Throwdown Adventures

Meet Angus, our loyal sidekick and four-legged trail scout.

Part boxer, part bullmastiff, Angus is always ready for the next throwdown. He’s the reason we stop to smell the trees, take breaks to splash in the river, and never camp without dog treats.

Whether he’s curled up in the tent or chasing shadows at sunset, he reminds us to slow down and enjoy the moment.

About Angus

Angus is 2 years old! His birthday is July 21, 2023. He is LARGE. He’s basically another human sleeping in bed with us! Don’t worry, if you meet him – he’s loveable and friendly.

Angus came to be part of our family in a rather interesting way! Layne and I (Cait) had dentist appointments on the same day in September 2023. Layne had a morning appointment, and I had an afternoon appointment this day, and we don’t totally know why I went with Layne in the morning. However, it worked out as the appointment after Layne had cancelled, so I was able to stay and wait.

The receptionist at the dentist office asked if we were interested in a puppy as she had a friend trying to home some puppies her dogs had. Off the hop, we both said no. We lead fairly busy lives, and saying goodbye to our Max was one of the hardest things we had to do.

Fast forward about 15 minutes, and the receptionist had called her friend and told them to bring one of the puppies to the office to show us. Well, how can you say no to the cutest puppy face? He gravitated to Layne and I and almost ignore the other people in the waiting room. He was calm, sweet and gentle.

We hummed and hawed for a while (which was probably only 2 minutes) and decided to take this loveable fur-ball home. We decided on the name Angus because the lead singer of AC/DC is Angus Young. This is one of Layne’s favourite bands. Just like a “Highway to Hell”, Angus went from calm, sweet and gentle to full blown high energy boxer in 2 days!

He has been through a lot of training, both with Cait and at a trainers home. Angus still is easy to excite, loves to give way too many kisses and definitely steps all over your toes when you meet him. He has come a long way, and we are so happy with the good boy he has become.

He is a giant softy, and is scared of a lot of things: Pergola screens, boxes, grocery bags, tupperware, etc. We aren’t totally sure why he’s so scared of these things, but work everyday to overcome these fears. Most recently, he didn’t like the rock piles in the lake at Craigleith Provincial Park, and wouldn’t come in the water until they were knocked over.

🐾 Follow along for tips on camping with dogs, dog-friendly trail reviews, and stories from the road—Angus-approved.

Do you have questions about camping with dogs, or about Angus in general – leave us a comment and we will get back to you!