He does okay - but not great as you can imagine. hot thick coat impedes that a bit. Shedding isn't that bad - previously owning a newfie made me grateful for the amount he sheds. usually blows his coat once or twice a year, and for a couple of weeks it's pretty rough. The biggest challenges to hiking - which I'm sure you've encountered with your big dogs is obstacles with no good bypass - stuff like ding and dang canyons are pretty much a no go for him. when he was younger and more spry he could climb most anything - now that he's older, fatter, and less agile - not so much.