Q for dog owners-info please

[sarahlou]

We cycle, sail, ski ect. with our rough coat Jack Russell, Lou Lou. She is a wonderful dog to take on any trip and loves the adventure. Although she is small (13 lbs.) she can usually keep up. If we are mt. biking, she often runs up the hills and sometimes rides in a backpak or bob trailer on the down. On our last cycle adventure in San Diego, we couldn't find anywhere that we could ride and she could be offleash. So she went (happily) in the backpak. I like having a smaller dog as it gives you the option of carrying them if need be.

I wonder if a Kelpie would want to herd you while you rode. As for running off, Jack Russells are known to do this too but we only had one instance of her taking off on us for about 20 minutes while we called and called for her to return. She is really well trained to stay near us. Usually we are riding at a pace that she is more focused on keeping with "the pack" than chasing other animals, although when we stop to take a break she is known to hunt squirrels.

We don't do anything to condition her, she is always up for adventure. If we haven't been too active with her for awhile, we take it slow and watch for signs of her needing a break. Having a dog along definately adds a different dimension to the ride- maybe like taking a child (I don't have kids so this is just a guess at a comparison).

When I figure out how to attach a photo- I will.