First, even though your dog is not purebred, you should have
him checked for hip displasia. This will cost you a sedation
and series of x-rays. One of the worst cases of hip dysplasia
I ever saw was in a cross bred large dog... about 100 lbs. I
don't think your dog could be this bad and still join you on
the rides, but you should see what's going on in his hips...
especially with a lab / shep cross.
Small dogs seem to have a much easier time going long distance
than large dogs... just an observation. I don't have any
MATHEMATICAL MODELS for this. ;-)
Dogs are much different than horses. But oil on their food is
good for them too. You will notice a nice coat. If you feed
a good high quality complete dog food like Eukanuba then adding
stuff will throw off the balance somewhat. Keep in mind that
you need to keep extra weight off those hips regardless. Like
horses, you should feel ribs under that coat... and see a waist.
Which brings up your area of the country. The north west is
much better to pull this off than, say, the southwest or east.
If you ride on covered trails with cool moist soil, your dog
will be much safer from the raveges of overheating.
*** DOGS DON'T SWEAT *** ... except a little from the pad
of their feet. Once they start to show signs of overheating,
you may have already lost them. A friend lost her St. Barnyard
at a show just sitting in the shade on a hot day. It happens
*really fast* especially with big dogs... and 100 lbs is big.
Both shepherds and labs have thick coats, the shepherd
being longer.
I would perhaps talk to your vet. Look at the weather. Don't
overfeed fat, and leave him home in a cool area on hot days in
summer... especially if there is humidity at all. Encourage
swimming in all the streams and ponds along the way.
On the positive side, per our discussions a few months ago
about personal safety on lonely trails, a 100 pound dog can
be good protection.
:) - kat
... who ends up treating her TB like a big dog. :)