How young is too young for puppies on trail?

by **Floyd** » 21 Dec 2012, 17:48

ChicagoMike wrote:
Derek wrote:
Floyd wrote:Beautiful dog ChicagoMike.

Agree! Looks like a snow lover, just like mine. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. I am a proud puppy daddy. Floyd is a good looking dog as well. How old? We love to go down to Chatfield.

Thanks! Floyd will be 8 in February. We taught him to swim at Chatfield but frequent Cherry Creek. I'd say he's slowing down but he did a 20 mile/6k vert day in October and then turned around with a 13 mile day through knee-deep snow in November (Yes, we found the only snow in the state in the west side of the IPW.)

by **Waggs** » 21 Dec 2012, 19:35

Floyd wrote:We taught him to swim at Chatfield but frequent Cherry Creek.

Did you really have to TEACH your lab to swim?

Seems like mine is:

Hey, is that water?
That's water!
Got to get in the water!
Got to get water all over me.

Hey, is that a stick?
There's a stick in the water?
Got to get that stick.
I'm, getting that stick.
Here, I brought you a stick, throw it so I can get more of that water on me!

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I also marvel (when the water is clear enough) watching my pups strokes as he swims back to shore.

Both dogs are beautiful.

Waggs

by **DaveSwink** » 21 Dec 2012, 19:48

Waggs wrote:Hey, is that water?

Nice doggy speak interpretation!

by **Floyd** » 23 Dec 2012, 15:04

Waggs wrote:
Floyd wrote:We taught him to swim at Chatfield but frequent Cherry Creek.

Did you really have to TEACH your lab to swim?

Oddly enough, we did actually have to teach him. We have another lab who has some leg issues so he doesn't hike but he would rather swim than walk. Floyd, on the other hand, while a pup didn't realize that water could be deeper than him (since we frequent Cherry Creek). When he was a few months old we were up at Estes Park and he chased another dog in to the lake and sunk to the bottom like a stone. It scared the bejeezus out of him and he wouldn't go near the water again. My wife and I had to take him to Chatfield and coax him. We stood on either end of a small (~40 ft) inlet and held treats out for him to swim across to the other. So, yes, we actually did have to teach our lab to swim.

by **CORed** » 31 Dec 2012, 15:43

ChicagoMike wrote:I have a 6 month old chocolate lab puppy who is built like a tank. He is very strong for his age and he will be a big dog (90+ pounds, currently 50lbs), but he is still a puppy. I love to back country ski and tour and I want to get him up there as well. At what age can I start getting him on the trail? Is he too young right now for an easy ski tour? Like anything with a puppy I figure the earlier he gets comfortable with a situation the better but am I pushing too hard? Experienced advice needed. Thanks

I had a Lab-German Shephard mix who I started on a camping trip with some fairly long day hikes in Canyonlands (in October) when she was about 6 months. She did fine, aside from learning about cactus the hard way -- she walked right into a big patch of prickly pear. I took her on her first ski tour probably a month or two later.

by **IMOUTDOORS** » 18 Jan 2013, 23:09

Mia, goldendoodle, hiked her first 14er around 5 month, although I put her in my pack for the last 1,000 vert. Had her out on a short ski day around 8 months and she did fine. Make sure you know how their paws react to snow. Bag balm or vaseline work well if the snow tends to stick.

by **annabella** » 03 Feb 2013, 11:02

I agree with the one-year mark for doing anything strenuous. I also agree with letting him practice on trails and in the snow - looks like he's good at it.

I'm going to make a suggestion; if your goal is to have him accompany you off-leash in the mountains, keep him on a leash for now and train him to walk on the trail with you. My dog knows that the only appropriate time to leave the trail is to take care of his "business," unless I give him directions otherwise. This keeps him safe from wildlife, and wildlife safe from him. Keeping him on a leash now allows you to train him in good trail manners, too - ideally you want him to basically ignore all the other people on the trail. This is hard with an adorable puppy, because everyone wants to stop and say "awwww," but in the long run, the best trail dogs are the ones that don't bother anyone or anything.

How young is too young for puppies on trail?

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