my little BMX. |
| Aussie shepard... | JPJ
Jan 18, 2002 5:45 PM | | talk about velcro dog! We take our dog Gus with us and he runs like mad to stay as close to my tire as possible. At first I though he was loving it, then I started to wonder... Maybe he's thinking "wholy crap if I don't run my ass off I'm gonna get left out here in the middle of no where!!!"
I wonder though, how far do you all take your dogs and how fast to go when you're with them? Gus is a small Aussie and by the end of our rides, he's beat. |
| How far and fast | Kapusta
Jan 18, 2002 7:02 PM | | I think you need to be pretty in tune with your dog to know when it is too much. I can tell when Kenya is smiling, and she is usually grinning ear to ear durring most of the ride, and looks very light on her feet. When she gets tired to the point that she is just plotting along, without her smile, I know I need to slow down or rest for a bit. Another way I can tell she is really beat is when we stop for a minute and she does not bug me to play stick with her. |
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