Dog Backpacks-whose you do like best?

[Two Speed]

. . . I'VE SEEN ALOT OF A**HOLES HURTING THIER DOGS ON THE TRAIL. HAVING THIER DOG CARRY SOME OF THIER GEAR TOO. . .

Yeah, gotta agree, making the dog carry gear is bogus, unless the dog drove to the store and picked it out himself.

Now, food and water? My guiding principle is every camper's gotta carry their own weight.

Still, Barney always gets a decent cut from my rations. He's a very active dog and I have trouble maintaining his weight on longer trips. Section hikes are no problem. Somewhere around two weeks I start having to crank up his calories something fierce or he starts loosing way too much weight.

BTW, I appreciate the posts of various dogs in their packs. The Chuckwagon's OK but I can't help feeling there's a better pack out there for my little monster.

[BuckeyeGRRL]

Thank you everyone for your help! IMO loving owners would never do ANYTHING to harm their dog. When I get Sydney a pack, I'll make sure to post a picture!

[doggiebag]

Thank you everyone for your help! IMO loving owners would never do ANYTHING to harm their dog. When I get Sydney a pack, I'll make sure to post a picture!

Very cool. Also keep in mind that just even having a very lightly loaded pack gives the dog a feeling of purpose - specially the working breeds. In addition - it identifies the dog as a trail dog as opposed to being a wild animal. Here's a vintage photo of an old pack that very much resembles the style of pack that twentybelow had on his dog. Have a great time with your best friend.

[Cowgirl]

Thanks Doggiebag! All this political correctness about what is permissable & proper for a dog is nausiating! And that picture proves it. While I don't prescribe to working a dog to death, there is a balance.

My dogs put in an easy 50 miles a day or more to the 30 I put on my horse working cattle and people here say that making a dog walk 15 miles a day on a thru-hike is cruel. Heck I run my dog 4 miles in the am & 4 miles in the pm just to keep him happy (I ride a bike) He wouldn't even break a sweat (or a pant) while I am hiking my guts out on a trail. I'd put a pack on him just to make hime a little tired!

I love that Urban Mushing photo!!!! I have a bum hamstring and the bike kills me & I was thinking about trying one of this scooter things but was afraid tha dog could yank me off of it to easily....I'll look into it! I bet that rig is a lot safe (but very Yuppie looking)

[doggiebag]

Thanks Doggiebag! All this political correctness about what is permissable & proper for a dog is nausiating! And that picture proves it. While I don't prescribe to working a dog to death, there is a balance.

My dogs put in an easy 50 miles a day or more to the 30 I put on my horse working cattle and people here say that making a dog walk 15 miles a day on a thru-hike is cruel. Heck I run my dog 4 miles in the am & 4 miles in the pm just to keep him happy (I ride a bike) He wouldn't even break a sweat (or a pant) while I am hiking my guts out on a trail. I'd put a pack on him just to make hime a little tired!

I love that Urban Mushing photo!!!! I have a bum hamstring and the bike kills me & I was thinking about trying one of this scooter things but was afraid tha dog could yank me off of it to easily....I'll look into it! I bet that rig is a lot safe (but very Yuppie looking)

Agreed - the working breed is amazing. They need an hour's worth of exercise a day or they get bored easily. The worst disservice anyone can do to a dog is to not allow it it's full potential. That is the reason that they were domesticated to begin with: herding, packing, mushing, hunting ... war and more importantly a companion. They are pack animals that function best in a established heirarchy of the Alpha (dog owner) and pack member (the dog). A disservice can be done to a dog by not realizing it's potential as a contributing member of the human/canine relationship. The worst dog owners treat their dogs like people in fur suits. The scooter does look very yuppie - I'm sure it's fun though.

[Egads]

How do you like this dog backpack?

[doggiebag]

How do you like this dog backpack?

I'm pretty sure that a Gremlin just snuck into your pack.

[Cowgirl]

The worst dog owners treat their dogs like people in fur suits.

