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  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    There is so much variation in temperament and abilities within the individual breeds. Some golden’s have been bred for generations to be skilled game retrievers, some golden’s have been bred for generations to be the calm family pet with a nice long blond coat. Two completely different animals...


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    QFT, a relative had a field golden that was WAY more intelligent/attentive than any other golden I've experienced.

    Quote Originally Posted by muted View Post
    I'm sure yours is a good boy, but those dogs are some of the most annoying dogs on the planet
    Ha, one of my best buds GF has a Vizsla that's scared of it's own shadow, and generally just acts pretty weird. I think they are doing a good job of training her out of it though. Seems to have taken to the bird dog role pretty well.

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by plugboots View Post
    Mini Plug just adopted a new black thing.
    Attachment 328269
    Hey! A lab mix!
    That dog has got to be hell on the squirrels.

  3. #53
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    Nov 2016
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    Thanks for everyone's input. Very useful. Also cool to see everyone's doggos

    Thoughts on male vs female? Females are usually smaller so maybe their bodies last a little longer? All of my friends have male dogs so I don't have anything to compare to

  4. #54
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    Oct 2003
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    Isn't confirmation more important than breed? Anyway our mutt 90% Shepard 10% maybe husky is perfect for both BC skiing ( though we don't take him that often) and mtn biking. We used to worry on DH so stopped a lot, but soon figured out unless really hot out really we weren't fast enough on DH to really wear him out.
    Mrs. Dougw- "I can see how one of your relatives could have been killed by an angry mob."

    Quote Originally Posted by ill-advised strategy View Post
    dougW, you motherfucking dirty son of a bitch.

  5. #55
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    Sep 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by brundo View Post
    Thanks for everyone's input. Very useful. Also cool to see everyone's doggos

    Thoughts on male vs female? Females are usually smaller so maybe their bodies last a little longer? All of my friends have male dogs so I don't have anything to compare to
    Well then I better get in on the action. Here's my now-gray muzzled girl. When we adopted her, they told us that she was a cattle dog mix, but I didn't really believe it. We got a DNA test for fun years later and it came back 50% Aus. Cattle Dog, 25% Catahoula, 25% other (likely 1/8 beagle). Aside from the couple of issues I talked about in this thread so as to not undersell the work you have to put in with the type of dogs, she's been really wonderful and I feel really lucky to have her.

    Really if it wasn't for her incessant need to be exercised for long periods when young, I'm pretty sure I would have gotten really out of shape after my son was born. But no matter how little sleep you got, no matter how much you wanted to just lounge around, she needed a run in the woods so as not to be insane, so I'd be up, and outside (usually with my baby son on my chest/back to let my wife sleep). I really think that was the only thing that preserved my mental health for that year, so even that imposition was great for me. Now she really could probably go without all that exercise, but I pretend that she can't so I get out. ha

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  6. #56
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    Dog Breeds for MTBing and BC Skiing. Golden Retriever vs Aussie

    Quote Originally Posted by I Skied Bandini Mountain View Post
    That dog has got to be hell on the squirrels.
    Mice and squirrels. Snow has only been off the property for a couple months and she’s got six mice so far. Very focused. And yeah I do think she gets Mexico w/ those ears. The ears go in different directions as she’s focusing on the mice sounds. The downside is that an hour long bike ride takes two hours because she’s distracted.
    Also, I don’t think gender makes a bit of difference.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  7. #57
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    Oct 2003
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    Quote Originally Posted by panchosdad View Post
    Lucky Dog crushes both Mtb and backcountry skiing.
    I can attest to this. Hopefully we can get Edgar and Lucky Dog out together for a ride at some point this summer.

    And I agree with cow dogs being a lot of work. We got ours from a rescue out in Vernal when he was a little older. He is the perfect family dog, super chill, yet ready to go to work (bike and ski) all the time. Fiercely loyal and protective of the herd. But distrusting of strangers and he has unknown triggers.

  8. #58
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    Reading this is making me miss my dog pretty bad right now. Sandy was a cattle dog border collie mix from an Idaho shelter and a total ripper on the trails and on ski tours. Absolutely needed a minimum of two solid walks per day but would rather just be hiking all day long. Super loyal and never had to worry about her wandering away in the backcountry. To answer your question on male vs female, I don't think it matters much but Sandy did develop spay incontinence when she was older (would leak a little pee sometimes) but that's an easy fix with meds.

