Geocaching Dog

[+Team Virginia Browns]

Our family has been talking about getting a dog for a long while now, so now we are seriously considering it, which breed is best for caching? What ever dog we end up with, it has to be good with kids also.

[+stu_and_sarah]

Our family has been talking about getting a dog for a long while now, so now we are seriously considering it, which breed is best for caching? What ever dog we end up with, it has to be good with kids also.

Siberian RubbermaidSniffer?

 

From what I've seen in log photos and at meets, it seems pretty much any dog is a good companion for caching. Just make sure it matches your lifestyle. Don't go for a greyhound unless you're going to walk 10 miles a day. Don't get a St. Bernard if you live in an apartment!

 

I don't know how it works in rest of the world, but in the UK, the animal charities will help you through a lifestyle questionnaire to help you pick the best dog. I bet you can find one online.

 

We're thinking about a dog. My criteria are friendly, fluffy and not too active. Sarah just wants one she can colour in with fibre-tip pens.

 

Cheers,

 

Stu

[Stony2008]

I have a black lab (our 2nd. one) and shes wonderful. Shes playful, great around children and loves attention (maybe a little to much). Labs are also a pretty "medium" size I highly recomend getting one.

[+Team Tigger International]

My dog of choice is a Golden Lab. They are very loyal and family friendly. But then again I am biased as I own a golden and she is beautiful spoiled baby. I also have a weiner dog , she is short stout , friendly , and very very hyper . My Golden can be trusted without being leashed , the weiner dog cannot be trusted as she will run after anything she sees ! I love them both but they certainly do have different personalities and qualities.

 

I got the golden from a co-worker who was giving the pups away , she is not a pure bred her mom was a golden her dad is a black lab. The weiner dog was "adopted" from my grandmother as she could not care for this fiesty pup.

 

I also had a black lab/rot mix that we aquired when my son was 6 yrs old . He was very loyal and very easy to train . He was also a great family dog . My son is now going on 26 . Because of the age of this dog we lost him a couple of years ago.

 

Any dog you get , should be a fine dog with the proper training , sometimes even the best are just mutts that come from the dog shelter and you also will know you most likely saved this dogs life.

 

Star

[Azaruk]

We have a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

 

They are great companions, incredibly loyal, very playful, great with kids and exceptionally easily trained. Intelligent and whole lot of fun!

 

Problems?

 

They never grow up! And "Sapper" has yet to find a cache on his own. He loves chewing the container to destruction, though!

 

He came from an animal shelter as a youngster. It was the best thing I ever did!

Edited March 16, 2005 by Azaruk

[magellan315]

There are so many unwanted dogs out there I would urge you to adopt a dog from a local shelter or rescue group. Rescue groups have been formed for almost every breed of dog you can think of. These dogs have been given up by their owners and often live in a foster home until they can be adopted, so they are very well socialized with people.

[+sbell111]

I second the shelter or rescued dog route.

 

My dog is (mostly) german shep. She's a great pup who is very smart. While german shepherd are wonderful dogs, I know some people swear by labs.

[+AtoZ]

I would suggest a dog from any rescue organiztion. Take you kids and give a dog a good home.

cheers

[+Sparrowhawk]

Be sure that the dog's water dish is tupperware and the food dish is an ammo can. Then when you cache, you'll end up with a cache-seeking dog.

[Team CharlieParker]

Our dogs of choice are a Bassett Hound & Springer Spaniel. But I agree with the earlier posts that any breed is good for Caching (none actually help but they can make the trip more enjoyable/amusing) & a rescue centre is also a great way to help a friend in need!

[+fishingfools]

Cnat go wrong with a lab. Our geodog is a yellow lab, loves hikeing, great with kids. THey are smart and like to have fun, very affectionate dogs as well.

 

Good luck,

 

Fishingfools

[katnbat]

IMNSHO

 

Same as all above and more..........

 

The pet should fit the family. You should consider children, space, exercise and time. Some dog breeds are easy and require little exercise and training and are generally not dominant with family. A great family pet thats fairly easy are labs.

 

Some dogs require more training and excersice to be a good amimal and I would not recommend these to an uniniated family. Pure breed German shepards and other "working dogs" make great pets but need to be trained properly or you can have problems. This is why people are often scared of greman shepards or pit bulls. Its not the dogs falut that it has been poory, incompitently or incompletely trained but the dog will be punished for it.

 

Pet stores are generally untrustworthy and staffed by kids. Go to the shelter or a breeder. Muts are generally easier than purebreeds. Browse the web for recommendations on family pets. Read "the monks of new skete"

 

Personally I have three German Shepards. There fantastic and rewarding dogs but require a lot of training and exercise.

