Comment to 'Am I Asking For Too Much...?'
  • You're asking a lot, let's just say that. I'm trying to run different breeds through your gauntlet of criteria in my mind and so far everything is coming unstuck somewhere.

    Beauceron and all other herding dogs actually have a lot of prey drive, counter intuitive to some people but herding is actually a hyper intense variant of prey drive, almost an obsessive prey drive. Herding dogs actually, invariably almost, make awesome hunting dogs and even most readily turn feral successfully out of all dog types barring perhaps primitive pariahs.

    This includes herders, collies, kelpies, cattle dogs all of them.

    That said, whether or not a dog will stay close on hikes in the wilderness depends on the individual dog and how you raise it or what you encourage from a young age, intentionally or not. In my experience it almost feels like a crap shoot.

    Got a hunting lines bull Arab right now, a breed notorious for ranging so far it's often mentioned in ads for them tracking collars are necessary, but mine won't get out from under my feet, it's actually annoying. 

    On the flip side I had a protection bandog that was attentive and protective at home with a subdued prey drive in many ways but in the wild on hikes he'd just wander off looking for animals and sometimes be gone for an hour or more.

    The dogs with the lowest prey drive aren't herders but lgds, however at the same time they're independent and might decide to scout ahead or something like that, who knows, whatever comes into their head.

    Bullmastiff/bandog types are typically a lot less independent and even though my male didn't most will want to stay close to you on hikes. A non drooling one is pretty hard to find though, and actually even an athletic one is imo, but depending on how high your hopes are in that category. Different people have different yard sticks there, as someone who likes sighthound crosses no bullmastiff or lgd breed is athletic or agile to me, but it's all relative.

    Anyway, interesting topic, I'd just remember there is a lot you can shape in a dog, and then some things you can't, maybe you could use this fact to lop off a few requirements and broaden your search.

    A beauceron COULD potentially fit your criteria if you played your cards right and had a little luck, but no guarantees.