You are my new HERO!!!! Well said! People that don't know dogs are the ones that think they are little 2 year old kids and need to be treated that way. It is hard to read some of the stuff I see here and I get discougared some days because I am afraid I will meet some of these people on the trail and they will start spouting thier ignorance to me and I will have to give them a rasberry

The scooter does look very yuppie - I'm sure it's fun though.

I'm headed down to Key West and it is Yuppieville so if I get one I will fit right in (and I'll post a pic of it)

[Cowgirl]

[IMG]
I'm pretty sure that a Gremlin just snuck into your pack.

LOL!!!

[CrumbSnatcher]

Yeah, gotta agree, making the dog carry gear is bogus, unless the dog drove to the store and picked it out himself.

Now, food and water? My guiding principle is every camper's gotta carry their own weight.

Still, Barney always gets a decent cut from my rations. He's a very active dog and I have trouble maintaining his weight on longer trips. Section hikes are no problem. Somewhere around two weeks I start having to crank up his calories something fierce or he starts loosing way too much weight.

BTW, I appreciate the posts of various dogs in their packs. The Chuckwagon's OK but I can't help feeling there's a better pack out there for my little monster.

how much food at one time on avg. did your dog carry(#days rations) and curious how much water your dog carried i believe water weighs 8pds a gallon. my dog always could get water from me, she'd let me know when and how much i'd tip my water bottle slightly she enjoyed that emensly. i carried 5 pound bags out of town, dog treats and snacks too. my tuna,mycheese, our beefjerky.her z-rest,blanket,bowls,first aid kit ,booties,etc... my dog(bear) didnt seem to mind not having a pack.o-30 miles perday. 1oo miles with pack on. 7,500 miles plus without a pack! PRICELESS...

[doggiebag]

You are my new HERO!!!! Well said! People that don't know dogs are the ones that think they are little 2 year old kids and need to be treated that way. It is hard to read some of the stuff I see here and I get discougared some days because I am afraid I will meet some of these people on the trail and they will start spouting thier ignorance to me and I will have to give them a rasberry


I'm headed down to Key West and it is Yuppieville so if I get one I will fit right in (and I'll post a pic of it)

Thanks - the folks more apt to keep a dog for life are the ones that value a dog for it's service and contribution. The one's that have a tendency to drop their "best friend" of at the pound are the one's that never found value in their pet specially after the cute puppy grew into a dog. It is difficult to read the more emotionally charged posts here but to keep balance we need to respond with reason outside of the usual hysterics common in these threads. Have fun in your new diggs and enjoy the beach.

[CrumbSnatcher]

Thank you everyone for your help! IMO loving owners would never do ANYTHING to harm their dog. When I get Sydney a pack, I'll make sure to post a picture!

i'm not saying you should go out back and beat your dog! you would'nt go on the trail to hurt yourself either. crap happens...

[desdemona]

I just got a Ruff Wear Approach 2. On the very plus side of the pack is that it has a very good handle allowing me to pick her up and place up and down obstacles in a very easy way (for both of us). She really dislikes being picked up like a grocery bag and much prefers the picking up like luggage type thing. The pack has a nice cushioned design that mitigates the stress from being picked up on both of us.

I would never overload her, nor do I seriously believe that she would actually carry a serious load-- in fact, may just place a small first aid kit (for her) and collapsing water dish. She's not a big dog after all. But being a working breed, she's actually happy with this. I was surprised that there was no getting used to this involved.

BTW, strictly on the pack. The Ruff wear runs rather large imo.


--des

[twentybelow]

Agreed - the working breed is amazing. They need an hour's worth of exercise a day or they get bored easily. The worst disservice anyone can do to a dog is to not allow it it's full potential. That is the reason that they were domesticated to begin with: herding, packing, mushing, hunting ... war and more importantly a companion. They are pack animals that function best in a established heirarchy of the Alpha (dog owner) and pack member (the dog). A disservice can be done to a dog by not realizing it's potential as a contributing member of the human/canine relationship. The worst dog owners treat their dogs like people in fur suits. The scooter does look very yuppie - I'm sure it's fun though.

very well said! and i couldnt agree more. glad to see that there are a few dog lovers that actually get it. dogs love to be challenged, especially physically. they are happiest when they are doing what they are programmed to do - work! and they enjoy having a pack leader (owner) who performs that role correctly.