 

I strongly recommend crate training

 

Get a puppy under 15 weeks of age preferable 6 to 8 weeks old. read "the monks of new skete"

 

Do not take your kids to get the dog. You may end up with a poor choice made by kids emotions other than reason. This dog will last 7+ years and an educated choice is important. The kids will love the dog independant of the breed.

 

katnbat

[+ibycus]

Erwin, my nearly 10 month old Black Lab was actually got as a caching pup. He's been caching with me since he was old enough to go on proper walks.

My comments are as follow:

 

1. Make sure you are ready for a dog. It really is like adding a new member to the family. He/she will always be there, hopefully for the next 10-15 years of your life. That is a long time.

2. They take up a lot of time. They don't go away when you're done playing with them. They are always there. Make sure you're ready. One thing I can't stand it when people get dogs, and then never want to see them. They either stuff them outside, or chase them away when ever they want to spend time with their family.

3. Even if you've had a dog before, I'd recommend reading some books on dogs and dog care/training. Have the kids do the same.

4. As far as breed goes, just make sure that you get a dog that suits your lifestyle. To some degree a dog's personality will adjust to your own, but there are some things you probably won't change. Labs (at least well bred labs) for example, will always like to be around their people. They will always like being in the water. Research whatever breed you decide on, and then make sure you're ready.

 

That being said, a well bred, well trained lab is a wonderful dog. He can put up with just about any physical strain I can (and in many cases probably more), he loves going caching, and he's great with kids.

[+ibycus]

Oh wanted to second not bringing your kids, until you've made the decision. Then they can come and see the new dog. Also don't just go to the pet store and pick out a cute dog. Do your homework.

I went to a breeder rather than a rescue for several reasons (not that going to a rescue is a bad thing, in fact its a great thing, if its right for you).

 

1. Erwin is my first dog, I wanted to have the experience from the begining.

2. My breeder helped me pick out the dog in the litter that would be best for my lifestyle. She'd already had 8 weeks with them, and had seen their personalities forming. Choosing from a litter of wonderful puppies is really very difficult (I essentially had two dogs to choose from, and even that was difficult. Spent several hours there just going back and forth), but with my breeder's help, I think I got the best of the litter for me.

[+carleenp]

I got my lab mix at the pound. All has been fine.

 

There are some good books out there on various dog breeds and their characteristics. I suggest going to the library and reading up on some. You will likely find that you chose to rule out some breeds and rule in others.

[+Hobbies Anonymous]

I have to agree with getting a dog that suits your family and I think most breeds will make a fine caching dog with some exceptions. If you take long hikes in the woods in the summer time I would definitely suggest you stay away from any of the flat faced breeds as they don't do well in the heat. You might also want to consider coat and grooming as a dog with a long flowing coat will pick up everything it touches and will most likely need to be kept in a short haircut at least part of the year.

My cache dog happens to be a toy poodle (I know not what you would expect in the woods). Poodles are great caching dogs IF they fit your family, they are very smart, active and love to play games. Ours was one of those hell on wheels puppies so we played games to keep her busy learning good things rather than what she could think up on her own. One game we played was hide the toy in a box (not knowing anything about geocaching at the time). I would at first let her watch me put a toy in a shoebox and then she would try to get it out, it took her about 3 days to get it down pat so I had to make the game more challenging. The first time we took her out caching with us she got a first to find.. lol She loves to play find the cache and is becoming quite good at it.

Remember to get one who's activity level fits you and one who can tolerate your activities and it should work out just fine. If you decide on a purebred buy from a breeder who does all of the required health testing and see the certificates, don't just take their word for it. Most reputable breeders have all of their breeding stock tested for certain genetic problems that can make you and your dog's life miserable and don't breed dogs that don't pass the tests.

[+fly46]

Think of it this way... Tinkerbell, not so good for caching. Lassie, good caching companion.

 

If the dog can fit in the ammo can, it might not be a good choice.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

We must admit to a little bias (we have two) but a golden retriever is the only way to go. Here is where you can find one: http://www.heartlandgoldenrescue.org/

[+Two Geeks and a GPS]

 

Go with a rescued mutt! They seem to know you saved them. Pure breds seem to have an "attitude" - to me anyway. Good luck.

[+Konnarock Kid & Marge]

Just an after thought, if you are not interested in golden retrievers perhaps a hog would do. I understand that the French use them in the woods to find/ root up truffles. Second after thought, maybe a hog isn't a good idea, we don't want our woods rooted up.

[+New England n00b]

I'd like to also recommend an animal shelter. We got our cat from there, and she's been great.

