Geocaching Dog

[+One of the Texas Vikings]

We had a thread something like this a couple of weeks ago. And just about everyone said that labs were the best, but it didn't matter as long as you went to a shelter.

Well, that got me to thinking, my two cockers are pretty old, 13 and 11 and won't be around much longer and I had to put down one other one earlier this year who was 12...

hmmm, a shelter....

found a shelter just north of Houston, which had 5 chocolate labs pups..... I called them, only one left. Chocolate Lab and what elses ? who knows. Rushed up and paid for her... glad I did... Chocolate Lab with white toes and blue eyes... I will have to wait until she gets bigger...

But, she is going to be my geocaching dog !..

 

Everyone... Say Hello to 6 week old, Nissa !

 

Thanks, Guys for convincing me to go to a shelter....

She seems to know... hahahaha...

Rick

Edited April 19, 2005 by One of the Texas Vikings

[+Geovius]

I would suggest: link

[+1NatureMom]

 

Meet Kirby! The 1NatureGoldenRetriever! He's just 8 weeks old! I'm eating him up with a spoon! In the next few weeks, we'll be teaching him how to retreive caches!

 

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

Pomeranians rule!

 

[+4HoundsBrewingCo]

Our team name comes from the hounds that share our life. We have Lager the English Redtick Coonhound, Molly the Lab/Shepherd mix, Amber the Foxhound and we are missing our Vinnie the Bluetick Coonhound who passed away in 2001. All our dogs came from shelters where they were next in line.

 

We did coonhound rescue for several years and I can say that a rescue dog seems to always remember that you were there for them when they needed you most. Coonhounds have great endurance, are comical by nature but can be very difficult to train if you have not patience or a sense of humor. They would not be a first choice for an inexperienced dog owner. They are typically very laid back, loyal, loving and fantastic house/family dogs.

 

The star of our pack when seeking a cache is the Lab-X. Molly will go all day and night when she is "working". She loves the outdoors, can be off lead when necessary and is reasonably astute of her surroundings. I would say the Lab in her is dominant and I really like her temperment and willingness when we are out on the trail.

 

Go rescue....you will never regret the life you saved.

 

Cheers!

[+The Crazy H Crew]

Geocaching can make pugs SLEEPY!

 

 

Pugs are GREAT dogs.....but not necessarily great for geocaching. We still take both of ours (and our Aussie mix) with us when we are doing short hikes to caches.

 

TCHC

Edited November 8, 2005 by The Crazy H Crew

[+The Herd]

Just saw this thread and had to share. We have a 2 year old Beagle that we rescued from the shelter. She is our caching buddy, though more interested in everything around the cache and how it smells, than she is the cache itself. We have even made her a TB...and fittingly named her Geo.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=181255

 

p.s. recently got a kitten and named it...Cache! Gosh I am cheesy...lol.

[+brodiebunch]

Our geoteam is named after our West Highland Terrier. He has never found a cache but all he wants is just to be with us with we do.

 

I'll with the other postings: Go rescue a dog from a shelter.

 

Oh, we have never heard anything but good things about rescued greyhounds other than they are couch potatoes and thats not a bad thing, at least you know where they are.

[kimmyroo]

Rhodesian Ridgebacks are great dogs--ya gotta have them as 'indoor' dogs though. They're NOT an outside dog. We have 2, and also 3 kids under age 4!

--Vic303

I have to disagree with you onthe statement that ridgebacks are not an outside dog. She LOVED to go camping at the lake with us. Swimming in the lake and hiking the trails. We had one when I was growing up and she was the best dog I could ever have, even if she did tell on me. She was the baby sitter of the back yard. If I ever left the yard, or tried to she would herd my brother and I back even when we were in High School, and college. She was given to my family when my older brother was 2 and lived for 18 years.

[+phox]

I have to throw out there, being a lil biased, that Shelties RULE!! heh Ours is quite the trailblazer and always seems to know the right way outta the woods. There is one drawback, though:

 

 

[+Barnacle Bear]

Mutant Pomeranians are the best geodogs. They're built relatively low to the ground, have great noses and can almost always find the car. One drawback is that these dogs are extreme burr magnets. On top of that they seem to prefer Corona. Count Spikerton von Sweinigus is well known in NWOGEO circles. A typical MuPom can be seen at Cheech's BackSide.