when i bought my dog pack way back in the 1970s, i did some research and discovered that most canines can comfortably carry 20-25% of their body weight. i tested that claim and found it to be accurate. of course there are many factors to take into consideration such as the age of the dog, the breed, the difficulty of a particular trail, etc., but none of my pets have had any difficulty carrying loads in that range. if some of you cringe at the thought of loading your dogs pack with more than a pound or two, then by all means do as you please. just be very careful not to judge someone else who KNOWS from experience that their pet is capable of much more.

btw doggiebag, thanks for posting that video on urban mushing -- VERY COOL!! i sent the link to a few friends and they enjoyed it as well. --- i assume youve seen the TV show "the dog whisperer"? if not, its worth checking out. its on the national geographic channel and netflix has it as well. Cowgirl - thanks for adding your thoughts to the thread. nauseating indeed! --> have fun in the keys!

off topic: does anyone know why i cant seem to get the apostrophe key to work on this site? i only have this issue on WB. whenever i use that key here, it makes the page scroll away from where i am typing. weird!

[Rouen]

I love that Urban Mushing photo.. scooter things but was afraid tha dog could yank me off of it to easily...

dogpoweredscooter is now making the same style out rig for a recumbent 3 wheeled bike(they call it the dog trike), if thats not your style you could look into canine sulky, chalo or sacco carts. and yes.. they usually come with breaks.

[desdemona]

dogpoweredscooter is now making the same style out rig for a recumbent 3 wheeled bike(they call it the dog trike), if thats not your style you could look into canine sulky, chalo or sacco carts. and yes.. they usually come with breaks.

Gee, I was trying to imagine a Corgi sized one (yikes).
I've seen the darnedest things in doxie fairs. They have a little rabbit type thing and the doxies chase them.

BTW, Torie had a ball today. I should get a picture of her up here!!


--des

[Two Speed]

how much food at one time on avg. did your dog carry(#days rations)

On average 4 - 5 days worth, but on my last section on the GA Pinhoti resupply was an issue so we both wound up carrying 8 days worth. Short miles for the first day or two and then started upping mileage.

and curious how much water your dog carried

I put (2) 600 mL bottles in his pack, one in each side. Of course they're not always full, nor are all the bottles in my pack always full. No point hauling water from spring to spring.

i believe water weighs 8pds a gallon.

Technically I think it's 7.48 lbs/gal, but 8 is close enough for government work. One liter is roughly 2.2 lbs, so Barney has about 2.6 lbs in water when his bottles are full.

BTW, you and Bear put down a LOT more miles than Barney and I have, so maybe I ought to be getting tips from you. One thing on the whole load issue is that as the dog gets older I think the dogs' load ought to decrease. Every camper's gotta pull their own weight, but I wouldn't ask my grandfather to haul as much weight as a young guy. There's a balance in there.

Barney's still young, gonna turn 4 this summer, so he can handle his own. 10 years from now? That'll be a different.

. . . BTW, Torie had a ball today. I should get a picture of her up here!!

Yeah, you should. And I probably should, too. I gotta get a shot of my furball going after a tennis ball. Talk about enthusiasm!

[sly dog]

Anyone know what size or company to fit a beagle(not mixed)? He is the taller of the beagles (15" I think) He is not too tall but a little bulkier then your average beagle. I dont want to buy one that will be almost hitting the ground. The only hiking he will be doing is mabye a 3 day section.

[Rouen]

Anyone know what size or company to fit a beagle

the smallest fitting pack I know of is ruffwears approach pack, the xxs size fits dogs with a 12"-19" girth.

[desdemona]

the smallest fitting pack I know of is ruffwears approach pack, the xxs size fits dogs with a 12"-19" girth.

They make a xxsmall and xsmall. I think they may come down a bit low, but Torie was totally happy with it. Admittedly what I am most using it for is picking her up. This is a far superior way of doing that than the standard hold. She carried a dog first aid kit (tiny) and a small roll of emergency food and tiny foldable dog dish. That's going to be it pretty much.

--des