| What makes a good trail dog? Is a good trail dog a purebred or a mutt? (Oops, mutt is not PC any more; they're now called an All American K9.) Should it be a small, medium, large, or x-large dog? Does any of this matter to have a good trail dog? I think these factors do matter some. If you want some sort of idea as to what the dog could do on the trail you should look at what the dogs breed does historicaly. You should ask yourself, what kind of person / hiker you are and what breed of dog will fit into that lifestyle? I'm assuming that you are an active person because you want to backpack with a dog. With that assumption you don't want a lazy, low energy dog. That cuts the choices down some. How fast of a hiker are you? A Chihuahua might have a hard time keeping up with you if you're fast. What kind of hiking do you do? A Newfoundland might not be the best dog for desert hiking. Is the dog going to carry his load and maybe some of yours or are you going to carry his equipment and food? A Newfoundland can carry a lot more stuff than a Chihuahua can.
The best trail dogs I have come in contact with have been sport or working dogs. The breeds that stand out are; Black & Brown labs, Golden Retrievers, Huskies, German Sheppards, Beagles, Terriers and Mutts (I'm not PC again). Lap dogs might not be your best option.
My old dog Fritz, as I said earlier, was a Beagle, Jack Russell mix and he took to backpacking like a fish takes to water. He weighed 25 pounds and carried his own gear. I don't know if it was the terrier or the beagle that helped him take to the trail so easily.
When I asked myself the above questions for my new dog I came up with; I wanted a sporting dog. I hike on the Appalachian and Long trails, so I wanted a smaller dog that weighed 20-30 pounds. With that weight I could help the dog over or around obstacles easier than a 60 pound or heaver dog. 20-30 pound dogs can still carry their own gear. I wanted a dog that historically had endurance. I had experience with Terriers and like the temperament and energy of them, so I started to look at different breeds of terriers. Terriers come in small and medium sizes, so I could get to the weight I wanted. I originally thought I wanted a purebred Jack Russell Terrier, but after thinking about it, they are small and wanted a dog that weighed a little more .
 A friend of mine called me and told me about a Wire Hair Fox Terrier that was at the shelter he volunteered at. I went and meet the dog and knew he was for me. He was in the weight range I wanted, 32 pounds and had long legs for ease of movement on the trail. After taking him for a short walk I knew he would be a good trail dog. Living with him for a few months I found him to be a loyal and smart dog. Some problems with him are with his fur, it attracts and holds every thing on the trail. The wire hair also holds onto water a lot longer than normal fur does. Fur was one thing that I didn't even think of when I was looking for a new dog.
Now that you have a dog the dog needs to be trained. There are many different training techniques out there. I believe that Cesar Millan's (The Dog Whisperer) technique is the best for a trail dog. He uses pack leader training. With that training you are the pack leader and your dog is a member of the pack. This technique lends itself very well with backpacking. What ever training you do with your dog certain commands need to be perfected. Your dog needs to know recall, stay, leave it, and heal at a minimum. The dog also needs to be a friendly dog and be well socialized to people and other animals.
Almost any dog can be a good trail dog as long as your dog is healthy, well trained and has a good temperament.
Trail dogs are true companions, sharing your love of the outdoors on the level of an equal. They will be the best hiking partner you'll ever have. |