[+Medic005]

I prefer an all weather Geo-Dog, mine like's snow!

 

[+Galivanter]

I love my Spinone Italiano, could not find a better dog with kids. Loves to walk/run but does fine sitting at home, preferably on the couch. With this breed, you will not find anonymity, every one will stop you ask what kind of dog you have and tell you how gorgeaous/funny looking he is! This could be a draw back while geocaching.

Edited November 11, 2005 by Coronada

[+Kealia]

There's a lot of great advice in here.

Rather than repeating some of it I'm just going to shamelessly plug in a picture of my boys:

 

[+sarhound]

Here are the bloodhounds from whom "sarhound" is derived. They are Miss Molly Maguire (black and tan) and Zander (big red boy.) Both came from Midwest Bloodhound Rescue out of the Chicago area, and they are soon to be joined by Miss Molly's litter brother, Curly. They are excellent caching companions, as well as my partners and best friends. Miss Molly is a mama's girl, while Zee is a definite daddy's boy. Both of them are so smart, it's scary; if Curly is anything like his sister, we're going to be outnumbered down here. They'll spend their days plotting mischief to create...

 

[ATMouse]

 

My Josie girl, my agility buddy/caching pal!

 

Oh, heck, I can't stand it - my vote is for flat-coated retrievers, smart, loving, good trail dogs...my agility instructor is now a BIG fan and plans on getting one!

 

 

And toolman47's girl and agility partner as well as caching pal, Tigger.

Edited November 12, 2005 by ATMouse

[The 2 Dogs]

Our Geomut is an Australian Kelpie/Labrador cross. She's a very smart cache hound, great with the kids and always eager to learn.

 

 

 

Caching with a good hound is always fun.

[Silentshadow]

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.

 

Read all of the replies and suggestions on choice of dogs and the above one was the best reply. I being a huge dog lover, owning 3 myself, more if my hubby would allow .

 

I would like to stress that there are many homeless unwanted pets just waiting to find loving caring homes in your local animal shelter.....PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THEM! Also, please do not think that a puppy is the way to go....there are many older dogs that would be just as suitable for your needs. Talk to the person in the shelter, be honest with them when asking/telling them what your needs and wants are and they will be more than happy to help in anyway possible. Most of the shelter workers are there because they love animals and truly wish to find *the right* homes for them. I also would like to add: When taking your pet with you on a long walk make sure you are carrying plenty of water for them and also a *first aid kit for K-9's, they are much like children, curious by nature, if theres trouble out there they will find it!

[Dana and Cocoa]

Please adopt from a shelter or rescue group. Check out petfinders.com for your area, it will give you some idea how many great dogs there are out there waiting for homes.

[+coast2coast2coast]

Oh you know I couldn't stay out of this topic. I know thier not for everyone but who wouldn't want a 186lb dog with them out in the woods. My Mastiff Hannibal loves it.

 

Edited to add: Yes Hannibal is that much bigger than TinyDiny!

This pooch is bigger then the Deer on Vancouver Island... I'm not kidding!!!

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

I have to throw out there, being a lil biased, that Shelties RULE!! heh  Ours is quite the trailblazer and always seems to know the right way outta the woods.  There is one drawback, though:

 

 

I have to agree with you on all points! My sheltie loves going for walks in the woods (whether caching or not), but does have a bit of the same trouble as yours. Still, he's a fantastic companion and it's well worth the few minutes it takes to brush him out afterward.

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

Also a thought for all of you cachers with dogs. If they're going to run offlead, please be sure you spend the time first to teach them a completely reliable recall. All too many dogs are lost in the woods because they go off running or chasing a critter. With some breeds, like my Sheltie, it's easy because they're bred to be focussed on their owners. If they get out of sight, they'll tend to come back looking for you. But for others, like Irish Setters, the urge to run is really strong and they sometimes forget to look back until miles and miles have gone by. In either case, though, it's important to teach it well so that it works under any circumstances. Here's a web site with an excellent method for teaching a reliable recall. For the wide outdoors, you might want to substitute some type of whistle in place of (or in addition to) your voice as the cue so they can hear it from a long distance.