 

Most good shelters will work with you to help you decide what kind of animal is best for you. Golden and Black Labs are VERY family friendly. They will love you to death. While smart, they are dumb as a brick. What this means is they will wag their tail and knock everything off the coffeetable and not care, so long as you are paying attention to them. ANyway, talk to your local shelter, and introduce family members slowly. Adults first, to see how the dog reacts. Then, *IF* all is well, bring the kids along on the next visit. If all goes well... hooray!

[+Ficky]

I have the coolest mutt in the whole world. She was a stray that our neighbors found and gave to us since they had a dog. She is a golden retriever, coker spanil and a chow. I would recommend either of the first two sinc the chows tend to be very territorial. My dog goes crazy if there is a person on the otherside of the street. German shepards are very good with kids. I recommend a rescue dog, there are dogs in many shelters that people either don't want or couldn't take care of.

[+Sputnik 57]

I've been doing my homework to get a caching dog, and after lots of research, put my application into the local golden retriever rescue. I'm still waiting to get him or her. I narrowed my choice between a lab and a golden, based upon their intelligence, termperment, and my personal experience with several breeds. I don't think you could go wrong with either (or with most other breeds that like to run and hike). I finally settled on a golden mostly because I was impressed with the local rescue.

 

In your area, consider contacting Southeast Virginia Golden Rescue

[+TotemLake]

Do not take your kids to get the dog. You may end up with a poor choice made by kids emotions other than reason. This dog will last 7+ years and an educated choice is important. The kids will love the dog independant of the breed.

All good advice including this one but which I'll qualify with our personal experience.

 

Our dog was chosen by our 8 year old daughter after my wife and I had gone the day before and selected a group of 7 dogs that met our criteria. You can't go wrong with this approach. You narrow down the selection to what you think you can deal with, and the kids get to be in the decision process.

 

Additionally, we were required by the rescue shelter to come to them for three days to bond with the dog prior to our taking him home. After the first hour, it was pretty obvious we didn't need the three days and they allowed us to take the dog home that same day. It was never regretted. He was a Shepard/Ridgeback mix. He was a beautiful animal with a wonderful disposition and trained easily because he was eager to please everybody in the family.

[+C&C+COMPANY]

Got both my Labs from a shelter, they had all their shots and a Micro chip, If I lose either of them the chip serial number is punch into the server and locates them within 5feet. Both are great with my 8 month old Daughter

[+New England n00b]

Got both my Labs from a shelter, they had all their shots and a Micro chip, If I lose either of them the chip serial number is punch into the server and locates them within 5feet.  Both are great with my 8 month old Daughter

Hey, if that chip runs GSAK or Cachemate, that's even better!

Edited March 16, 2005 by New England n00b

[mufasa1023]

first place is to look here dog website

 

after finding a dog you might like type the name of the dog and 'club' into a search page (google/yahoo) and you should get some webpages set up for lovers of that breed read through the FAQ's and sections regarding 'considerations on buying a puppy' keep in mind that not all dogs will suit all people regardless of how cute they are

 

examples:

dalmations and huskies= very high energy need lots of exercise and running room in the backyard, expect dead presents brought home

 

goldens and labs= not guard dogs

 

rottweilers and mastiffs= guard dogs, very large and powerful need lots of puppy training

 

border collies= can be too smart (can be destructive when bored) need lots of grooming and playtime/attention

 

good all around good choices would be

 

very large breed=newfoundland/old english sheep dog

large breed=collie/aussie sheperd

medium-small breed=corgi/bichon frises

 

i have had very good expiereances with all of these breeds and they are all extremely friendly family oriented dogs

[+raeple]

I agree with the posters that suggest a rescue dog. I have a rescued american pit bull terrier that is a great caching companion. She's always ready for a good time. She has lots of energy for activities but is mostly a couch potato indoors. And she has short hair so she doesn't shed very much compared to our lab/newf mix.

 

There are so many great dogs out there in shelters and rescues just waiting for a home.

 

[Boxer Crew]

It's been said already, but here's my piece.

 

Use the resuce organisations to help decide on a breed that suits your personal needs, and get one from the appropriate charity.

 

Guess which we prefer!

[+Scoobie10]

I want a caching dog too but my current location doesn't allow for what I want. If I could it would be a simple decision....gotta have a big ole' Saint Bernard.

 

I had one as a kid and my dad named him Schnapps because that's what he would drink from his brandy keg during high school football games. Yeesh.....ya had to know my dad.

 

If I were to stick with tradition......I would have to name him Milk.

 

Scoobie

Edited March 16, 2005 by Scoobie10

[+mortaine]

Don't go for a greyhound unless you're going to walk 10 miles a day. Don't get a St. Bernard if you live in an apartment!

