High Sierra Topix

Back in March, we welcomed a furry new member into our family, an 8 week old ball of white fuzz and piranha teeth named Thor.

Don't let his adorable smile fool you - lab puppies are hellions.



Tomorrow is his 7 month birthday, and we've spent the spring and summer working on training, manners, and introducing him to the outdoor experiences he'll be seeing a lot more of in the future. Two weeks ago he had his first fishing, hiking, and camping adventure. One day in Little Lakes Valley, the next up at Laurel Lakes.

Learning to swim at June Lake:



Guarding the food from the mean ol' bears



So far he seems to love being out there, and his training is coming along really well. He's reaching the teenager phase where he suddenly seems to forget commands he's known solidly for months, but that's normal. We're constantly working on training as he grows so that by the time he's fully grown and strong enough to begin backpacking and hiking with us, we'll have a well behaved trail buddy.

I can't wait for his first backpacking trip! I've been reading up on old threads here, I need to find some great areas to explore with him!

What a cute face, just love labs.
Thanks for the pictures.

When my Chocolate lab, Samantha, got to around 30lbs, she decided it would be fun one day to run full on across the living room, by the dining room and hit an over-sized chair that was kitty corner near two walls. She was 2. She leaped up as she reached the chair and solidly punched two holes into the drywall with the chair.

I could swear she grinned at me.

Kind of looked like fun, but mom wasn't impressed.

Train, train, train. Still, "teenagers" like to have fun!

Nice pics and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Thor. A very nice addition to the board!

Rebecca,

Mika and Munch say, "Tell the Mighty Thor to not run around all over the place during the first few miles of the trip or he will be very tired by the time camp is set up!"
Have Fun!

-Russ

Hahah too cute!

I miss our Shawna. (Cancer last year). Can't wait until spring for our new puppy. We took Shawna on her first BP when she was four months up in Twenty lakes.



I am soooo jealous

It's great to see pics of other dogs and stories about their adventures. It has been a year since my buddy and hiking pal laker has passed. With our recent move to Twain Harte, it was the perfect time to welcome a new member into our family. Here's our lab Hoover, named after the wilderness and not the vacuum.


We've been working hard with him on obedience training, etc. But at only 13 weeks he's just not ready for the big time yet.


Can't wait to get him out there.

Ladd

Seems that yellow labs are a popular choice! I've always wanted one, and every minute with this guy is a joy. I love reading stories of beloved trail companions past, and seeing pictures of other upcoming adventure buddies! Maybe someday Thor will have a trail buddy!

That picture of Hoover with the pack is just adorable. I got the same look from Thor when I put his Ruffwear harness on the first time.

I'll chime in with a golden retriever of 17 yrs. Would do ANYTHING asked on/off leash. Was my buddy on first trip to Pyramid Lake fishing (L.A. County) all the way to NY, FL and finally Texas 8 yrs ago. Sporting dogs are #1!

There should be a section for backpacking dogs. I just got a Giant Schnauzer I am training for wilderness trips, but this thread seems to be going off topic from OP?