nathank

i am considering getting a dog...

if this is going to work i need a dog that can frequently join me mountain biking since i spend the majority of my free time riding (i'm a mountain bike guide and racer)... but also live in an apartment --- so it must be an active/energetic dog that can also stay couped up in an apartment when we're not out biking/running.

my main question is what dogs are good companions for mountain biking and is it reasonable to assume that such a dog will be able to keep up on a 3-6 hour mountain bike tour on the weekend? i also do multi-day tours often 8 days basically spending the entire day riding. plus i generally ride in groups so the dog would also have to learn to run with other cyclists who may not be used to a dog (i.e. getting out of the way on the downhill and not stopping in the middle of the trail to smell something). does anyone mountain bike with their dog? has anyone trained a dog to joing for mountain biking?

a friend of mine had a Border Collie that was a good mountain bike dog that could keep up with the group pretty well and knew when to get out of the way on the downhill when a cyclist approached from the rear. we did a 4 hour tour with lots of vertical and so a VERY long downhill and the dog seemed to love it! i know you can buy leashes that mount to the bike, but i think it would be best if the dog were untethered most of the time but this of course would require GOOD training.

i had a German Shepard a number of years ago but back then i wasn't as much of a cyclist as i now am...

and to make the selection even harder... i live in an apartment so our mountain biking and running would be the major exercise for the dog --- i.e. on a typical weekday in the morning to the park (huge park right in front of my front door), then i'd be at work and maybe have a "dog-walker" come by once, then after work a few hours biking or running with the dog and then late at night again to the park. my girlfriend is also a cyclist but even more a runner: she runs 5-6 days a week, so i think it's pretty reasonable that IF the dog could join for all our activities he'd get plenty of exercise at least 6 days a week.

i have been researching a little and a think a Dalmation might be a good choice as the breed was originally bred to run alongside carriages and are supposed to be very good jogging companions. and they are supposedly relatively calm indoors.

i think a Border Collie would be a good Mountain Bike Dog, but would not do so well in an apartment.

Golden Retriever? i don't think it'll have the stamina/endurance.

Greyhound? i know they're fast but do they also have the endurance? i've read they're also pretty well-behaved indoors...

Rhodesian Ridgeback? don't know much about them

dogface

i dont know much about dogs but how about a siberian husky? they're bred to mush across miles of frozen tundra so they'd probably outlast you. i read in a magazine somewhere that they'd be the perfect dog to run marathons with and every husky i've seen has been well-behaved and being sled dogs, i'm sure that they are trainable

bigchina

i think you answered your own question. huskies are more suitable for working hard in cold weather. they have a very thick coat and keeping up on a trail on a hot day is probably not the ideal situation for a husky

gonesh9

Herding dogs in general can be excellent dogs, but do require a lot of attention. You mentioned a border collie- the mountain biking part would be great for that kind of dog, but alone in an apartment for any amount of time, and he/she could go crazy. I have a Blue Healer/ Austrailian Shepherd, which is my little angel... But she doesn't like being alone for very long. I've taken her mountain biking since she was about 3 months old, and it's definitely her favorite thing to do. The problem is that her herding instinct can not be trained out of her, and she ends up trying to zig-zag in front of us. Great on the uphills, as she can beat us all every time, but on the downhills she can not comprehend the fact that she can get run over if she gets in the way. And she can seriously keep up on a lot of downhills. A few times she's caused one of us to crash on tight singletrack..... That said, I wouldn't give her up for the world, and wish everyone could have this experience, but if you're looking for a moutainbiking dog in particular, maybe not a herding breed. Of course, there are certain dogs within these breeds that would do great. You can't put any one value or label on a type of dog, just as you can't put any label on a human. They are truly one of God's great creatures.

Good luck!

Leo C. Driscoll

I used to ride on trails and even on the public bike path along the Charles River in Boston with a pair of Dobies, Zara & Rufus. They usually ran on a single leash and were yoked together. Zara ran inboard because she was smarter and could quickly adjust her pace (and Rufus' pace) to my Raleigh Technium (recently converted to SS).