 

Teaching a Reliable Recall

[+SixDogTeam]

 

PARSON RUSSELL GEODOGS RULE!!

[Earthdog Patrick]

 

Here's my geocache mobile. We are SERIOUS GEODOGS!!

[+Stick_figure]

eliminate the lost dog and strap a Garmin Rhino on that puppy! He may beat you to the cache though.

 

I am a firm believer in rescue dogs, just do the home work on the breed or mix of breeds before you decide and read up on how to select a puppy or an older dog be it a mix/purebreed. Also "Train Don't Complain" and Spay or Neuter them.

 

I agree with the person who said dont bring the kids to select the dog. If you do the homework and perform selection tests the dog will be the right match for your faimly.

[+shuccrum]

I have a Gordon setter who loves the freedom that geocaching allows her. These dogs are very sweet and totally devoted to their people. She carries a backpack on her and I use it to keep water, etc. in.

Edited November 13, 2005 by shuccrum

[+xtinkshun]

There are several purebred and mixes that are so versatile. First you have to ask yourself, who will be the primary caregiver and what kind of time can you devote to your new member of the family...because it will be just that - a member of the family and lifetime (of the dog) commitment.

 

Do you want a breed that needs grooming (have time to brush on a regular basis or are willing to spend the $$ on grooming?). Do you travel a lot and if so, will the dog be going with you or will you need to board or get a pet-sitter? Are you willing to pay the vet bills (bigger the breed, bigger the bill!) A lot of things to consider.

 

Are you willing to fork over a few $$ to take your new pup/dog through obedience? If you want a well behaved companion, and you're new to being a dog owner, this is crucial.

 

There are several sites where you can research different breeds and their traits. Take the time to do the research. A breed you may be interested in may actually not be a good fit for you for various reasons...they all have their own temperments, traits or idiosyncracies and it is best to try and match YOUR lifestyle to a breed rather than choose a breed you want that doesn't fit your lifestyle.

 

After researching, contact some rescue organizations in your area, either purebred or mixed. The shelter is always a great way to go, especially for obtaining a puppy (6 mos or under). It may not be a good decision to get an older (year or over) shelter dog if you have kids, because often, there is little information about the history of an adult dog and they may or may not be a good match for kids. One of the best options is to go through a mixed breed/dog rescue. The dogs are fostered and are in private living situations so the rescuers know what the dog's habits are and if they'd be a good match for your family. If you go through a pet adoption/rescue, there is usually an application process, home check and adoption fee. It's a great way to support rescue and find homes for needy pooches.

 

I'm currently involved with Schipperke and Mastiff rescue. I was in the pet industry for 20 years and can't tell you how many times people picked out a breed that just didn't work for them and ended up either at the pound or getting shuffled around to other homes. Not trying to discourage you in any way! Just be sure to do your homework.

 

Here are some links to help you out or if you have any questions about breed specific rescues, drop me a line. Good luck!

 

www.akc.org

www.dogster.com

www.petfinder.com

[purpledan]

mini bull terrier they are great good luck

[purpledan]

mini bull terrier they are great good luck

[purpledan]

mini bull terrier they are great good luck

[+SixDogTeam]

mini bull terrier they are great good luck

What? can you repeat that?

[+Ladycacher]

I have the two best dogs in the world. One is a Border Collie and the other a Greyhound. Both smart, active, and great listeners. Also they are great with kids and other animals. These two are full breed and I rescued them both already grown (out of puppy stage although my Greyhound still thinks he is a 5 pound puppy).

 

Pepper

 

Bogey

Edited November 15, 2005 by Ladycacher

[+GarminArmin]

 

Part time Geo-Dog

[+Jessykins]

I would adopt a dog from the local rescue organization. I adopted my dog Jess from the local pound, it was the best thing I ever did. She's a mixed breed half viszla half other breed and she's a great hiking & geocaching companion.

 

 

[+The_Incredibles_]

Good thread, with lots of great info. FYI, it's a 6 year old thread.