I've got an 11 year old Aussie that goes with me everytime I head out behind our house. He's farm dog and lives outside watching the rest of the critters we have. It's a pretty tough life for the old guy, but I swear he loves it. His name is Tucker.

He's a real "Alpha Male". No one can get near his food and none of the other critters mess with him, though almost all have tried him once. He's not vicious, he's dominate. The breeder I got him from told me he would be this way. She told me several times. But he truly is a "Shepherd" too. The goats and donkeys stick close by him all day and night and sometimes I'll look out and he'll just be sitting there watching over them.

Tucker is awesome out in the forest behind our house. He runs in big circles around me the whole time we're out bushwhacking and just hangs near me when I sit down for awhile.

I've never taken him backpacking overnight with me. He's not a dog that would do well on a leash and all the public land here has laws except for hunting when there is a season to use them.

I have been working on a campsite down in the holler below us though and real soon Tucker and the Donkeys will spend at least one night with me down there after hiking around all day and hopefully lots more if that goes well. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BTW, where's that swimming hole with the waterfall on your video? Is it Malibu Creek State Park? It sure reminds me of it, but it's been about 20 years since I've been there. Where ever it is, it's a really sweet spot.


Here's Tucker....



He's sitting with me in my office right now (It's really a converted pole barn) and he's soaking wet. Whenever there's a thunderstorm he gets out of the fence and pounds on my door. Looking at him now, I'm not sure if a real "Alpha Male" would do that, or a real "Shepherd", but he insist I let him in even though he has a real barn to stay warm and dry in.

Bill