Gonzo's favorite Strava features are route planning to find fun exciting new hikes and runs, matched activities for knowing how much off-trail smelling he did compared to his last outing, and gear tracking to make sure he replaces his dog booties when they're worn out.
Fun fact about Gonzo - he's training with his human to be a Search and Rescue Dog in Colorado. Good luck with your training Gonzo and Ian.
Next up, we present Ruca!
According to her human, Ruca is an unknown mix, but most likely part dachshund. She lives in San Francisco, but is currently a temporary resident of Denver, Colorado.
Ruca's favorite things include perching on the couch, salmon, barking at the mailman, playing keep away, and most of all - chasing her human on trail runs and mountain bike rides. Her primary sport type would be mountain biking, but she likes grade adjusted pace for her favorite feature because it reminds her how hard her short little legs are working to get up those hills.
Fun fact about Ruca: she is is Rescue dog who was found at a garbage dump.
Meet Umi:
Umi is a Bernese Mountain Dog who lives in San Ramon, California. Her favorite hobbies include naps on the couch, zoomies in the snow, and inspecting the dishwasher.
Umi's favorite Strava feature is the surface type shown in the route builder...because she likes to hike on dirt, eat dirt, and eat things that grow on dirt.
Fun fact about Umi: in addition to dirt, she really loves big sticks.
Meet Woody and Grover!
Woody (left) is a Jack Russell Terrier and Grover (right) is a West Highland White Terrier. These two live in Greystones, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Woody, as a good terrier, loves to play with toys, especially toys with a squeaker. He loves to play with any human as well! Especially humans that throw toys for him to rescue. Grover, on the other hand, is quite lazy and stubborn. He enjoys being petted until your arm falls off.
These are small dogs but they really enjoy hiking, often overtaking all the humans. They have lived with their humans in different countries, and hiking and long walks are a must. In the above photo, they are hiking at the Garland Ranch Regional Park near Carmel-By-The-Sea, in California.
Fun fact about Woody: He was born deaf, but that hasn't decreased his zest for life. There is something about getting the squeaker out of the toy that he will always do.
Next we introduce you to Gazpacho!
Gazpacho is a very special pup (more about that in a minute) who lives with his human in Boulder, Colorado.
Gazpacho loves playing with other dogs and meeting new people. He knows how popular he is and that those eyes will get him anything he wants.
Gazpacho will only be with his human for a year, because he is a Guide Dog for the Blind, puppy in training, out of San Rafael California.
His temporary Mom works hard to introduce him to this crazy world and work with him on some rudimentary guide dog training for the first year of his life.
Gazpacho is only 3 months young and so he hasn’t explored all that Strava has to offer yet. But he’s experienced a lot of it from the little red backpack that he is quickly outgrowing!
Stevie:
Stevie does like to hike, but we're working through some reactivity and anxiety challenges and have to find places to go where we will see fewer people.
Pro tip: Use Strava's "Active Times" and "Historical Activity" to determine a route's most (or least) popular times of day and year.
How to: On mobile tap Maps > Select Routes > Select Hike > Navigate to a park that allows dogs > Tap the orange shaded trail network to see route suggestions > choose a suggestion > scroll down to find Historical Activity and Active Times.
Meet Gruu:
Gruu is a European Great Dane who lives in California with his Humans. His favorite hobbies include sitting in his human brother's carseat and chasing volleyballs.
Fun fact about Gruu: He was named in honor of Gruu the Mini Boss from the Minions!
Next up is Poppy!
Poppy is a 2.5 year old pup that came from a local animal shelter. She lives with her humans, one cat and two chickens in Northern California.
Poppy enjoys herding her family while she is on walks or hikes. Like most Californians, Poppy enjoys the beach where she can run free, dig in the sand and splash in the water.
Fun Fact: Poppy was one of 3 pups in her litter and she still is in touch with her two sisters and mom. She meets up a few times a month with her sister, Boots who lives just a few miles away!
Last dog for today - meet Potato:
Potato likes hiking and trail running. She has over 1000 miles this year to date!
Fun Fact about Potato: She once bolted after a moose in the woods. Luckily she came back unharmed but her humans were worried and recommend always keeping your dog leashed around wildlife.
Fun Fact #2: She sometimes pushes the boundaries of being "too cuddly".
We hope you enjoyed meeting some of the Strava dogs today as much as we enjoyed writing about them! There are many more four legged companions that are part of the Strava family, be sure to subscribe to Tuesday Chat with Team Strava so you don't miss any future posts.
If you have a dog, or other nonhuman companion in your life that inspires you or helps keep you moving, we'd love to hear about them. Drop us a reply to this post and introduce them!
Disclaimer: While we all enjoy having our pets tag along on our Strava activities, please note that only humans are permitted to open Strava accounts.
