What is the best bushcrafting dog?

[santaman2000]

Not actually true for two different and contradictory reasons.
A) It was actually something small and lapdog that was closest to the wolf genetically. IIRC it was the pommeranian.
B) The Wolf and domestic dogs (all breeds) are too close genetically to distinguish with any accuracy due to gentic variance and deviation. There are just no definitive genetic markers for wolf and any breed of domestic dog...

I've read that wolves are closely related geneticly to domestic dogs as you say. In fact The last I've seen is that most biologist consider them to actually be a single species with the domestic dogs being nothing more than the individual breeds rather than a seperate species. That said most veterinarians can find enough genetic marker to Identify different breeds although it's pretty costly just to find out what breed your mutt really is. One would think that if they can identify different breeds they should be able to identify wolf genes.

In any case I would have thought that the closest domestic breed to wolves would be the Malamute considering that breed was originally developed by crossing other sled dog breeds with wolves for stamina. I've owned a Malamute/wolf cross. I got her when she was 4 years old and had her for another 13 years until I had to have her put down. She was totally invalid at that age. Sweetest, gentlest dog I've ever had (towards people at least; she would not tolerate another female dog) She was entirely convinced that she existed just to be by my side. Absolutely impervious to cold or wet and her fur was to thick for fleas or ticks to penetrate. She suffered greatly from the heat when she got old though.

 

[Kotteman]

About the genetic thing, i only took up it because somwere in my head i remember a magazine article i read for a long time ago and it was about the dogs that are closest to the wolf nr1 was a Malamute/husky Nr2 was a Jämthund Nr3 was another Spitz breed, so since they were all Spitz i just draw a quick conclusion.
In Sweden the Spitz type of dog is the best because they were bred for our type of climate and nature but if it just for a short time any dog could make it( one in our hunting team use a Dachshund to hunt moose!)

 

[PaulSanderson]

im gonna vote for my two fellas...theyre always out in the woods with me. cant make a fire with a bow drill, but can snuggle up in the hammock with me and dont scare the wildlife off...welcome to Oscar and Baloo

 

[Indoorsout]

The best bushcraft dog? One that's well trained! Breed is less important than training and temperament. Lurchers are probably the best all-rounders if trained correctly as they are usually bred to suit the area the breeder lives in and the wildlife they are likely to encounter.

 

[finite]

Australian cattle dog or rodesian ridgeback.

 

[beenn]

Not my dog but i have been out with her many times

 

[Indoorsout]

Australian cattle dog or rodesian ridgeback.

Aus cattle dog? Seriously? I wouldn't have an ACD unless I had a good few acres they could exercise and run in every day

 

[santaman2000]

About the genetic thing, i only took up it because somwere in my head i remember a magazine article i read for a long time ago and it was about the dogs that are closest to the wolf nr1 was a Malamute/husky Nr2 was a Jämthund Nr3 was another Spitz breed, so since they were all Spitz i just draw a quick conclusion.
In Sweden the Spitz type of dog is the best because they were bred for our type of climate and nature but if it just for a short time any dog could make it( one in our hunting team use a Dachshund to hunt moose!)

Dachshund's are cool! But TBH I like all dogs.

 

[luckylee]

as for the wolf thing, you can now buy a wolf highbred which is the closest dog you are going to get to that breed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9h9oh-YVVc&feature=related
http://www.wolfhybrid.org/
http://www.pets4you.com/wolf.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChpBAl_GMP4

they look amazing but not sure about the whole thing.

they are the closest you can get to the wolf.

 

[santaman2000]

as for the wolf thing, you can now buy a wolf highbred which is the closest dog you are going to get to that breed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9h9oh-YVVc&feature=related
http://www.wolfhybrid.org/
http://www.pets4you.com/wolf.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChpBAl_GMP4

they look amazing but not sure about the whole thing.

they are the closest you can get to the wolf.

I had one as I said in an earlier post. She was great. Extremely gentle (the kind of dog that would have been glad to show the burglars where to find the silver and lick their hands as they petted her) She loved having the kids play with her, pull her tail, try to ride her, etc. She even liked cats! It really depends on the breeder though. All dogs, regardless of breed, have individual personalities. Mine was crossed with Malamute (a breed the Eskimos use for baby-sitting among other things)

 

[gibb]

I have one Jamthund (large swedish breed for hunting moose), and have taken care of smaller spitz races and a lab before.

These types of dogs (well, atleast the lines we use) have a really, REALLY strong hunting instinct. My 3yr old will pursue and kill most living things if he is aroused (ie the thing is running and I am not actively calming him). This type of behavior mostly goes away when you shoot enough moose and bear for the dog - then he will loose interest for the other animals.


I don't know about the rest of you but I don't let my dog run around and kill small game. A "Jamte" can easily solo kill roe deer, reindeer calves, moose calves and so on. Not to mention livestock if it is not properly trained. And proper training only goes so far with dogs bred for the hunt.


I let my Norrbottensspitz (tiny laika-like dog) roam when I was a kid, even during the summers. I stopped doing that when she ran upon two families of capercallies, killed both the hens and 3 of the chickens and was well on the way on killing the rest of the chicks when I got there. She just couldn't help herself, she stood there covered in blood and I slaugthered the rest of the chicks (they were of the size where they freeze to death over night).


If I wasn't bred a hunter myself, but only enjoyed being out and about in nature I would go for something like a lab or any kind of robust dog that was pretty dependant on humans and liked being around them. I imagine retrievers or standing birddogs could be nice?


That said, I walk with my dog off the leash even in the summer, but he can't go out of my zone of total control, and sometimes that zone is shrunk to having him heel if there's alot of scent in the air. This hardly makes for relaxing walks in the woods, but rather a keen eye on the dog or tying him up.

In the fall however its friggin wonderful!

 

[DanDan The man called Dan]

Easy

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Easy

Can't argue with that !

 

[spandit]

My cocker spaniel would be useless - he just runs flat out, bashing in and out of the undergrowth, puffing like Thomas the Tank Engine - I'd never get him settled!

 

[Pict]

I don't know how good your dogs are at bushcrafting but my juvenile Rottweiler can make tinder out of just about anything. She also excels at digging large holes and finding edible houseplants. We have a little mutt dog that took it upon herself to shorten the handle of a Mora #1 and customize the leather sheath to her own specifications. I'll put their bushcrafting skills up against any other dog's.

 

[spandit]

If you think that's good, my dog produces enough "pure" to tan a whole herd:

http://www.yourdiscovery.com/history/worst_jobs/victorian/index.shtml

 

[shogun]

my dog kye cracking wee dog...a fit dog not a fat dog

 

[kINGPIN]

THis is my dog and a camp I did with him not so long back. http://thesecretcamper.blogspot.com/2011/04/first-wild-camp-with-my-dog.html
I love spaniels, great temprement.

 

[spandit]

What a lovely dog, kingpin! I think I'd have to tie mine up if we went camping otherwise he'd be thrashing about in the undergrowth all night until he collapsed (seriously, he doesn't know when to stop). I wonder if he'd sleep in a hammock?

 

[kINGPIN]

Thanks spandit. You may be surprised about your dog just like I was. My trick was to take him for a good long walk at the start of the camp to burn off a load of energy. Take him out...whats the worse that can happen??