I have owned two greyhounds and been involved in rescue. I researched the breed for over a year before adopting my first dog.

 

Greyhounds do not need to walk 10 miles a day. In fact, the greys I had would rather sleep on the couch than go endurance walking.

 

My beloved Hammer (RIP) enjoyed geocaching, but his favorites were definitely the parking lot micros, because he could hop out of the car, pee on the lamp post, and hop right back in again to sleep on the "couch" (backseat).

 

Greyhounds are built for speed. They need no more or less exercise than any other breed. They just do it faster. With a grey, the main consideration is that you not let them off leash-- thousands of years of breeding will not override training if they see something that sparks their prey drive, and they can definitely outrun you. If you want a dog who you can walk in the woods without a leash between you, then don't get a greyhound. Otherwise, they are a wonderful pet, excellent indoors and with supervised children (as with all dogs), and because you usually adopt one who has had a racing life, you get a dog who already knows how to walk on leash, is housebroken, listens to people, and has gotten a lot of their puppy energy out while still keeping the puppy playfulness.

 

The other consideration with greys is that they hog the couch and, if you let them, the bed. And they don't do well on stairs-- they're built to run on a flat surface, and stairs often give them the boggles.

[+Tiffany's Slaves]

Tiffany is more concerned with the types of OWNERs that geocaching dogs should have. Since SHE finds the geocaches, what she wants is to have the humans OPEN the cache (also any refrigerators she passes). The humans are also good for ordering and paying at emergency snack locations such as McDonalds.

 

Tiffany's Shameless self-promotion

 

In keeping with the spirit of the thread, Tiffany is part Poodle and part Shi-Tsu

[Shoobie & the Sand Crabs]

Our dog is an airedale they are beautiful dogs (well we are starting to wonder whether our is a purebred ) they are freindly with kids and very playful and they don't shed

[+Stunod]

Do not take your kids to get the dog.  You may end up with a poor choice made by kids emotions other than reason.  This dog will last 7+ years and an educated choice is important.  The kids will love the dog independant of the breed.

All good advice including this one but which I'll qualify with our personal experience.

 

Our dog was chosen by our 8 year old daughter after my wife and I had gone the day before and selected a group of 7 dogs that met our criteria. You can't go wrong with this approach. You narrow down the selection to what you think you can deal with, and the kids get to be in the decision process.

 

Additionally, we were required by the rescue shelter to come to them for three days to bond with the dog prior to our taking him home. After the first hour, it was pretty obvious we didn't need the three days and they allowed us to take the dog home that same day. It was never regretted. He was a Shepard/Ridgeback mix. He was a beautiful animal with a wonderful disposition and trained easily because he was eager to please everybody in the family.

The shelter that I worked at would not show dogs to families who brought their kids. They required that only adults come in first and they had the adults fill out a survey to find out what type of dog would be right for their family. Only after they figured out what type of dog would be appropriate would you be able to have the kids meet the potential dogs. This was done to make sure that a child who didn't understand the charactoristics of the breeds didn't choose a dog that would only end up being returned to the shelter, neglected at the home, or put down by the family.

Whle this policy upset some people, we had less than 1% of our adoptions returned.

 

Of course, this is another vote for a rescued animal.

Edited March 16, 2005 by Stunod

[+HoundGrrls]

Like others I am biased in favor of rescue hound doggies.

 

One general bit of advice, if you cache "as the crow flies", meaning "trail, what trail? I will just go straight," I'd recommend a dog who (once grown) is roughly as tall as it is long meaning a ratio of 8:10 to 12:10 height to length. Dogs which are basically square and are not giant breeds are generally very agile and will have no problem bushwacking with you. Personally I like the smooth coats as I don't care to spend time picking out twigs and thistles, but if you stay on the trail then this shouldn't be as problematic as it is with me.

 

Melissa

[+Bo & Elisabeth]

Here is a collection of GeoDogs from the Nordic countries (in fact a few other animals has sneaked in too)

[+Sputnik 57]

Another thread with info about Canine Cachers.

[Hucklebuck]

Mutt - yellow lab & St. Benard

at 125 lbs he's worthless on urban micros

[+Marcie/Eric]

a Lab or Lab mix is the best dog you'll ever find.

 

Check the local SPCA. Get your pet spayed/neutered.

[+HoundGrrls]

Mutt - yellow lab & St. Benard

at 125 lbs he's worthless on urban micros

what are you talking about? Big dogs are great during urban micros. They can hid what you are doing with their big body and if the cache is near the bushes you can pretend you are going for some poop and onlookers will not want to see that (big dog = big poop holding quality of food constant) so you don't need to be so stealthy.