Although the concept of MTB Dobermans may seem far fetched, their speed, endurance, athleticism, and above all their trainable intelligence make it a realistic project. I hope our Marines have some Dobies with them tonight in Fallujah!

A few other pluses. Dobies adapt to even small apartments and will sleep a lot on your couch. Also they will run with your girl friend and of course will take superb care of her.

Why two Dobies? The Doberman will develop an INTENSE relationship with you. You will be chief dog in a pack of two. A sibling makes a more natural pack. To illustrate this- I found it disconcerting to have Zara stare at me continuously as I tried to read. When Rufus joined the pack, Zara had Rufus to think about.

So when I retire to Durango or Crested Butte, I'll do single track with a new pair of (unleashed) Dobies!

bigchina

very cool! dobies are awesome dogs

Hunter

Boxers work good. Rottweillers are great for trial running, they will also clear the way for you nicely. Aussies are good second the vote on the Ridgeback, Stattfordshire terriers, American Pit Bulls. From personal experience Shiloh Sheppards will be great. They can trot next to you at pacing speed.

tabby

huskies will run forever. They do have very thick coats, but only in winter. In the summer they are quite thin. Probably not the best house dog though, cause of their thick coat in winter, and they shed like crazy.

I would think that any long legged dog can run for a long time, espically with training.

bigchina

i think australian shepherds would be a great dog. very energetic, train well, and have herding instincts that could prove useful. they are great inside (my friend has one) and they are beautiful dogs.

nathank

hey thanks for the responses. it's good to hear some dogs are up to mountain biking... hopefully i hear some more.

i love huskies and i do think a husky could probably keep up, but for an apartment the thick fur may not be so good, but i think the real problem is i've heard they don't do well in small spaces.

australian shepherd... hm don't know much about them so i'll have to check that out.

anyone own a dalmation?

L-Dawg

My neighbor used to be the head zoo-keeper here in Tucson, where the zoo has a polar bear. He told me that the thick fur actually works just as well to keep the bear cool in the summer as it does to keep the bear warm in the arctic. Go figure.

nathank

yeah i think a lot of dogs do that. like i said i didn't do so much biking with him as it was years ago, but my German Shepherd/Malumute that i had could keep up for a while, but there were 2 problems: for running or hiking no problem but for biking he would wear himself out after 2-3 hours or so (maybe with time and training this would get better) but although he was smart, he never learned that bikes go straight and don't stop as quickly and are not as agile as dogs so he would often abruptly stop in the middle of the trail to smell something (i knew to expect it but he couldn't run with a MTB group) or when running next to a bike suddenly go left or right crossing right in front of you. my friend's Border Collie i referred to above is the only dog i've personally ever ridden with that did this well. he loved to be first and on the downhill would get a start but with 30+mph we would overtake him and he would hear us coming and move out the way - it was awesome and after a while you could just ride fast downhill like he wasn't even there because he would get out of the way - very cool! and this is what i need as i ride a lot in groups (ideally the dog could also join me on the mtb tours i guide)

although i'm sure it depends a lot on the individual, i would think some breeds would be more "natural" at learning this. that's particularly why i'm interested in the Dalmation as they were bred to run alongside wagons so i assume they had to learn not to stop in front and get run over or make the wagon crash. i think endurance and the ability to pay attention (i.e. not get distracted) is probably more important than raw speed or strength...

and Leo, you're right i didn't really consider Dobermans... maybe i'll check that too.

nathank

i think i would agree with L-Dawg...

my German Shepard/Husky was a cold weather dog and i had him when i lived in Texas and i had expected i would have to shave him in summer, but he seemed to do just as well in the heat as all the other dogs i saw - they really shed the winter coat for summer. and now i live in Germany where it is rarely hotter than 90F. so i don't think the heat from the fur is the problem but rather the fur and tons on shedding in an apartment, plus as i said i have heard Huskies go crazy in apartments even for a few hours.

nathank

i just found a website from a Dalmatian owner who says they are perfect "biking" dogs and describes the training - one week with a leash and they learn to run next to the bike -- the site is in German: "Dalmatian: the escort for cyclists, hikers and horse riders" https://www.stefan-etzel.de/HOME/themata/dalmatiner.htm

joeprim

Since you're in Germany how about a Germian Short Hair Pointer. I really liked mine.

