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Small, Bold And Active Breeds?


corvus
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I've not really met any other cresties, so don't know if my boy is unusual - but with the right attire on (fleece and waterproof trouser-suit) he would happily run and rummage through the forests in Scotland for 2hrs with a whole bunch of spaniels ;) He is a bit bigger that 5kg though :)

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Miniature Pinschers. Guaranteed to go all day, and you won't find a bolder dog under 5kgs. ;) And BOY are they active!

I know two MinPins and they are both pretty timid. OH's parents' poor dog is a basket case. I was trying to teach him down one day and put a hand behind him so he couldn't walk backwards. When he bumped into my hand he screamed like a banshee and Erik got all predatory. Very hairy moment. :scared:

They do seem pretty active, though. I just don't know if running around on the flat for an hour quite happily also translates to running through the bush for 5 hours.

Erik is pretty freaking nimble, and he's built like a tank so has plenty of muscle to get him around. But that doesn't make a shallow river crossing or a sheer drop of 2m any easier for him. When we go for a hike, we often go in rocky places where there are lots of big steps. I watch the effort my boys put into steps that are quite easy for me and I think it's a fair bit of work for them. Certainly they are up to the task and they don't get tired before I do, but what if they were smaller and lighter? Would it take a lot more effort for them to move themselves around that environment? Can a wee little dog keep that up for hours? It makes sense that some terriers could, but what about toy breeds that were bred as companion animals. Has anyone taken their wee little dogs for physically demanding hikes over several hours? My aunt and uncle used to have a Chi they walked for a few km every day. He was pretty fit, but even so, some days he didn't quite make it all the way home.

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Why no JRT's?! :) They would be perfect

I don't really like terriers. :o I am not sure how a spitz devotee can find their character so objectionable, but they tend to rub me up the wrong way somehow.

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Miniature Pinschers. Guaranteed to go all day, and you won't find a bolder dog under 5kgs. ;) And BOY are they active!

I know two MinPins and they are both pretty timid. OH's parents' poor dog is a basket case. I was trying to teach him down one day and put a hand behind him so he couldn't walk backwards. When he bumped into my hand he screamed like a banshee and Erik got all predatory. Very hairy moment. :scared:

They do seem pretty active, though. I just don't know if running around on the flat for an hour quite happily also translates to running through the bush for 5 hours.

A correctly socialised Min Pin has the boldness of a Rottweiler. :) Both of mine are confident around people, large dogs, horses, cars, trucks, etc. I put a lot of work into making sure they were exposed to things at a young age, and the results show every day. The breed does have a reputation for being highly strung and they do tend toward either end of the spectrum if care is not taken, but so is any breed. :shrug: Neither of my MPs are so confident that they are pushy or will pick a fight with another dog; they are bred to be 'fearless' and that's what they are.

:D We go for 4-5 hour trail rides with our horses and take the Min Pins with us. My terrier/staffy can't keep up, and neither can the Bichon. :laugh: And the older MP is 8.5. They are so fit.

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:D We go for 4-5 hour trail rides with our horses and take the Min Pins with us. My terrier/staffy can't keep up, and neither can the Bichon. :laugh: And the older MP is 8.5. They are so fit.

Awesome! :) It's hard to get past our experiences with OH's parents' dog. We have dogsat him a few times and he drives us crazy. He is very anxious and clingy and he constantly wants to be on my lap or IN bed under the covers with me. Are yours lap dogs when they are not out on long trail rides?

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So this is a dog for you? I don't recommend you mix the sizes, especially if your large dog has already displayed a predatory instinct towards a small dog. It's highly risky mixing the sizes unless you supervise 100% of the time, one incident when you are in the next room and that could be that.

Chis wouldn't be any good as they often have or develop knee problems.

Personally I love the terriers, a great mix of intelligence, boldness and loving nature, willing to go wherever you want them to. All of mine just love to lapsit, sleep on the bed etc but give them a garden intruder such as a blue tongue lizard (sadly), overly confident Mynah bird or a rat and they don't last 5 minutes.

I've had an Italian Greyhound and other types of dogs and none of them would suit what you are asking of them.

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The distance is a big ask of a little dog - okay while it is young and fit, til its joints get over-worn and like all of them they mask the pain. Little ones heart/lungs are set up for quick bursts of energy, not long and consistent, that's for longer legs.

However Chihuahuas don't fall behind on boldness, look at this one sending two burglars on their way and following up onto the street. Interesting if it had been a big fellow like a Rotti, it would probably have been shot: maybe the target was too challenging. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/viralvacuum/glance/178183/chihuahua-chases-away-robbers.glance - dog should get a medal.

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We had a Boston Terrier who could scale a 6 foot straight up cliff no hassle at all. I would take my GSD x Kelpie and our Golden hiking and Jemica would out run us all. She was a goat and would happily jump from rock to rock and was completely fearless about running around a blind corner and jumping off a ledge not knowing what was beneath it. We had to have her on a lead for new tracks as she would get so excited running around I was scared she would hurt herself, but she never did.

I know my Shih Tzu is no good, we get 5 mins in the bush behind our place and she turns around to go home :laugh: She can't handle gaps in the rocks as her body is long and her legs are short.

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Because I have to... Toy Poodle

Tough as teak, extremely agile and yes, you can pick them up if the going gets really tough.

I know my minis leave me for dead in the rough. The only thing they tend to struggle in is very high grass without any trails in it.

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Are there any really little breeds that are outgoing, confident, and can keep up on, say, a 9km hike with lots of obstacles like rocks and fallen trees to negotiate? Something around 5kg or less?

It's that length of hike that would rule out a Tibbie. They're fantastic over short distances....with their hare-feet giving them traction for speed and for climbing. My tibs climb like mountain goats! But they're a short-nosed breed & would have problems with getting rid of body heat over a long haul. Unless (as I do) they're picked up at intervals & carried for a while to allow them to cool down.

I think others have made some excellent suggestions, anyway.

Edited by mita
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