[+fratermus]

Our family has been talking about getting a dog for a long while now, so now we are seriously considering it, which breed is best for caching?

I'd say a dog with a nice rough coat that would be resistant to briars.

 

I took our lovely ex-racer greyhound out caching one time. His skin is so thin (and so little bodyfat) that you can literally see sunlight through him in strategic places, so I was scared to take him into the rough stuff.

 

The upside was that he got to pee in 1000 different places.

 

I think one of those giant wolfhound creatures would be ideal. Would also keep muggles far, far away. :-)

[+mortaine]

Fratermus, I was hoping that first link would be a picture of your lovely GH!

 

My Hammer is here!

[+TotemLake]

Do not take your kids to get the dog.  You may end up with a poor choice made by kids emotions other than reason.  This dog will last 7+ years and an educated choice is important.  The kids will love the dog independant of the breed.

All good advice including this one but which I'll qualify with our personal experience.

 

Our dog was chosen by our 8 year old daughter after my wife and I had gone the day before and selected a group of 7 dogs that met our criteria. You can't go wrong with this approach. You narrow down the selection to what you think you can deal with, and the kids get to be in the decision process.

 

Additionally, we were required by the rescue shelter to come to them for three days to bond with the dog prior to our taking him home. After the first hour, it was pretty obvious we didn't need the three days and they allowed us to take the dog home that same day. It was never regretted. He was a Shepard/Ridgeback mix. He was a beautiful animal with a wonderful disposition and trained easily because he was eager to please everybody in the family.

The shelter that I worked at would not show dogs to families who brought their kids. They required that only adults come in first and they had the adults fill out a survey to find out what type of dog would be right for their family. Only after they figured out what type of dog would be appropriate would you be able to have the kids meet the potential dogs. This was done to make sure that a child who didn't understand the charactoristics of the breeds didn't choose a dog that would only end up being returned to the shelter, neglected at the home, or put down by the family.

Whle this policy upset some people, we had less than 1% of our adoptions returned.

 

Of course, this is another vote for a rescued animal.

That's a good point. I'm not sure that we didn't fill out a survey but it's the same basic situation. They want to ensure the animal is not returned or abandoned and is a good fit with the family. Our rescue shelter did require the kids have a chance to bond. They needed to see it was a fit for the whole family... not just the adults.

[+Ed & Julie]

If you take long hikes in the woods in the summer time I would definitely suggest you stay away from any of the flat faced breeds as they don't do well in the heat.

PFFFFTTTTT!!!

 

Any dog is gonna suffer in the summer heat...that being said, I have to vote loudly for boxers!

 

We have always had boxers, and they rock! Short coat, medium build, athletic, loyal, gentle, and WONDERFUL with kids.

 

Our 2 boxers go everywhere with us. We will never have another breed

 

Ed & Julie

(and 2 boxers)

[+BlackBuck]

I own a black lab they Are great Dogs the only problem with labs is if they see water they are gonna go swimming!and its usualy right befor its time to go home leaving you with a muddy truck!

Edited March 17, 2005 by blackbuck

[+denali7]

yes, goldens rule. i luv caching and my mommy takes me all the time. she likes me 'cause i'm handsome, and i never forget how to get back to the truck.

-nugget

[+Alan2]

Buddy is short on legs, hates rain, never has helped me find a cache, but he's a great family member and goes caching with me a lot of the time. The reason we got him is that as a poodle, he doesn't shed (I've never seen one of his hairs in the house. Hair just keeps growing .)- no dander - I'm slightly allergic to dander. That's something to consider. There are other breeds that don't shed or have dander if anyone in your family is allergic.

[+Markwell]

I'm a little biased too.

[Azaruk]

If you're going to go to a breeder and intend taking a pup from a litter, take my advice (which has always worked for me).

 

Introduce yourself to the litter, walk away and sit down a short distance away. The pup that actively seeks you out is the pup you should take.

 

Let the dog choose you, not the other way round, and you'll have a loyal friend for life!

[+Hobbies Anonymous]

PFFFFTTTTT!!!

 

Any dog is gonna suffer in the summer heat...that being said, I have to vote loudly for boxers!

 

We have always had boxers, and they rock! Short coat, medium build, athletic, loyal, gentle, and WONDERFUL with kids.

 

Our 2 boxers go everywhere with us. We will never have another breed

 

Ed & Julie

(and 2 boxers)

Sorry if I offended but I was thinking more of extremely flat faced dogs like the bulldog and pug who have known breathing problems in the heat. I don't consider a boxer a flat faced dog.