I had a couple Australian Shepherds growing up. They are very smart. My mom could come out and ask one of them "where are the boys?" and she would point her body in the direction of the part of the woods we were in.

I don't think one would have any issue keeping up with a human on a trail. Ours kept up with us on horseback just fine.

They are very sweet though and neither was much of a guard dog. Not that the labs my friend, dad, and brother have are either. They will all show the burglar where the silver is.

That's one thing I really like about my OEB. They are standoffish and do not warm up to strangers right away. She takes a good ten minutes before others can pet her. She has never bit or even snapped at anyone but I also tell them to leave her alone.