At some stage next year we’ll be moving to somewhere with a reasonable garden, and with the kids now a bit bigger, we’ll probably look to get a dog.
I’m keen to get something that will happily do a 3-4hr bike ride as well as all-day walks in the hills, and was thinking of a German Short-Haired Pointer. Any other ideas?? Feel free to post pics of bike + dog so we can go “ahhh” at them!

Chocolate Lab here who does all of the above! Great family pets.

Springers well worth a look. Mad as a box of frogs but great trail dogs!

Paddi guard by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

Paddi by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

Paddi by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

Paddi by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

And he likes watching MTB movies at the end of a good ride!

Paddi watching Seasons by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

Then likes to put his feet up in front of the burner!

Paddi & Pozo post walk snooze by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

Golden Retriver

Get some real mates

jack russell, mental and you’ll spend more time trying to find the little gits 🙂

love mine though

What dog for a riding partner?

that’s an exchange i could go for right now…

vizsla. nuff said.

Sam my Huntaway on the top of Holmbury Hill

Wasdale Valley

As a snowboard tow!

On the beach

Springer Spaniel

We have one as a pet

Great stamina and trainable (ours isn’t that well trained but is fine for a blast round the woods)

The only catch is that high energy dogs need lots of daily excercise. Bank on 2 hours a day for the first 2 or 3 years

<img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/4194265811_f85fb1452c.jpg&#8221; width=”500″ height=”333″ alt=”DSC_0612.jpg” />

forgot the photos

<img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2372429288_fa91042e7b.jpg&#8221; width=”500″ height=”353″ alt=”dog” />

Black lab for me, make sure you wait until its about 20 mnths ish before you take it out for a few hours tho.
Get a dog breed book and look for something that catches your eye, GSP’s are a good choice tho, i really like freeridenicks huntaway too, he looks as fit as a butchers. Good luck, and you’l never get a better friend than your dog.

cheers forgetmename

Sam will go all day.
Huntaways make really good trail dogs. bred on NZ farms from a mix of bloodhound/collie/lab and rottie – and created a superdog 😀
loyal, chilled, good with kids.

looks more filled out recently

Opps double post have another 🙂

Freeridenick, he’s even got a nice smile, i just had a look on the huntaway website,i walk dogs for a living so its nice to come across a dog i havnt seen before,ta.

Freeridenick, he’s even got a nice smile, i just had a look on the huntaway website,i walk dogs for a living so its nice to come across a dog i havnt seen before,ta.

springer, no question

absolutely bonkers but will happily beat any bike down twisty singletrack (they favour straight through brambles, no fear!)

Yellow lab loved mtb outings but at 8 years shoulders are shot from too many miles, so its 1 hour max on foot. I wouldn’t recomend labs.
Currently waiting for Tigger our 6 month working cocker (minature springer) first birthday, so she can start her trail hound duties :o)

forgotmename.
yes very rare in this country. I rescued him 2 years ago as he wouldn’t work – Farmer wan’t him put down but thankfully the Vet said no and he ended up in a rescue where we found him.
I had never heard of them before. He often gets mistaken for a doberman 😯

With any dog, be REALLY careful not to overdo it.

A mate of mine rode daily with his year old black lab and totally killed it’s hips.

I have ridden with mine a few times (extremely fit black lab) but I just think riding pace is too fast – the dog is belting it the whole way and on a ride worth having (10+ miles) it’s too much. If the terrain is VERY off road, it’s going to be better as dogs think nothing of bounding up and down hills and technical terrain and can keep up.

I’d favour a collie or a springer spaniel for riding with. Excellent stamina. Really fast dogs will tire too quickly – they’re a bit like cheetahs.