Puppy Packs

MacHete

MacHete

Hair Cropper & Chipmunk Wrangler
Joined
Apr 7, 2000
Messages
2,559
Autumn is approaching and so is my favorite time of year to go backpacking. This season, I will be accompanied by a new four-footed companion, and I am looking for informed opinions about packs for dogs. Are they a good idea at all? If so, what features should be included?

My concerns are:
Will my dog get snagged on branches while chasing bunnies through the brush?
What is a healthy weight ratio for a dog to carry?
How can you tell if the pack is properly fit since the dog cannot really give any feedback?

The pooch I'm considering outfitting is a 60-70# Husky-Shepherd mix. He's about nine months old and looks rather wolf-like.(That's him as my avatar) Apart from him carrying his share of the load, the only real advantage I see in rucking him up is increased visibility to prevent potshots by varmint hunters.

Thank you in advance for your help.
 
If your dog chases deer it would be a bad idea to take him during deer season,if he doesn't I'd make the pack a bright color any way.There are plenty of yahoos that shoot at sounds or movement,and a dog that chases deer will be killed if caught in the act.Nice looking dog.
 
Your dog should carry, at most, a 15% of his weight, provided it is an adult. If not he shouldn´t carry that much.
I normally fit my dogs´s backpacks in a way that they can stand on the two rear legs while playing (quite tipical) without becoming loose. Check the balance of the pack. If they play around among trees they may get stuck sometimes at first, but they will soon learn. What I do is let them play as soon as we get to the camp area, or I sit to rest, so at that time I take the pack off them. Be aware of letting your dog rest, as he will run and play as if he carried no pack, but he will get tired before. Have water at hand.
The advantage of taking your dog to the woods is the extra input you get to do things, as he NEVER stops. Also it is very nice to see him happy in a new place to smell, run, play, chase animals, dig, get dirty, lick your face while trying to build a fire, shaking all that water off him just beside you... seriously, I find it first priority to take my dogs to the woods with me (plus they´ll alert if someone is not yet in sight for me).
 
>"... it is very nice to see him happy in a new place to smell, run, play, chase animals, dig, get dirty, lick your face while trying to build a fire, shaking all that water off him just beside you..."

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Yeah, man! :D For my wife and I, taking the pup with us (a 115-lb. Hovawart) into the woods is one of our favorite things in the world. His too (with the exception of bacon).
 
I take my 90 lb German Shepherd on backpacking trips with me - what a great companion!

I make him carry his own food and other dog gear, which never tops 10 lbs (usually more like 5-6 lbs). His pack is nothing special, an Outward Hound with padding under the bags and buckles. I watch the heat and take his pack off during breaks. He wears a flat collar on hikes, with the lead running through a slot in the top of the pack, otherwise he tangles it under the bags during "check dad" turn-around loops. He drinks water from a folding bowl, which usually gets filtered in camp (they get the squirts too) or from streams on the trail.

On the trail I have him on a 20 ft lead, but I take in the slack when I meet people. (Many people are really turned off by dogs, and a little PR goes a long way.) I put him on a down-stay when I meet horses, which is actually a safety thing for the riders - you never know what kind of goofy horse you'll meet. If I'm alone in a camp, he runs, but gets tied with 30 more feet on his long lead if other campers are near.

I think obedience is really important for backpacking with a dog. Nothing fancy, but they need to be under control (sit, stay, come, shaddup, gityernoseouttathatcrotch), especially intimidating dogs like GSDs and your Husky-Shepherd mix. Having a big dog running loose around stangers really makes you look like an ass, but the exact opposite is true if the dog is trained. It's a lot like handling a gun. I have had devout cat people whom I barely know come and ask if they can pet my dog. Believe me - it's no hardship on the dog either, and don't be concerned about dulling their protective instincts. They can still tell better than Santa who's been naughty or nice. A dog who is a pleasure to be around gets lots of compliments and makes the owner look really good.

Scott

"It isn't a dog if it fits in the microwave." - a local vet
 
Originally posted by beezaur
On the trail I have him on a 20 ft lead, but I take in the slack when I meet people. (Many people are really turned off by dogs, and a little PR goes a long way.)... <edit>

If I'm alone in a camp, he runs, but gets tied with 30 more feet on his long lead if other campers are near... <edit>

I think obedience is really important for backpacking with a dog. Nothing fancy, but they need to be under control (sit, stay, come, shaddup, gityernoseouttathatcrotch), especially intimidating dogs like GSDs and your Husky-Shepherd mix. Having a big dog running loose around stangers really makes you look like an ass, but the exact opposite is true if the dog is trained.
Click to expand...