  9. #59
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    Jan 2006
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    One more Lucky Dog pic, his profile pic from when he was an orphan. Just cuz I love the little feller.

    Great thread.

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  10. #60
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    Heeler mutt #1 passed away in September. Getting it done at age 13:
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    Heeler mutt #2 has been a quick learner:
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    #1 was probably part Black Lab. Had Lab-like fur and could swim for hours. Didn't get cold. Had trouble running long distance in the heat when she was older. #2 is probably part Pointer. Needs a jacket when it's cold. But holy shit can he run.

    #1 came from Brooklyn animal control and had separation anxiety but responded well to training. Highly successful hunter of small animals. Puller porcupine quills out of her face 3 times.

    #2 was a rescue from Northern New Mexico (possible Rez dog). He's been easy. Super patient with small kids. He's remarkably clumsy.

  11. #61
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    Mar 2010
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    Van
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    I have an Aussie x bear dog. Amazing bush dog. Shreds on trails... skiing not so much, loves the snow but it gets stuck to his fur and he kind of gives up, but he'll definitey play in the snow at his own leisure for an infinite amount of time. Dogs are weird like that.

    Riding - 1-5 years old there was no limit on how long he would ride for. We did a 68 km ride and he was barking at the end... legit no off switch.
    Now that he's 6 we're dialing it back to 1-2 hour rides max. We have been running a lot during COVID times and he hates it, mostly because its in the city and there is way more interesting shit to bark at and chase.

  12. #62
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    Nov 2016
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    Seem to be lots of heeler mutts out there. What're their personalities like? Assuming they get the correct amount of exercise, are they ones to curl up on the couch with you or sleep in your bed? Would they sleep in the tent with you backpacking or are they going to want to be roaming all night? Once again looking for comparisons to goldens/labs

  13. #63
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    Jan 2014
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    Our border collie heeler mutt demand scratches all the damn time. But he isn't a big snuggler when we're at home. He'll jump up in bed in the morning to get some rubs, but is out within 5 minutes. At night, he wanders around the house until he has confirmed we are all in bed, lays in the bedroom for a few minutes to confirm we're staying put, then goes off and sleeps on his own.

    Out camping in the van or backpacking though, he's much more interested in longer snuggles. He moves between sleeping all night with us and curling up at our feet until morning. Not gonna lie though -- when our dude is really tired he wants to be left alone to rest. I assume this is more some insecurity in his first few years as a stray than anything inherent in the breed.

    He did destroy the tent pictured. Just him and I were out for a few nights of backpacking and I left him inside when I went out to take a midnight leak. He was not cool with that and went right through the mesh door.

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  14. #64
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    I have had several high grade hunt level labs, about 5 years ago went with a male Aussie. I've skied and biked with him over three hours at a time. With snow he has to use Musher's Secret and wears a RuffWear vest or problems with build up. I carry a collapsible bowl for long bike rides as he doesn't like drinking from a bottle. From an early age I've immersed him in everything I wanted him to be part of, going where I go, doing what I do, letting him know expectations. He is wicked damned smart, he is a front herder so he likes to be in front of the bike, kicking up rocks. When he gets to an intersection I can point and he'll go where I point. He has picked up hand signals, come here, lay down, stay, whatever. I think it took him 15 minutes to house train. Took him outside at night and peed a few times he was like ok got it. He knows not to get too close to front of skis while going down, gets a little stressed when I drop him downhill on the bike. Sometimes little kids freak him out but he will look at me for what to do. Overall he's been great. If I was going to go mix I'd throw some border or heeler in there, tends to make them a little less one person.

