A bushcraft dog????

[buckley]

Hi guys,

I am looking to get a dog, I wanted one for years, and now that I have some free time to walk and train I have decided to get one in the new year.

I was thinking of getting a beagle, as I have always been fond of them. But I have heard that I will have problems with them running off and following scents etc.

Can you guys recomend, an intelligent, fun and social dog that would be a lifelong friend, that could to take out camping etc???

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

Queensland Blue Heeler.

or even better

Queensland Blue Heeler crossed with a Collie.

Amazing animals - go google

Phil.

 

[ledamni]

Lucher on a string and a ferret in your smock pocket.

Theres a society that gets greyhounds/lurchers from spain and re-homes them, cant remeber the name sorry, or just go down to your local RSPCA/Dog home and spot an attentive looking mongrel.

ps have fun dogs are smegging wonderful!

 

[demographic]

Can't go far wrong with a Border Collie, they make most other dogs seem thick in comparason and can be seen herding sheep in the nastiest weather.
Decent coat as well.

 

[Goose]

Border collie gets my vote, we used to have one crossed (we think!) with a labrador. Amazingly clever and loyal.

 

[AndyW]

I've got two Weimaraners. They love the woods as much as me, it's the environment they were bred for. SWMBO has started talking about a third

 

[buckley]

I think I am leaning towards a collie, as I know what lovely pets they make. The aussie sheepdog cross mentioned is also appealling, but I am not sure what the advantages would be over a pure farm breed collie? Any ideas?

 

[Ogri the trog]

Collies can take a vast amount of excercise - we were told before getting ours that they'd walk for 20 miles and then want to play ball when you get back home. They are as faithful as you could ever want and they'll follow you like a shadow. If you take him to sheep country, they'll want to go and play - ours herds sheep into a group, gets confused and so runs through the group scattering them all over, then reverts to herding.
Ask the farmer before you let them loose, we're lucky living in sheep country so the farmers are curious to see whether a dog has natural ability, which is where ours lets himself down and shows himself to be as daft as a box of frogs!

Wouldn't swap him for the world though.

Ogri the trog

 

[swagman]

Blue heelers are nice dogs but they are a cattle dog and can be nippy around your feet and around exciteble children.

 

[leon-b]

how about a black labrador
leon

 

[British Red]

Personally, unless you work outdoors and can take your dog with you, I'd think hard about any of the "muchos exercise" dogs (spaniels, collie etc.). I must say I've aleways fancied a lurcher - a good Jack Russel takes some beating too

Red

 

[chrisanson]

any dog is a good dog and a faithful friend for life. there is no way to put into word how much I have got from them. I have hade dogs all my life ( quite a mix )we currently have a compete nutta that we rescued . Would not go thru a door and ran and hide if you picked up a broom or something similar. Now she try’s to eat the broom when we “try” to sweep and pushes you out of the way to get thru the door! She is completely paranoid of other people though and particularly hates women with blond hair! But she is still one of the best. What breed is she? I duno (and don’t really care) some sort of collie thing or some thin.
Chris

 

[sam_acw]

I'd seriously recommend staying away from rescue dogs. The sentiment of helping them is wonderful but you never know what you are getting and the dogs can be pretty mental.
Collies are, in my family's experience, one man dogs and don't really like sharing attention.
Labs are great but go for a working type not a show type. They are much slimmer and brighter and eassy to train. Essentially their brain is connected directly to their stomach

 

[Marts]

a good Jack Russel takes some beating too

Red

I don't think this is the kind of message we want to be sending out Red!

 

[penvisser]

I have a dog, its a crossing between a ridgeback and a labrador.

I searched for this kind of crossing to get the benefit of the two breed, atleast i was hoping that when buying her.

I wanted a dog that loves the water (labrador) and a dog that would have a mind of her own, strong muscled and very loyal(ridgeback) tho her owner(me)

She is 6 months ald now, weighs 27 kg ,very fond of the water, very strong and very loyal to the familiy. i always take her with me, to work and in the field.

In the field when camping she is very alert and defending the camp at all time.

Penvisser

 

[JonnyP]

I don't think this is the kind of message we want to be sending out Red!

Lol.......

 

[pothunter]

I’m with Red, Beagles are great but they are a proper hound will eat anything including wire wool! Can’t be called off a scent and if you get a bad one will be VERY hard work. Oh and will also eat all your food as well, seen it more than once.

Used to go Beagling when I was younger and loved it and loved to watch them hunt but would not give one houseroom.

Would not take a rescue dog, get a pup whose character you can mould. Good luck with whatever you chose but remember to let it enjoy its puppy hood.

Pothunter.

 

[SunDog]

Anyone got any pics of their faithful hounds?

 

[Moff8]

West Higland white terrier, small, loyal, doesn't mind the cold, doesn't eat a lot, good guard dog.

I also agree with Pothunter, all the resue dogs I have owned had mental problems of one sort or another. The happiest dog we had was bought as a pup.

 

[Goose]

The dog we have now is a rescue dog, from Dogs Trust(used to be NCDL), we got her as a pup and she is a great dog. She is a black lab(mainly) with a great tempermant. She is in her element running round in the woods, I think she is chasing rabbits/squirrells but don't know what she would do if she ever caught one!
Having the dog when we are out gives a good sense of security, I took the kids out for a couple of hours in the dark recently and we sat and made a brew in a clearing. Kids were OKish but a bit apprehensive, but that was the reason I did it to get them a bit more used to it. Blue(the dog) was off wandering around doing her own thing but never going too far, I went for a pee and as I walked back to our"camp" she saw me and went absolutely ballistic! When she realised it was me she was OK, it gave the kids more confidence too. They realised there couldn't be anyone out there as the dog would let us know. Nice to know even though she is "soft" she makes a useful Bushcraft a burglar alarm!