THEODORE THE GOLDEN CRAG DOG
-------------------------BY: ALANA HOLT Staff Photographer --------------------------
endurance, follow commands, and not get spooked easily or go off chasing wildlife.
?When you?re climbing, you need to trust that your dog is not going to get in the way or wander off,? Toews said.
Sarah Toews climbed some as a child, but really picked up bouldering about three years ago. Two years ago, she and her husband, Christian, decided they wanted a dog and fell in love with their golden retriever. When Sarah and Christian Toews adopted Teddy, also known as Theodore the Golden Boy, they drove all the way to Iowa to do it, with no regrets. His dad was a champion dog, his mom a house dog, and now he?s a crag dog. A crag is a mass of rock that may be suitable to climb, and ?a crag dog is just a dog that goes with you to the crags,? Toews said. ?So, you?ve got your climbing partner, someone to go climb with, but he?s your [climbing] buddy.? Not any dog is crag dog material. It?s important for a crag dog to be sociable, have 36 | TEXASDOGMAGAZINE.COM
Teddy, Sarah and a friend explored the crags at Palo Duro when he was a year and a half. Photo courtesy of Sarah Toews.
After his road trip back home to Texas, Teddy went on his first camping trip to Palo Duro Canyon Sate Park when he was about six months old. He took several hikes and went bouldering with Sarah and Christian. He easily maneuvered over and around rocks on the hike and when they were boulder hunting. But one night, back at the campsite, it was so windy that the gusts were caving in the sides of the tent and Teddy was terrified. So they all made their way to the car to seek sturdier, quieter cover from the wind to get some rest. Despite his experience with the wind, and being absolutely exhausted when they got home, Teddy did really well on that adventure, and they knew they adopted a great dog and climbing buddy. Whenever they go climbing or on any outdoor voyage, they pack all of Teddy?s equipment: water, water bowl, his black Kong bone, and poop bags because ?you pack it in, you pack it out.?