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by brundo View Post
    Seem to be lots of heeler mutts out there. What're their personalities like? Assuming they get the correct amount of exercise, are they ones to curl up on the couch with you or sleep in your bed? Would they sleep in the tent with you backpacking or are they going to want to be roaming all night? Once again looking for comparisons to goldens/labs
    Our 4 are/were all different. Kedar (heeler/kelpie) would only sometimes jump up and sleep at our feet on the bed, but mostly is pretty aloof. Jessie (heeler/pit/chihuahua?) jumps up early and actually crawls under the covers and sleeps against Mrs. Plug. Our lab and 2 goldens wanted to sleep on the bed but were 50-60 pounds, so we wouldn’t let them.
    We got a heeler after our Lab because frankly we got tired of wet large dogs and wanted a small dog, (that was still a dog and not an accessory), that wouldn’t be smelly and wet all the time.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  16. #66
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    Sep 2010
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    Our heeler mix likes to snuggle on the couch and if we let her, will show up in the morning to climb onto the foot of the bed for extra napping. She stays put a bit more now than when she was young, but even then she liked to snuggle. N of 1, but adding to the other observations.

  17. #67
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    Nov 2010
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    Montrose, CO
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    Our red heeler insists on sleeping with us. I'm always up before my wife, after I feed her she goes straight back to bed with her and won't move until she gets up. She is a 40 pound lap dog.

    Our blue heeler will snuggle in sometimes but always leaves eventually to sleep on the couch or his bed. Sometimes if you sit down next to him on the couch to pet him he will get up and move to the chair after a few minutes.

  18. #68
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    Aug 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by brundo View Post
    Seem to be lots of heeler mutts out there. What're their personalities like? Assuming they get the correct amount of exercise, are they ones to curl up on the couch with you or sleep in your bed? Would they sleep in the tent with you backpacking or are they going to want to be roaming all night? Once again looking for comparisons to goldens/labs
    Heeler mutts are awesome partners. They are not good snugglers, being broad and general here, they are all different mixes. During the day they are happy, fun, and excited to be with you. At night, leave them the fuck alone. Camping mine stays in the tent though and is happy to be there. If I invite her on the bed at home, it lasts maybe 5 minutes at night, maybe a half hour during the day. When I first got it, it was dis-interested in me, I had to pick it up and hug it for 5 minutes over and over just so it would get used to being affectionate or touched by a human. If it was past 9pm, it didn't want to be touched at all and growled at everyone, until it was a bout 6 years old it got a bit better, unless its verrryyyyyyyyy gently. With others it's even less tolerant. My wife didn't read it's obvious 'back off let me go' signs earlier this year, trying to snuggle with it at 10pm and the dog nose-punched her and broke her nose. That was fun.

    Despite all this we haven't had any incident having two babies/kids introduced to the house and the oldest is now 6. But a golden retriever wins on having a warm personality. I prefer heeler mutts for obedience, smartness, and having quirky personalities, they are also hilarious. Until they break your wifes nose, of course.

  19. #69
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    Up at the hill we got a saying " don't go border collie on me man "

    in canadian that roughly means ... don't get exited

    I'm really partial to Labs but I have have seen some mutts be really good ski/bike dogs
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  20. #70
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    Jul 2005
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    Getting kind of off topic but our mini Aussie is mid affectionate and our new mutt cattle dog thing is over the top affectionate. He needs contact of some sort when he gets tired, so he'll just crawl right on top of you and make himself comfortable. Sort of makes our mini Aussie seem like a cat. The Aussie usually sleeps with us all night though, unless he gets hot. The mutt hasn't earned our trust so we lock him up.

    Not a big biker at all but our Aussie has way too much fur to stay cool except on slow jogs on coolish days - but he could do 15 mile hikes day after day after day with no issue at all. I imagine the short haired Border/Heeler mix mut would be great with a bike.

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by muted View Post
    .... If it was past 9pm, it didn't want to be touched at all and growled at everyone, until it was a bout 6 years old it got a bit better, unless its verrryyyyyyyyy gently. With others it's even less tolerant. My wife didn't read it's obvious 'back off let me go' signs earlier this year, trying to snuggle with it at 10pm and the dog nose-punched her and broke her nose. That was fun.
    ...
    Pretty much exactly how ours is. Except that 9:30 is zoomies time and after that -- peace out bros I want nothing to do with you except to make sure you're safely in bed so I can sleep.

    Heeler mutts take attention. No doubt about it. But ours is smart and hilarious.

  22. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by flatlander#2 View Post
    male Aussie...he is a front herder
    holy shit, that's what my older one is doing
    that stubborn fucker has to lead everywhere

    the only time he isn't somehow underfoot is when he's on a leash

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