Thank you for bringing this up. You are giving excellent advice that I hope everyone reads carefully.

I am glad to see that some people are responsible and wish that all dog owners were. I have had a number of problems with feral dogs and large, aggressive farm dogs that are off their property. Obviously, this is very different from someone's lovable family pet, which I enjoy meeting. However, if your dog is completely out of control and out of contact with you, it can be difficult to tell its intentions. If you want your dogs to stay safe, please keep them under control.
 
Copis- Thanks for the RuffWear tip. They have a very cool site and some good looking products.

Beezaur- How well do you like your Outward hound set-up? Any features you wish you'd gotten in retrospect?

No one has to sell me on taking him along. I've been on many packing trips with friends who've brought their dogs, and it was always a blast. Usually, they just let their dogs run- no leash, no pack, just a bright bandana for increased visibility. I don't know if I'm prepared to let my puppy go wild in the woods. He has recently discovered his primal chase instincts, and, overwhelmed by the smells of the wilderness, would probably by difficult to rein in.

My only real concerns are:

Are there any potential long-term risks to putting him in a pack? -He's half Husky, and so was bred to pull a sled, so maybe I shouldn't worry. But he's also half Shepherd, and thus prone to hip problems.

If there are risks, how can they be minimized? Freedom of movement and rubbing/chafing are easy enough for me to check for. But how can you tell if the weight is distributed comfortably for a quadruped?

Jaimie- Has the "standing on hind legs" test proven to be a good indicator of a comfortable fit?

I suppose, if my dog skulks away when I reach for his pack to put it on him, that that would be a pretty strong hint that he didn't like it. I could easily carry the few extra pounds of stuff for him, but I like the idea of something highly visibile and functional for him to sport on the trail. I believe it would protect him from coyote hunters and let other hikers know he is "civilised". Lastly, I would like to believe (pardon my sentimental anthropomorphism) that wearing a pack like his master would be a bonding experience for us.

Thanks everyone, for your input!
 
I'm not much of a dog pack expert. The Outward Hound pack was what was available at PetSmart, so we tried it. It is adequate - doesn't seem to rub anywhere or cause any discomfort. As I mentioned, I do try to take the pack off when I can, sometimes for heat, sometimes so he can stretch when we rest.

About the health aspects, I deferred to my wife, who is a veterinarian. She says the rule of thumb is generally less than 20% of body weight, but she thinks 10% is a more realistic load. Mine carries his food and water, almost always less than 10 lbs.

You are right that they like to pull, in fact you may want to invest in an anti-pull head harness. We work our dog for SAR type tracking, and he nearly pulls my wife (130 lbs) off her feet when he's on my trail.

Our German Shepherd has mild hip dysplasia (the hip problem they have), so she recommends long walks - no pack - with me. The dog and I walk an hour each day. Increased muscle mass slows the onset of symptoms and gets him in shape for carrying a pack. He still gets sore on long trips, but this is no different than you or me getting sore. I don't train my dog for agility, like jumps, as that would be a little much for his hips.

Eventually, any dog will get old and somewhat lame. When this happens, the dog should get retired from long trips, but should still be walked as much as is reasonable to maintain muscle mass. The long term health risk is from lack of excercise and high impact activity.

Other health issues: I put a little sunscreen on his nose, even though it is black, when we are above the treeline to prevent sunburn. I also keep him out of bright snowfields to protect his eyes. Dogs can get really nasty parasites, e.g. heartworms, so he gets Revolution for fleas, ticks, and other nasties. He gets treated water (usually) since there exists a dog giardia and other gut-bugs.

You have to go to your vet for Revolution, and beware the over-the-counter stuff that claims to be veterinarian recommended. It seldom works as claimed. Half that stuff will kill a cat who so much as brushes against a treated dog - the veterinarians who were paid to endorse it must have been either broke or greedy.

Scott
 
P.S. Insect repellent is relatively untested on dogs. You could potentially throw them into a fatal reaction miles from nowhere.

Scott
 
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