[Closed] Dog Recommendations - for MTB, Run & Family use

We have a chocolate lab who is ace with the family, very fun dog to have, and really good at running alongside the bike and out for walks. Each dog is different, ours needs a lot of walking and so we give him a minimum of 2hrs a day, more at weekends. Trusting dogs around livestock will again be down to the individual dog, unfortunately ours likes to chase sheep and cows, not to bark or bite at them, just likes to play, but that's not acceptable so he goes on the lead around livestock which is no problem at all.

Mine is bad books at the moment as he just went for a pigeon at breakfast, not usually a problem as birds can easily out run him, the only issue was his lead was wrapped around the plastic chair I was sitting on and he just pulled the chair leg straight off and put me on my arse!! - Dogs, you gotta love em!

Rescue Dalmatian. Rock up to the Dalmatian Rescue site and make contact. You'll get a visit from their local co-ordinator and they'll assess you, your house and family. Currently there are 2 dogs under 1 year-old on the site so you get some puppy without the "joy" of house-training.
Ours has been with us 8 months now (the 4th rescue) and is just getting the hang of running and biking. He's 4 in July so a younger dog will train a bit quicker. Can be a bit dim and food obsessed (he had 2kg of food for dinner last night as Mrs S left the food open and unattended).

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In theory a springer Spaniel like ours would do that. But it will take some real skill to teach it not to chase. But thats high priority as giving a springer enough excercise on a lead is a big deal. We do it every year in the lakes.

Don't rely on the kids to take a dog for a walk

Springers, like Collies will need at least 2 hours play/ excercise per day particulary when young. Thats tough to achieve when you both work full time.

On the other hand its the energy of these dogs that means they can keep going all day

Is there a dog that happily sleeps for 5 days a week then runs for 2 days at the weekend?

he had 2kg of food for dinner last night as Mrs S left the food open and unattended

My mate had an Irish wolfhound when we were growing up. Left it in the kitchen with a wheel of cheese on the table. Came back 15 mins later and he had almost eaten the entire thing. 😀

LOL, its going to be a compromise by the looks of it.

Labs - big and slobbery?
Dalmations - don't they get back problems and die early?
Rescue Dogs - could be untrainable after a bad start in life. This is our first dog, so I've no idea of training, but keen to learn.
Spaniels - I've only experienced a cocker spaniel and it had the avalanche rage syndrome (like ramblers and wives get). Are springers the same - it looks ace.

Thanks for suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

a dog that has the energy to run with you on an mtb AND be left home alone all day doesnt exist.

I was informed in my local park, by a fello w spanile owner, that springers are easier going than cockers, but springers need more excercise

She barks when people come to the house but she is pretty easy going other than that

Bad behaviour has been limited to stealing toys for attention and running around

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if you are enjoying the pics

A big vote here for German short haired pointers: basically 5 stone of energetic, friendly, good natured, cycle friendly, constantly hungry muscle.

oh..and spaniels (cockers)

After searching for a Poodle/Wiemarener cross for ages, buying one, transporting it to Spain (at great cost) and watching it die in our arms when it was poisoned, I can only recommend getting a rescue dog of no particular breed.

We found ours on the side of the road. She wasn't even weaned. She's now a strapping 25kg American Staffordshire cross type thing that races me up and down single track and is the most loving and adorable dog you could ever wish for.

There are so many poor abandoned dogs that need loving homes and when you have one you simply can't imagine life without one.

If you go to a dogs home, the dog will find you.

For a mountain bike buddy I'd go for a medium sized dog - fewer joint problems and better stamina - the same true of crosses/mongrels as opposed to pure-breeds, in general.

With respect to hair / allergy it's difficult. Short haired dogs should shed more, in theory, but our very short-haired staffy cross sheds very little and the Wei/Poodle left hair everywhere and a way that he shouldn't have.

Good luck, dogs rock.

After searching for a Poodle/Wiemarener cross for ages, buying one, transporting it to Spain (at great cost) and watching it die in our arms when it was poisoned, I can only recommend getting a rescue dog of no particular breed.

🙁

I love wiemaraners - such beautiful, elegant dogs. Never seen one crossed with a poodle before.

"a dog that has the energy to run with you on an mtb AND be left home alone all day doesnt exist."

+1

personally I just picked up a stray dog and started taking him riding, no need to over complicate life really 🙂

3 years later he is stupidly fit and will go insane if not taken for long walks and atleast 1 good cycle a week

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Spaniels - I've only experienced a cocker spaniel and it had the avalanche rage syndrome (like ramblers and wives get). Are springers the same - it looks ace.

