What is the best type of dog to go hiking with?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tim
  • Start date Start date
T

tim

Guest
I have a boxer. He is in great shape, but the fact that he has a punched in nose makes me think he might not be able to hike as well as I would like.

Since I would love a breed to go hiking with on moderate to difficult trails, can anyone tell me a good, friendly breed to go with?

Thank you so much!
 
I would go with a dog that is either in the working group or sporting group. One thing to keep in mind is that I'm sure hiking is NOT your whole life. You need to find a breed that will fit in with all aspects of your lifestyle, not just hiking, alone.
 
It depends. Long or short? Hot or cold weather?

I have a Saluki, two Borzoi, a Great Pyr, a Schipperke, and a Shiloh Shepherd.

The Pyr usually stays at home because he's so big, unless it's a short hike. Pyrs also have thick coats that make them overheat easily, and it's dangerous to shave them because of sunburn and skin cancer.

The Schipperke stays home because he's too little to swim across rivers, and he 's usually muddy, so I don't want to carry him.

The Saluki and the Borzois do GREAT, because, well, they're hounds, obviously. I've done overnight hikes and covered 40 miles in a single day (it was an endurance event), and the dogs LOVED it.

However, I wouldn't feel safe (hounds aren't aggressive towards bad people) without my Schutzhund-trained Shiloh Shepherd, who also has good endurance (though not as good as the hounds, and is a lot more intimidating to a suprised psycho.

Just make sure to keep your dogs on a leash! :D

I'd advise a hound breed, like a Bluetick, Saluki, Borzoi, Rhodesian Ridgeback, or something along those lines. Hounds have great endurance and stamina, as well as speed.
 
Hounds would be the best, really any dog that is not too thick coated or double coated, short-faced dogs like Pugs etc. have a hard time if the hike is too long. Blue and Red Heelers, Leopard hounds (Catohula), Black Cur hounds are good they will keep up and if properly trained, provide that measure of safety on the trail from both two legged and four legged predators. They can also carry their own packs, so you don't have to. Just remember the bigger the dog the more food and water they or you have to pack in, and bigger scat you have to pack out in zip closure bags.

Really the dog you pick depends on you
 
I've got a shepherd/terrier mix, about 40 pounds at 10 months. He's got a shorter, coarse coat, pointy muzzle and legs so long we joke that he's part deer. We just got back from a 5+ mile semi-hilly hike through snow, ice, and slush, and he'd be open to more if I didn't have to get some work done (too bad I'm sitting here on Y!A!).

Why don't you just give your boxer a try on a shorter, moderate trail. If he does well, try a slightly longer or slightly more difficult one... work him up to it. Just make sure you have water available for him. Something tells me your boxer would be up to the challenge, especially if you worked him up to it. Of course, you'd have to be careful on obscenely hot days.

If not, I agree with others that herding dogs are great hiking companions. My mom has Australian Heeler/Shepherd mixes, and they are fantastic on trails, stay close, and can go all day. They're obedient, their coats aren't too thick, and they have pointier muzzles and sturdy, average-sized paws.

Either way, yay you for getting out and moving... and getting out with a dog!
 
A herding type dog would be best I think. Maybe a border collie or a german shepherd, they're very agile and loyal dogs, as well as friendly (GSD don't deserve the bad reputation they get).
 
Back
Top