Joe

a2psyklnut

How about a Lab? I've got a yellow lab that keeps up with me just fine. Although, I usually don't eclipse the 3 hour ride when I'm with her. Labs are very intelligent and easily trainable, plus they love everyone. After they grow out of their puppy stage, they are very even tempered. My buddy Crate Trained his and he (the Lab) will spend all day in his crate (with the door open) until my buddy gets home.

My lab has learned to get off the trail when someone is approaching, with just an occasional "GO, GO, GO!" command.

L8R

Oh yeah, regarding Dalmations. These dogs are actually a fighting breed. Which is why they were traditionally used by firefighters. They were trained to fight off other dogs that would "nip" at the horse's heels during an emergency. Although intelligent and trainable, you occasionally will get one that has a very bad temperment. (moreso than a lot of other breeds).

With that, I always wanted one and would call him "Stripe".

L8R

lala

Stay away from the border collies and husky types.
Go for airedales, dobes, rhodesian ridgebacks, am staffs, boxers etc.
Best yet get a mutt, which exhibits the traits of these dogs.
I think dals are a bit sketchy, but you might get lucky...

G-Hoch

Whatever you do, please take into consideration the training of a young dog. Some breeds shouldn't do a lot of running until they are beyond a year old. Do some research and talk to a vet before you make your choice and your dog will be able to run with you for a much longer time.

GreenFix

I ride with a guy that mountain bikes with his dog. Pepper, is a mutt that he rescued from an animal shelter (by far the way to go). She kind of looks like an anorexic black lab, with a skinny face, long thin tail, thin body. She is very fast, and has no trouble on 2 hour rides, keeping up with us uphill or down. Dogs learn pretty quick to stay out of the way of bikes while you are riding with them. He previous bike dog was a purebred lab. I never had the opportunity to ride with her, but he said she could keep up fine, but woudl be exhausted after a ride. At the end of a ride, Pepper seems to want more.

nathank

so far i'm most interested in the following:
Dalmatian
Weimaraner (prone to barking)
Rhodesian Ridgeback (maybe a little big)
Golden Retriever (long hair and not sure if they have the endurance)
Doberman (read they're not too stranger friendly)
Pointer (i think they're often a little too active indoors)

or i might think of a mix/cross of some of the above. i'm not at all hung up on having a purebred although it is good to know the characteristics of the breed.

and i'm trying to go through all the considerations such as vacations and whatever as well as talking it over with my girlfriend (we are moving in together soon) as having a dog is a 10-14 year committment...

nathank

thanks. i read something similar saying that Dalmatians for instance should first be "bike trained" at 1 year old and before that only for SHORT distances next to the bike...

joeprim

I currently have a Doberman any one scratching her ears is her buddy stanger or not.
Never had a Weimaraner, but believe them and the GSP to be equivalent and after puppyhood should do fine inside as long as they get regular exersize. I never had problems with any of my GSPs inside even if it rained for a few days ina row and they didn't get out much.
I had a friend that had Dalmations and said they were hard to train - switched to elkhounds - very pretty and easy to train.
The only Ridgeback I ever knew was fine but not much chance to observe.
Retrievers will require as much exersize a s the W and GSP and are likely to be larger - is that a consideration in your apr.?

Joe

bigchina

australian shepherd. man i think these dogs are beautiful.

Wasatch_commute

American bulldogs (the performance line) are great companions. They are extremely athletic and quick learners. However, they can be animal aggressive, so taking other dogs with an american bulldog wouldn't work.

gonesh9

I agree.... My Shanti is an Australian shepherd/Australian cattle dog mix. There's never been a better dog, IMO.



She can run FAST, and is the sweetest thing on 4 legs.