Given the history of man with dogs, it is quite appropriate that we take them on camping and on hikes. The only time my Grandfather left his dog home on hunting and fishing trips was when he was quiting smoking and the dog has enough sense to let him go alone. I don't have a dog but I sure wish I had a lifestyle where I could do one justice. My wife is alergic so it would have to be a big outside dog so that it could keep me company in the dog house. It the dogs that hang out in the yard all day and bark and chase bicycles or runners that give me grief. If they are trained to stay on the property I don't mind the barking. If they they are not on a leash and they leave their property and bite at my legs that is the sign of a very neglectful owner. The people that take their dogs on walks and hikes tend to be very good people and so are their dogs. The ones that are not on a leash usually respond right away unless they are young and still in training. The less manageable ones tend to be on leashes unless their is a lot of traffic. Quite often the owner apologizes for not having it on a leash and I just smile and say thats OK I'm not on a leash either and compliment them on their great dog.

Some of my favourite breeds:

Irish Wolfhound - For some reason these sort of hounds always come in pairs.
Way too much dog for me but they are truly magnificient beasts. You would have to be a very good trail runner and a fastpacker as opposed to a thru-hiker. You really don't want to load down a hound, and you couldn't carry more that a days worth for both of them. Mind you, you could cover an aweful lot of ground in one day if you could keep up. I am not sure what dog would have the record for distance in one day but I think a good set of hound could run down a husky as long as there was no sled involved. I think a human in top shape can out distance most animals in 24 hours, even a horse, but most of us are not in that kind of shape.

Newfoundland Dog - More of a winter and water dog. More than capable of carrying all of his food, and some of yours also if you can afford to pay for it all. Not practical for a thru-hiker on a budget, but a great dog for keeping you warm at night. If you are on skis he can pull you along if you are being left behind.

Nova Scotia Duck Toller Retriever - Excellent all around companion. Great for day hikes, ultralight long hikes, hunting and fishing or just camping. Perhaps not so good in deep snow. I think this breed is part native. Any similar medium sized long legged indian looking dog would be ideal for thru-hiking. They even have the look of a thru-hiker.

Dogs for protection against bears? I am not in real bear country. We have Black Bears but they tend to by small and very shy. I wouldn't want a real aggressive bear dog, but the sort of small indian dog that would keep its distance and warn you if there was a bear and sacrifice itself for you or your child if it had to might be worth considering in real Bear country. I am not a Bear or Dog expert. Does this work in real Bear country?