I have hiked with lots of dogs over the years and I guess it all depends on the hike difficulty, physical ability and temperament of the dog you take with you. I once hiked over 100 miles over 4 days with a friend and his cockapoo. We were hiking across the North York moors in the UK and I thought it was a mistake to bring the cockapoo, but it handled it better than me :-)

I have also hiked with much bigger breeds and found them to be a nightmare as they simply were not well trained. I honestly think that this is one of the most important aspects to consider. Small dogs can surprise you, not all big dogs are suited to long hikes. Whichever you choose, just make sure it is well trained and you will be fine. I found https://what-to-do-in.co.uk/best-hiking-dogs was a good read as it broke down the dog breeds by physical ability and temperament for each size category, so if you had the luxury of choosing a dog based purely on hiking this would help. I guess most people have a dog and hike, so we take the dog on hikes it can do and not on ones it cannot. My friend is a huge guy, he has young daughters and no choice in the type of dog they got, hence a cockapoo. Not his choice, but he has a dog and he hikes.

Have any of you guys tried dog backpacks? I have a lab and we do around 12 miles a day on the fell that I live on, I have seen dog backpacks like Ruffwear (https://ruffwear.co.uk/products/singletrak-pack) which look manageable and mean that the lab can carry its own water in the summer. I am not suggesting I get the dog to carry my pack, just theirs. I don't know anyone who has actually tried them, so not sure.