I think that our springer had the avalange rage syndrome. It didn't happen too often but enough to be a problem. We also found he had way too much energy for us (even with multiple walks in the day) so we had to give him away to somebody who could manage him 🙁 Think he ended up going to live on a farm so had plenty of land to run around on!

Not heard anything about bad backs and Dalmatians. Deafness yes one of mine was deaf but you can train them to hand signals. I've not met an untrainable dog yet, some take longer than others to get the idea of what is required, classes and a good trainer for the owner are key.
Dalmatian welfare used to be run by a lovely woman who had no idea of matching people and dogs, we had to send one back. Nowadays they assess and foster the dogs if necessary so that you get a hound that fits your situation and has a modicum of manners. They can range in size from 21kg (small bitch) to 40kg (a very large dog, we sent back), the current lad is 25 kg when he's not been at the smorgasbord! (The smell has abated now after an 8 mile run!

Spaniels - I've only experienced a cocker spaniel and it had the avalanche rage syndrome (like ramblers and wives get). Are springers the same - it looks ace

Not all springers/cockers are not the same, and that goes for most breeds. Working Springers/Cockers will generally need more exercise as they are used to working all day in very hard conditions. A Field trial Springer is more of a sprinter so will go ballastic for an hour and then sleep. Our springer is a field trial spriner and barely needs an hour a day, but she is a bit strange, extremely well trained, but a little bit strange, but thats a springer. If you want a dog to do whatever/whenever you want, a bit like a robot, a Lab is dog for you, if you train it well.

If you do get a puppy/dog, sign up with your local dog training centre. They will take you through a citizenship award, which will help you communicate with your dog and teach it basic skills (sit/lay down/stay).

Oh and if you do get a lab/springer and have trained it well, then enter some scurries at game/country fairs. If you win, you usually win food, dog nearly pays for itself now! 😀

I am currently enjoying riding with this little fella
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Paddy the Parsons Russel

low stress for being left alone for a while , good with kids , energetic and were bred for the hunt so good runners .

bit stubborn and selective deaf like last nights ride in gisburn forest when he took off after a Deer came back after a worrying 5 mins without said deer and a lot of whistling.

and little poos for picking up .

Dalmations need SOOOO much exercise - not a dog to be left at home. An ex-neighbour went proper jogging with hers twice a day (marathon training style) and paid for a dog walker to take it out during the day too!

Archie the Wiermerdoodle / Poomarener was just the best and me and the missus are still really cut up a year later. Bizzarely intelligent. When we were training the rescue dog to sit, Archie would go over to her and push her bum down with his front paw! Real emotional intelligence to; definitely not a dog to be left at home alone. The rescue dog is just happy all the time, though. As long as she gets a good run at least once every 2 days she's happy, also happy exercising all day.

German short haired pointer here and rescue springer- pointer would be better I would say from what you have said- as long as you can afford to feed them!
Not sure if I buy all this 2 hours a day exercise thing- ours are fine on 30 minutes ball chasing one day and an hour the next day- no damage caused etc etc

Dalmatians were carriage dogs, used to run at the sides of horse drawn carriages all day.
Haskies and other sled dogs certainly have the stamina and would be handy on the steep bits for pulling you up.
Hope you find the right one, more down to luck than anything really.

Dalmatian ex owner (he died) we had him for 10 yrs, Dallys are not a dog to be left alone for long periods of time, they need lots of exercise which if done correctly will make them great house dogs, ours would sleep if in a good regime of exercise and time keeping. I was stuck at work once late by 30 mins in which point he decided to open and empty the fridge, complete well you were not here on time so i helped myself, he never did it again and he access to the kitchen 24/7. They can fret and worry. They are fit, period, we biked, walked and ran with ours and the hardest pace i have ever run at was DALLY pace, that dog could pound out miles at at solid never ending pace but they will run themselves into the ground if you are not careful. You have to pace yourself on the downs. They need proper training, they need to know who is pack leader, they need boundaries!Ours never ever ran across a wheel after being ridden over by my SO when he was a pup, she did it delibratley and it worked, I do NOT recommend this as a traing method. He was trained to run with the bikes and us. They will eat anything rotten and they can smell things for miles, and go and find it! Ours was patient with our kids it suffered the indignities well, but never really happy always seemed undignified.
They shed hair like nothing else, fine white hair, still finding it 3 yrs later.Ours died due to stones in his urinary track, commen and expensive problem They are lovely intelligent brilliant dogs BUT you do need to bear in mind all of the above.

Our last dog was a collie from working sheepdog line, he died aged 18 months from epilsy, so severe it was incredible and eventually uncontrollable. They are a great dog.

Huskies in my experience need to be kept on a lead/leash otherwise you will never see them again!

