Raydek Posted September 4, 2014 Author Posted September 4, 2014 I have to confess to being a Labrador freak, so, here is my very biased take on them:They are extremely easy dogs to live with and because they are not at all aggressive, it is easy to run and cycle with them. They are highly trainable. If you like the beach or swimming, no other dog even comes close. They take 2 years to mature, until then they chew things like you can't believe and they shed hair like you can't believe. They don't mind small properties and they cope well with being left alone. Because they are smart, they need regular stimulation and exercise. they tend to get fat if you overfeed them. They are medium distance runners, not marathon runners. Also look into something called a Vizsla. It is a Hungarian breed of gundog. Smart, trainable and very good at running longer distances. Difficult to find a puppy. Rhodesian Ridgeback. Great company, athletic, great temperament. Lots of energy, but not (quite) as smart as the others we talked about. The Huskies run incredibly well (hardcore marathon dudes) but they have a tendency to keep on running and get separated from you and get lost easily if not on a lead. They are also more difficult to train and you have to watch that they don't overheat (actually, that goes for all breeds). Thanks for the feedback DJR, Lab was actually first on our list (black one named Orson.. Koontz fan!) but after the father in law got a new collie and we have been looking after it, it just seems more of a fit.. we are really stuck between the two breeds... one each! :ph34r: The Vizsla also looks amazing... spotted this video Also here are the other links I mentioned.. http://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/trail-tips/article/1244-top-10-dog-breeds-for-trail-runners/page-2 http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/goodies/traildog.htm
Raydek Posted September 4, 2014 Author Posted September 4, 2014 The Huskies run incredibly well (hardcore marathon dudes) but they have a tendency to keep on running and get separated from you and get lost easily if not on a lead. They are also more difficult to train and you have to watch that they don't overheat (actually, that goes for all breeds). Couldn't help it... "are you saying I have no navigational skills human??"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ed4cL7PTths/Ua-hTLjZB1I/AAAAAAAADwE/q41_5hrqauk/s400/husky3.png
DJR Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 Generally the pointing gundog breeds tend to be very good long distance athletes. The Vizsla is a dual purpose pointing and retrieving breed) The pure pointers are English Pointers, German Shorthair pointers and others. They are designed to cover massive ground and are tough as nails. The down-side is that they are often not very good companions, hard headed and not so easy to train or to keep. I meant to say something about Weimaraners also, but then decided not to be nasty
MrFine Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 Look at me.I am Louie the Weimaraner and I love the trails.Mr Fine can keep me busy for hours on end.
(Deon) Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 Generally the pointing gundog breeds tend to be very good long distance athletes. The Vizsla is a dual purpose pointing and retrieving breed) The pure pointers are English Pointers, German Shorthair pointers and others. They are designed to cover massive ground and are tough as nails. The down-side is that they are often not very good companions, hard headed and not so easy to train or to keep. I meant to say something about Weimaraners also, but then decided not to be nasty Djsy! My mixed Wei's have spent many happy years running next to me, one on the left, one right. Voice command? Pfft, just a click off the tongue, one for him, two for her and they stop whatever it was they were doing. To be friendly to other dogs, cos the girl likes to rule the roost disciplining all and sundry (like David if you remember), just a simple "nicely" was the winning formula to even confrontation with aggressive dogs. Trail etiquette? This just seals the deal; they would poop off the trail, far off the trail. Ok, what were you going to say?
DJR Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 My first dog as a kid was a collie, that was trained by my grandfather to herd his dairy cows. His name was Kamma (make belief) and he was my dog but he worked for my grandfather Look at me.I am Louie the Weimaraner and I love the trails.Mr Fine can keep me busy for hours on end. Sorry about the above Louie, but one of your kind bit me in a rather tender place, and I haven't quite forgotten! I'll give you one thing though, you guys can run!
DJR Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 ................Trail etiquette? This just seals the deal; they would poop off the trail, far off the trail.................... Funny that you should mention that, my current one does that too, very considerate!
Mojoman Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 Smart and quick to learn, very trainable. Agile, with good endurance, will run well with you. Very energetic and needs very regular (daily) exercise. Needs regular stimulation or it gets bored and then become destructive, or bark or try escape from the boring backyard. Not a good dog to leave at home alone for 10 hours a day while you are at work.This is what you need to ask yourself, how many hours a day will the dog be on its own?
Raydek Posted September 4, 2014 Author Posted September 4, 2014 This is what you need to ask yourself, how many hours a day will the dog be on its own? During working week about 6..??
Mojoman Posted September 4, 2014 Posted September 4, 2014 During working week about 6..??We have 4 collies, they are great dogs but can be demanding. They get playtime everyday but if you miss a day there will be fresh holes in the garden! It also helps that we both work from home so we are always around. I think Its going to be a lot harder to keep a dog like a collie busy on its own for 6 hrs+ a day. Sadly there are always loads looking for homes and its because its overlooked that they are a working dog and require a fair amount of stimulation. We have one that is pretty hyperactive and can be a handful at the best of times! Great dogs if you have time for dogs if that makes sense?
Raydek Posted September 4, 2014 Author Posted September 4, 2014 We have 4 collies, they are great dogs but can be demanding. They get playtime everyday but if you miss a day there will be fresh holes in the garden! It also helps that we both work from home so we are always around. I think Its going to be a lot harder to keep a dog like a collie busy on its own for 6 hrs+ a day. Sadly there are always loads looking for homes and its because its overlooked that they are a working dog and require a fair amount of stimulation. We have one that is pretty hyperactive and can be a handful at the best of times! Great dogs if you have time for dogs if that makes sense? Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.. Appreciate the info.
DJR Posted September 5, 2014 Posted September 5, 2014 Keep in mind that within any breed you will get a huge difference in temperament / personality. You do get chilled Collies and you do get hyperactive Labs. Check out both the parents carefully and check the puppy carefully. You want one that is interested and outgoing, rather than the one hiding in the corner. If you decide on a Collie, try finding one of the quieter / calmer ones. Picking a puppy is a whole new subject and more of an art than a science.
patches Posted September 5, 2014 Posted September 5, 2014 2 of Super_mil's 3 hounds (Skollie and Frank) following him down the old DHL jump line. As far as "trail dogs" go, Frank, Skollie, and Cake (his 3rd hound) are pretty cool. Cake, being a whippet cross, may even be a contender for some Strava KOMs
Super_mil Posted September 5, 2014 Posted September 5, 2014 This may have been the day that Frank decided to roll in a Vagrants 'soft thorn' It was not an awesome car trip home.
stephan99 Posted September 5, 2014 Posted September 5, 2014 I've had my Viszla for 9 months now and its probably the best dog for my lifestyle. 70% of the day you can find him sleeping on a couch somewhere (like attached) but when he wakes up he I is really keen to do stuff. Very clever dogs and easily trainable. He can do long distances easy so for an active person thats nice. We had a weimaraner before him and although we loved him, he was too hiper the first 4 years of his life but then matured, where the Viszla is more manageable. Also the perfect size for transporting in a car....
zerocalves Posted September 5, 2014 Posted September 5, 2014 Fore sure!! Rolled through a fresh pile coming down Majik Forest (not for the hell of it, but rather because of unfriendly branch that reached out and grabbed a handle) it was not a great experience. Are you sure that was from a dog?
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