Dog Backpacks

“I belong to a doggie chat forum where people were asking about doggie backpacks. All I know is to say to keep them even in weight, but is there a rule of thumb on how much a dog can carry going by how much the dog weighs?

Is there anything to look for in a bag or not look for?”

“Just find a good solid bag that fits comfortably on the dog. A standard for dog carrying is roughly the same for people, 20 to 30 percent of the weight of the dog.”

“Wolfpacks has a very good section on dogpacking and IMHO has the best pack out there with Caribou coming in second. I have been taking my dogs for decades and have never come close to 25% even on a week long trip. I have found that conditioning is the big issue, especially pad toughness.

http://www.wolfpacks.com/guide.htm”

“Fit is the most important thing to look for - make sure the pack is the proper size and does not chafe. Also look at the construction - durable material is a must, as the hounds will scrape the heck out of the bag.

We use a RuffWear Approach and have found it to be an excellent pack.

There is some good information on dog packs and packing here: http://www.chinookwind.com/articles/dog_pack_hike_intro.html”

“Heidi and Sierra use Wolf Packs® exclusively.”

“LH - doesn't you dog weight like 3llbs or something?”

“Sarabelle wears a large Wenaha, only because that's all REI sells (where I stopped enroute to her first hike). In retrospect, I shoulda got her a medium, cuz filled, she's still kinda slack-packing.

Load depends greatly on the hike. A strenuous hike can't be compared to an easy one. On the AT approaching Cheoah Bald (3000 net elevation gain [prolly 5000 gross change] in eight miles) she started complaining a mile or so before we reached the bald.

Be prepared to carry the pack, too. Belle started favoring her "sergry" leg the first day of Ocala I. I carried her pack atop mine for the remainder of the hike.

Go to Phils photo page to see Belle's picture, where she's sporting her big 'ol Wenaha...”

“Y2, Capri is 3-1/2 pounds. If anything, I carry her! I have a front loading pouch for doggies that she can sit in if the hike is long or if the ground is rough with tiny stones or it's too much uhill or if I need my hands to reach for rocks or branches to steady myself or go uphill.

When we are on flatter ground, she prefers to hike the trail herself. For some reason, she loves to be in her harness walking.”

“Mountain Smith. It is 4 years old and has undergone some great advancements making this one of the best packs on the market. I'd trade his in for a new one, but there is nothing wrong with his yet.

Here is the new version
updated pack”

“not only all his own gear, but some of mine as well...stove, fuel, water filter, 2 liters of water (on long dry hikes). trash picked up on the trail goes into his packs too.”

“Gee, 1/3 of the dog's weight? That dog has to have a strong back:) I only carry one 5th of my weight.

Thanks for all of the input. I sent this page along to the people that want to buy packs and needed info. They found it extremely helpful.

I lied and told them everyone here was great and so helpful, LMAO!!!! You know I love you guys. Your the best, really!!!!”

“I've got a 4 and a half month old German Short Haired Pointer. We've already taken her on some short hikes 2-4 miles. We have read that dogs do enjoy have backpacks and it gives them a job to do.

I want to get our pup a pack that won't chafe her underside or her pits. Any suggestions? Wolf Packs seem to be a great suggestion and I haven't read any negative feedback from them yet.

Also, would you recommend putting anything weight in the pack? She is 4.5 months old and nowhere near done growing. I don't want to hurt or or cause any chronic problems. We would like to get her started though so when it comes time for long distance trips she is ready!

Thanks for any imput!”

“Granite Gear.”

“We have read that dogs do enjoy have backpacks and it gives them a job to do.

as always YMMV. We had a camping dog who got all squirmy and wrigglin when she saw the back. She loved it and lived for it.

Our current dog would like nothing better than to snuggle with me on the recliner. He avoids the pack if at all possible and I can't see him ever taking to it.”

“My experience has been the same as RR's. My last dog carried the pack, no problem, and had a blast with it on. My current dog freaks out when the pack is on, tries to get it off and then is too scared to move.

With my current dog, I'll probably try putting an empty pack on her and just leave it on until she gets used to it. If she stays freaked out for too long though, I won't have the heart to keep it one her and I'll give up.”

“PAHiker,

It's best not to put any weight in your dog's pack until your dog is fully grown. You can probably start out with an empty pack to get her used to it, and then add some very lightweight items to get her used to the extra width that comes with a loaded pack, but putting any real weight on her before she's grown could cause problems. Ask your vet at what age your dog will be fully mature. Usually it's about 1 & 1/2 to 2 years for big dogs, depending on the breed.

Bess wears a Ruffwear Approach II and it never bothers her underside, but her hair is thicker than a pointer's. She gets excited when her pack comes out, knowing it means a fun trip!”

