Teddy the Crag Dog

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 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. 

After his first road trip back to Texas, Teddy went on his first camping trip to Palo Duro Canyon Sate Park when he was about six months old. He went on 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 back at the campsite, one night, 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.” They carry a dog bed for the car ride and depending on whether it’s hot or cold they’ll bring for him a towel or blanket, respectively. And he also has his own vest that holds his bowl and poop bags because “he’s a working dog!”

Since adopting Teddy, they’ve worked to train him well, especially considering that he is not only a crag dog, but Sarah’s emotional support dog. He knows the basic sit, stay, lay commands, but they’ve also taught him “leave it” and one they consider really important while climbing: “your bed.” When he hears that, Teddy knows to go lay on whatever bedding they’ve laid out for him. 

Teddy has been on nearly every trip they’ve taken except for one and the trips he’s been on are not only climbing, they’re also mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, and even just running errands. 

“We’re those annoying people where when we go to our friend’s house, our dog comes,” she laughed. 

He’s traveled with them around Texas, to Oklahoma, to Arkansas, Colorado and Tennessee. He has been to at least 10 different state and national parks so far, including Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma—one of her favorite places to climb—Eisenhower State Park here in Texas, Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee, and Hobbs State Park in Arkansas. She says he’s great company to have at the campsite and to go boulder hunting with. 

“It was just really fun to be working on a boulder and then, when you’re resting and just bored and itching to climb again, but knowing you shouldn’t because you’re not ready, to have a dog to play fetch with or pet or just talk to.”

Sarah has slowed down on the climbing a bit because she tweaked a pulley (a common finger injury in bouldering) while climbing a few months ago, but the injury has only put her climbing on pause. Teddy goes to watch her play in a soccer league and in April they went back to Palo Duro Canyon on a mountain biking trip.

She suggests for any climbers considering adopting a dog to journey with them to the crags, to look into which breeds are best for such adventures, do research on which parks allow dogs, and to just do it. Time was a factor that made her think twice about getting a dog—she thought having a dog would slow her and her husband down because they are so busy, but it hasn’t. 

“I come home every day and I’m happier because I’m greeted by my dog.”

Here is a link to all the parks in Texas that allow dogs in the park and on hikes. 

https://hikewithyourdog.com/texas

Note: It is important to do research on the park rules, hikes, and to check the weather to make sure you and your dog will be comfortable and safe. 

Visit Teddy on his Instagram: @theodore_the_golden_boy