Dog breeds for hikers with kids?
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Dog breeds for hikers with kids?
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Posted 2022-03-30 20:58:51
My family and I love to hike, even our toddler is a pro at it, trekking steep hills like they're nothing for an hour+ before he needs to be carried, and our current dog, a beagle, is getting near the end of her life so once she passes we would like to get a new dog to hike with us. Because of the eventual move to a new area I'd like the dog to be 60 to 100 pounds for protection and to carry their own backpack, good with kids as I have a small child and am open to a second and for them to be a good breed for hiking. Some other requirements are breeds with lower prey drives as my husband loves cats and would like to get a shelter cat/kitten after the eventual move. They also need to be a breed content with lounging around when we can't get outside. Does anyone have any breed suggestions that fit those requirements? And please don't tell me to get a mutt because I'm looking for purebreds that I can later search for mutts of if that makes any sense? |
 Phantom #44024 |
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Posted 2022-04-01 11:01:38
There's a few things I need to ask you before I help you choose a breed: What is the weather like where you live? Is it somewhere like Alaska and constantly cold? Is it like where I live where in the summer it stays between 80-100 degrees while in the winter it can reach below 30 degrees? Is it somewhere down south where it stays pretty hot reaching around 100 degrees at times. This is a very important factor because I wouldn't want to recommend a dog like a greyhound to you if you live in Alaska. Would you have time to maintain it? I know having a child is a huge responsibility and sometimes people accidentally neglect their dog's needs without meaning to. Another factor is what type of terrain will you be hiking and how much time do you want to spend hiking? I love german Shepards and I have one who is a mix breed that I always walk in the grass. German Shepards are known for their hip dysplasia. This is why I walk my dog on grass vs concrete because the grass is a lot easier for her. Hip dysplasia I don't think there is any cure to it and it causes them to limp and eventually depending on how bad it is can cause them to go lame. German Shepards are not the only dogs subjected to this. A lot of huge dogs are. Dogs like great danes and saint bernards. Which I would not recommend those dogs for you. A great dane for the most part isn't really what they call a family pet it is a breed a lot of people prefer to label it as: a one-man dog. They are incredibly loyal to one person. Because they are so tall and have other health conditions their average lifespan is nine years. When looking for a dog it is good to look at what common health conditions in that breed might affect their performance when it comes to hiking a lot. Now if you were to not overdo it I feel like a german shepard would be nice as long as you walk it on the dirt and give it some vet chechups. They are territorial though and can be great guard dogs. The only downside: they can tend to have a prey drive especially if it wasn't grown around other animals like cats. One dog I would highly recommend with a low prey drive, super friendly, recommended for hikes, and are overall a very family oriented dog is a golden retriever. I just read they can hike 5-10 miles starting out. I don't know how long your hikes are but starting out that is pretty decent for a dog. I love golden retrievers and you can find them for good prices. If I was to ever get a purebread I'd get a golden retriever. Like a German Shepard just make sure you don't overwork them. Try not to walk them on the pavement. Sorry if there are any errors |
Skylore #65228 |
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Posted 2022-04-01 11:58:30 (edited)
We definitely need a low prey drive, my husband wants a cat and I already told him we could get one after the move. As for care, I'm a stay at home mom and have been teaching my son how to be with dogs and how to help me take care of them which makes it a lot easier to have time for my beagle. I can't always get to a trail thanks to one car and my husband working full time but we walk her around the yard for as long as the old girl wants to walk. Once our son is older we'll be able to do roadside walks too. Not on the pavement, we walk on the grass next to the road. |
Phantom #44024 |
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Posted 2022-04-01 13:37:48
Do some research on them and if you feel like they would make a great family dog then get one. Personally, I love the breed more than I love labs. Labs are great too, but I've met more vicious labs than I have golden retrievers. Whatever you decide on I'd love to know! |
Skylore #65228 |
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Posted 2022-04-01 14:23:37
Up here in MI we're told not to shave retrievers or any double coated breed because it could mess with their coats. I don't know how true that is but the pure golden I grew up with never took issue with the summer heat. The mix did but that might have been due to her being black. I'll have to see how good they are as hikers but it shouldn't be too hard to fine a young rescue of the breed if we go for one. Goldens are everywhere in my area. |
Phantom #44024 |