“Let her carry your raingear and the big bag of marshmellows until she's grown. You absolutely do not want to damage the growth plates. Even then... work up slowly to what would be full weight which is less percentage of body weight than a human pack. I made it a rule to that my dog only carried what _she_ needed to be on the trail. Her own water and food. I did not put anything of any weight of mine on her. If I wasn't willing to carry it, why should I make her. Occasionally she would pack an extra bag of trail mix. But mostly her own water bottle, kibble and bowls.”

“I agree with you ramblin...

I would feel guilty making Marley ( my dog) anything extra of mine.”

“PAhiker, we have a pointer too. Wait until yours is done growing before loading the pack,but it can definitely start wearing it. We had a hard time fitting our pointer because of the huge chest cavity, tiny waist. We ended up taking her pack in. Try and find one w/ as many adjustments as possible.
'Nother thing to consider: these dogs get eaten alive by bugs because of their short hair. The biting flies are particularly bad. Not sure how to get around this, we never found a good solution.”

“Rogaine for dogs?”

“Spray skin so soft on them, its alittle oily, but does great for bugs on people too”

“I always hesitated to put bug repellent on her, as she'd end up ingesting it.
last edited: 3/14/08 10:03:20 AM”

“I have never really been able to get my dog to talk much about anything, so i don't know if he or she likes being a mule like that. I know at times I get tired of wearing one myself. But I am wearing it because I want to, not because I have to. I always carry my dogs stuff. Even the log chain to tie him or her out with, lol”

“If you can't tell whether your dog likes something, then you likely aren't paying close enuf attention to the dog. There was no question with our first dog and no question with the second. First one loved it. Second one wants no part of it.”

“Our dog wears a granite gear pack pack.

For the bugs try:
Bring a quart of water to boil with a thinly sliced large lemon and a 6" rosemary sprig. Reomve it from the heat & let it steep overnight. You can spray the hell out of your dogs with it and it's nontoxic. You have to apply every few hours. It works great for keeping the tics off of my dogs when we go out. Might help with flies too.”

“so we need to get 2 new packs for them, they are SO expensive....”

“Sometimes you can find a good deal on a dog pack on ebay.

Our dog is a mutt but she has a deep chest & small waist. I bought & resold a few different packs for her before we found the Ruffwear pack - it has enough adjustability to fit her well. If you have any fit questions, their customer service is great.

She carries about 10% of her body weight in her pack - a .5 liter Platy water bottle in each pannier, her fleece sleeping blankets, her lightweight tie-out, her food, her water & food bowls, poop bags & poop container (a hard-sided container is good to protect loaded poop bags from accidental rupture), booties, vetwrap, panalog ointment, benadryl, tweezers, and a flea comb for grass burrs.

It's best to try to keep heavier items closest to the shoulders, and it's a good idea to protect anything that water might harm by encasing it in waterproof bags.
last edited: 3/14/08 11:58:02 AM”

“Thanks Currahee, I'll give that a try.”

“http://www.sunnysports.com/Prod/CategoryID_2591/Context_2200/Sort_Stock/DescSort_0/MTSDTSM.html?Hit=1





They have other sizes too.”

“HOPING THAT SOME CAMPER OUT THERE IN THIS WONDERFUL WORLD OF OURS CAN HELP ME WITH PICKING THE RIGHT BACKPACK. LOOKING FOR COMFORT,LIGHT WEIGHT,PLENTY OF ROOM INSIDE
BACKPACK. AND DOES NOT COST THE FARM OR A COUPLE OF FINGERS OR MY FIRST BORN TO PURCHASE IT.”

“this is an old thread, so i'm looking for more recent advice on the best dog backpacks in case anything has changed. Turbo will be one year old in early may and i need him to carry his own water now. he weighs 40lbs and is the size/shape of an australian cattle dog.”

“I have used Adventure 16, Ruffwear, and Wolf Packs.

Adventure 16 is a low budget basic pack and does what it is supposed to do. If not fit correctly it can rub the back of the front leg on the buckle side.

Ruffwear makes a several models from basic pack to ones with self contained water bladders and removable saddlebags. The reason I bought this brand was because of the lift loop. When Angie got her hips broke and nerve damage she needed assistance over things. I consider this brand the Cadillac of dog packs.

Wolf Packs-I really liked this pack because it only has one belly and chest strap and is a homegrown company, not a large corporation. If Angie had not needed the help over objects I would have never stopped using this pack. It is a simple design, well constructed, and they back the product.

http://wolfpacks.com/
http://www.ruffwear.com/

I couldn't find a homepage for Adventure 16 but a google gives several hits to sources with photos.

