Dog Backpacks?

R

RatDrall

Joined
Feb 7, 2009
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I want a doggy backpack saddlebag thing for my 60lb German Shephard mix. Are good quality bags expensive?

What do you guys use?

I'm really just looking for something for her to carry a bowl and some food and some other dog specific gear that I really don't have room for in my bag.

Thanks :D
 
Has anyone tried to make their own? I have the machines and supplies but worry about making something that would not work...
Stacy
 
This is a great idea! I'm going to get my dog set up so that she can carry her own water on our hiking trips.
 
RatDrall said:
I want a doggy backpack saddlebag thing for my 60lb German Shephard mix. Are good quality bags expensive?

What do you guys use?

I'm really just looking for something for her to carry a bowl and some food and some other dog specific gear that I really don't have room for in my bag.

Thanks :D
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Mountainsmith ftw, awesome experience with the 7-8 products of theirs I own and abuse on a daily basis.
 
Outward hound makes really good packs in 4 sizes. Around 60 to 80$ They have a vest with velcroe and a 3 strap harness. The saddle bags attach to the vest and make life easy when you stop for breaks. Saves a lot of time and hassle messing with buckles and they learn to belly bloat like a damn horse!!!
Great packs but here is tips for any dogpack

1. Fill the pack with bags of crumpled up newspaper. If the dog learns on an empty pack it will not learn to give more space around people/objects. This will save the pack driving you in the back of the knee to the ground and injury, trust me on this with narrow trails. Also will save repairs when slamming into rocks and trees.

2. Bring a handful of zipties some large and small to replace broken buckles and snaps easily(use 2). As well some bailing wire and a needle and dentalfloss for rock rips and tears. You will be carrying the bloody dogs gear if you don't. 17 day trips will teach you.

3. After the dog gets used to the pack and volume start adding (keep the paper) 500ml water bottles to each side, add more every couple weeks until the dog is carrying a gallon per side. 20lbs you do not have to hump.

4 Have a paw repair kit, grab 2 nylon stuff sacks for tent pegs with the cords the top. cut feet off of 2 socks and prethreaded some cord through holes at the top. Have some oven bags, and basic first aid gear... lots of gauze rolls.
Treat and bandage the paw tightly, add the plastic bag and tape loosely at the top and bottom, then the sock and tie off crossing the rope down to the paw. Now add the stuff sack over.
This keeps the paw water and mud free and gives cushion and padding. Seems like work but try a quickie fix and it will come off almost as quickly. If it was your foot you would take the time.
Some vaseline for the paws in snow is a good idea too, granular snow slices them up between the pads. Slather between the toes if you notice that crust on the top.

This has kept my lab going with severe pad and webbing injuries where he would not put his paw down but would RUN on it after this process.

Love the pack dogs, they do the trail 4 times to your 1 so harness some of that energy.
 
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RatDrall said:
I want a doggy backpack saddlebag thing for my 60lb German Shephard mix. Are good quality bags expensive?

What do you guys use?

I'm really just looking for something for her to carry a bowl and some food and some other dog specific gear that I really don't have room for in my bag.

Thanks :D
Click to expand...

We use Ruffwear for all of our guys. We've got both styles of backpack. Personally, I prefer the modular system where the pack and harness separate. I have 2 big guys that do the packin' for all 3 of them. I can dress them up in their harnesses and just switch bags every 2-3 hours to keep from wearing one of them out.
 
I have a ruffwear pack for my pittie.. but it chafes her underside as she doesnt have much hair on her.. does anyone know if a pack is bad for dogs? an older gentleman came up to me a while ago telling me how bad a pack is for the dogs legs and can develop their muscles in a un natural way
 
blacksn95 said:
I have a ruffwear pack for my pittie.. but it chafes her underside as she doesnt have much hair on her.. does anyone know if a pack is bad for dogs? an older gentleman came up to me a while ago telling me how bad a pack is for the dogs legs and can develop their muscles in a un natural way
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Well, it depends on the weight and health of your buddy and of course how much weight you stack in the saddle. Just don't over do it and your dog should be just fine.
 
dogs have been used for work for millenia, dozens of wolf species, norwegian elkhounds, canaans, german shepherds, burmese mountain dogs... man has used dogs for pulling sleds and carrying loads since humans began first domesticating animals. I seriously doubt dog packs are going to do anything to your dog if you have a reasonable amount of weight on them, unless your dog is a species that typically gets hip problems and you are running them into the ground...
 
Thats what I was thinking... specially when Pitties are used for weight pull contests and agility.. I was just concerned as I don't see many people with packs on their dogs here and to have some random guy come up to me and spend 20 minutes telling me how bad it is for my dog made me wonder a bit..
 
blacksn95 said:
Thats what I was thinking... specially when Pitties are used for weight pull contests and agility.. I was just concerned as I don't see many people with packs on their dogs here and to have some random guy come up to me and spend 20 minutes telling me how bad it is for my dog made me wonder a bit..
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Yeah I have had dummie peta's complain to me about how cruel it is for my lab to carry a pack. I say to them I am carrying 30% of my bodyweight on 2 legs and the dog is carrying 25% on 4 legs. Then I tell them to go to elementary schools and picket about little kids carrying 10 to 20lbs of books and crap everyday, JUST like they did. Deflates their wind and they go away.
Dog gets exited whenever he sees the pack and goes wiggie when the gear goes in.
 
Carrying a properly fitted and loaded pack is actually beneficial for a dog in a couple of ways. First, they have a job to do. Dogs are highly intelligent, emotional creatures that have an innate need to "do something", to have a job. For many dogs, carrying a pack on hikes with their "pack" is a labor of love that they look forward to doing. Healthy adult dogs can safely carry up to 30% of their own body weight for hours at a time.

Second, if a dog is given time to train for carrying a pack, their muscles will develop properly for that task, just like an agility dog or a SAR dog will develop the musculature and other skills to perform their tasks.

They key is to get a pack that is properly sized, fit it for your specific dog, and load it appropriately (weight and distribution). Adequate rest periods are helpful on long outings and it helps if you have a modular system where the bags can be removed from the harness during rest periods or rough terrain / water crossings.
 
Below is a picture of my Lab/Shepherd mix carrying his pack. I forget the brand but I think its a Ruffwear pack, I got it at REI on sale a few years ago.

DSC02530.JPG


He weighs in at about 100lbs and wears the large size pack. In it I can fit a few days of food and some water along with treats, a towel and toys. Be care ful when you load of your dog since it isn't used to hauling around items on its back. IIRC the rule of thumb is no more then 30% of the dogs weight and allow for pit stops and remove the pack to prevent hot spot.

Also beware that you dog will not be used to having 6" of pack on either side of them. When I first put his pack on I watched him get stuck between some trees and then almost take me out when he ran through my legs. He also tested the water proofness of the pack, it didn't pass.
 
orrey45 said:
Also beware that you dog will not be used to having 6" of pack on either side of them. When I first put his pack on I watched him get stuck between some trees and then almost take me out when he ran through my legs. He also tested the water proofness of the pack, it didn't pass.
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EXACTLY right, my prev post went into detail. I forgot to add that everything in the pack needs to be drybagged or double bagged. I have a LAB!!
 
What keeps the dog packs from sliding around and ending up on the belly of the dog?
 
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