We have a Staff, very fit, needs lots of exercise, loves kids (can get a bit too bouncy, we are working on that at the moment). We both work so have a dog walker come in too take him out in the mornings + it socialises him with other dogs.

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By the end of the video we had got him a bit too hyper but that was my fault for egging him on.

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Springers are amazing but I would say deffo go with the mongrel idea and deffo give something a home that needs one.

Any pedigree will have higher risks of problems and be higher to insure.

Get something that has the physique and mentality that fits in with what you want the dog to do and for your lifestyle and don't worry about the type of dog. By all means check out dog descriptions for traits you want and maybe look out for a dog which has a bit of that in him/her. I would also go to a decent rescue place that won't just try and off-load any dog on you.

border terrier.
loads of stuff on here about em.
ours is brill
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I have a Cocker and am just getting her into coming for a ride with me. At the moment I'm just going round streets with her still on the lead. She does great goes next to the bike really good. I Started off with intention of taking her on rides with me but that's not going to happen. The problem is she wouldn't keep up and wouldn't be able to last long enough.

So if you want a dog to come with you I'd go for something bigger. I'd say a Colli would be ideal.

I have a 9 month old minature schnautzer She is ace & is in training to be a trail dog, my sister has a 2 year old male who is fantastic to take out riding, my own pup is too young for running too much but gets a mile or so in most days behind my wife. I have an 11 year old kid & Shes great with Her, I cant recommend Schnautzers enough. She doesnt have a Schnautzer hair doo though.

We've a Bedlington Terrier called Stanley - had him 4 months or so.

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(sorry, no action shot as he doesn't stay still long enough when out and about to be anything other than a blur).

He's fantastic with our two girls (4 and 6 years old respectively) and a great family dog - really patient, is properly crate trained and will take as much exercise as you can give him yet is quite content with playing in the garden and a shorter walk if needs dictate; doesn't start chewing the furniture / playing silly beggars with boredom. He's got a crate and will happily spend time in there - conversely was perfectly okay in our kitchen and dining room by himself from 11 to 5:30 today whilst we all fetched relatives from Stanstead Airport. No problems thus far with him ripping apart things through mischief etc - seems perfectly capable of entertaining himself for hours with a squeaky ball and a couple of soft toys.

I hope to start riding with him soon - we're trying to train him properly, lots and lots of Sussex countryside to walk and ride round and don't want to have one of those dogs who drag you from pillar to post so it's a slow process but he's doing pretty well.

The best thing is that we thought we'd never be able to have a dog as my wife (and the youngest) is properly allergic to dogs usually. 10 minutes in the same room as my brother-in-laws Jack Russel X and both girls are wheezy, runny eyes etc. Stanley has the same sort of hair / fur as poodles etc and there's not been a sniff or a sniffle thus far - I brush him every other day outside and he gets a bath every couple of weeks but nothing needed aside from that.

They're sometimes sold as hypo-allergenic dogs and can come with a ridiculous price-tag, ditto the KC registered show-dogs. As they're also a proper working breed (traditionally an earth dog) they can also fetch silly money if they're from good working bloodlines. Stanley was the result of an 'accident' when a KC pedigree bitch stayed over in the same house as a geriatric 16 years old working Bedlington who had more life left in him than they realised! I think we paid about £100 odd for him...

(Oddly enough I was stopped on our morning stroll today and someone asked for my phone number as he wanted to breed Stan against his whippets - was after the coat and temperament)

Regardless of all that he's a complete hoot - daft as a brush.

Looks like a mid-sized mongrel is the choice, then train well.

"a dog that has the energy to run with you on an mtb AND be left home alone all day doesnt exist."

Not always true - we've got a Boxer X Sprocker who stays at home during the day, gets a 30min runabout with our friends' dogs (which includes his brother, uncle and grandad!) partway through the day most days (but it's not a problem if he doesn't) then an hour's run off the lead when I get in if it's light enough. Weekends he's out across the army ranges with me on the bike or on foot for at least an hour. He's just turned 1yr and has been coming out with the bike since about 4 months old (on very very short trips though, never fast) in order to get him used to the bike and trained early. Never had a problem, and he's fit, healthy and happy! Gets a proper grump on if I take the bike out without him, mind...

German shorthaired pointers seem to feature a lot in canix, bikejor hits on YouTube.

I got a pointer for the express purpose of training up to go biking with me, she's coming up for 1 year and all the signs are that she'll be great for it.

my springer is superb and to be honest i have never had a problem with him chasing anything except pheasants, and then as long as im moving he just wants to keep up. the comments about springers needing enormous amounts of exercise is true, mine is mental and its only a big garden that he runs around all day, as well as a run evernight that keeps him sane, amazing dog though, no fear, will go anywhere and is genuinly hard to keep up with on techy descents