Sounds like Turbo will use a small pack. Angie is 46 pounds and the small fit her perfectly. Ruffwear and Wolf Packs have very good sizing instructions to follow.”

“i use an outward hound...it's a budget pack as well but it has always served my needs...it has a nice velcro pouch on the top were you can store the leash with it still attached to the dog so you can grab it quickly if needed

http://cgi.ebay.com/Outward-Hound-Saddle-Bags-Dog-Backpack-4-Color-Choices-/130503951621?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item641f1e56ee”

“Good choice, thriftyhiker!”

“If you can find the granite gear one, it is badazz!”

“i think sipseys is a granite gear or REI. I'll look at home and report back.”

“this is the first one i saw, in Petsmart.
http://www.myoutwardhound.com/oh05350.html#scProductReviews

i like this pack by the same manufacturer thrifty, tried it on Turbo and it seemed like it would stay on well without slipping. little worried about the stitching though, seemed cheap. the main thing that kept me from buying it was that it was supposed to have a D ring on it for a leash and it didn't have one like the packing said.

it's nice looking in plaid,
http://www.myoutwardhound.com/oh05266.html
but i was thinking it's better to be red and very visible.

anyways, that's why i came here looking for advice. i'll go and see at what ya'll have given me to look at.”

“your local outdoor store may have a selection of dog packs.”

“yeah, the REI dog packs are very expensive. i think i'm going to begin cheap and see how it goes with Turbo. if he acclimates well to weight on his back i can move up. the wolf packs look kinda wide, i know there are trails we have trouble getting through. i wouldn't want him hung up.”

“Getting hung up will happen with any pack. Dogs don't understand a pack hanging on them making them wider. They learn...I am on my 4th dog using packs and they all figure this out.

You have to realize the photos are to show volume and styling and just like a backpack in a store stuffed with fluff. When loaded they all sag.

This is a dog...it has no choice but to carry the pack and you are the owner and master. Start off by putting it on them empty to carry around the house and back yard to correct them if they want to chew on it and get use to wearing it. Then start putting stuff in the pack bags...learning to balance a load is going to take some practice from you.

Once you go on a couple of trips with them using it when you pull it out for trips they associate the pack with going on the trail and start going crazy.

Welcome to sticker shock and the price of dog packs. That is why I bought the Adventure 16 packs to begin with. The problem with cheap is fit and most cheap ones fail badly in this area...just suck it up and drop that $80. I suggest going with a good color you can see. For me I use red because I go to many hunting areas...not many red bears or coyotes running around out there.”

“i agree with sticks. the cheap packs chafe.”

“There are some Olly dog packs on sale at REI Outlet right now. Maybe someone has experience with them.
http://www.rei.com/outlet/category/22000001/q/Mega+Deals”

“

The setup of only one belly strap is exactly the same as Wolf Packs. There are two reasons I really like the lift handle. One is lifting, second it is something to grab to control your dog.

They did not have a sizing chart so before I bought one I would call them to get instructions. Wolf Packs measure body length and girth at the bottom of the rib cage...not sure about Olly packs. As I said my dog @ 46# wears a small and it fits perfectly.
http://www.ollydog.com
last edited: 4/27/11 3:29:03 PM”

“i really like the inside organization of the ollydog pack, the handle is as important as the D ring, but will two tiny straps alone hold it stable? and there is no padding on the straps either.”

“Personally I recommend the Ruffwear packs. I've been using an Approach pack on my dog for years and it's held up beautifully. I love the leash clip (leashes are required in Texas state parks), the handle, the streamlined shape, and the capacity. My dog loves the comfort. Backcountry K9 (not affiliated) often has good deals on outdoor dog gear.

I hope it's OK to mention here...there's a yahoo group for people who hike with dogs called traildogs that has lots of good info on packs, safe and considerate hiking with dogs, etc. You might find it helpful.

Whatever pack you choose, start out light and give your dog time to get in shape, just like you. The muscles need to get used to carrying a pack, and the feet need to toughen up.

Have fun!”

“Those are not tiny straps...unless you consider 500# strength webbing lightweight. On my Wolf Packs Angie ripped out the stitching at the attachment point for the belly strap before the webbing or buckle broke. This set up looks so much like a Wolf Pack design I wonder if this is not manufactured by them and sold under this brand name.

I pick Angie up and carry her in the Ruffwear pack at least once a trip and have never had an issue...ever.

In fact I picked up my other dogs in the cheap Adventure 16 packs and they never broke.”

“Dizzy, when you get better, email me. My girl is too old for her pack and I would sell it to you for cheap. It's a good pack and I'd love for it to go to a doggy in need...

roseymonstah -a-t-y-a-h-o-o-d-o-t-c-o-m”

“i'll let you know rosey. thank you.”