WyoBC Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I looked at the old thread on this topic but really didn't find my answers. So I hope you don't mind me asking again. I am going to start walking trails and hiking this summer so I thought I would look into getting Black Jack his own backpack. My questions are, 1. Since he's not your "normal" bouncing off the walls hyper BC all of the time, will it hurt him to wear it? and 2. If it won't hurt him, than what's the best kind? I was looking at this one online. Backpack It seems slimmer than the other ones I have looked at. I'm not looking to have him carry a lot. Just an extra leash, his foldable water bowl, some treats and a ball or so. What do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 It doesn't sound like you're going to load it down so I say go for it. Solo has a backpack; after trying a number of styles the one that fit him best was the Granite Gear pack in size small (small is Border Collie size -- the larger sizes are enormous). The design is very unobtrusive and well balanced. REI has a line of dog packs out now that looks similar and is probably cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flrpwr52 Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 We use the Wolf Packs, reflector style. They have a strap that goes across the chest and one under the chest. There is no way this pack can slip or slide to the side. I didn't see that in the one you are looking at. Something to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pearse Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I looked at the old thread on this topic but really didn't find my answers. So I hope you don't mind me asking again. I am going to start walking trails and hiking this summer so I thought I would look into getting Black Jack his own backpack. My questions are, 1. Since he's not your "normal" bouncing off the walls hyper BC all of the time, will it hurt him to wear it? and 2. If it won't hurt him, than what's the best kind? I was looking at this one online. Backpack It seems slimmer than the other ones I have looked at. I'm not looking to have him carry a lot. Just an extra leash, his foldable water bowl, some treats and a ball or so. What do you guys think? I haven't backpacked with my Border Collies as much but I used to with a German Shepherd I had and he would carry a week or two worth of food in his packs and we'd head off into the BC backcountry (think mountains) for 7-10 day trips. If the pack fits properly, they'll tolerate it well up to about 30% of their body weight but they won't like it at first. When you first put the pack on, they're likely to act like a saddle bronc and try to buck or rub it off. Start with it empty a week or two before your first hike and just praise and reward him for wearing it. Then have him wear it for short walks every time you take him out. It won't take long for him to associate it with going out for fun, and then you are good to go. Mountainsmith, GraniteGear, and Kelty all make decent dog packs. Pearse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I love Maggie's Granite Gear pack - if fits well, the price was right, and it looks great. She too isn't your typical high energy BC and we don't use it much, but she adjusted really quickly and has no trouble carrying what you describe on hikes. Maggie will turn 9yo in June, so I bet Black Jack will do just fine. Regardless of what pack you get, make sure the weight is distributed over the shoulders. Some of the cheaper packs put it over the back and that can cause problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxgloveBC Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Would backpacks be fine even if the dog is a little rambunctious? When I take Foxy to the parks for hikes, she is on leash when we hike at all times. So she is never running, jumping, or going crazy when she would be wearing the pack. I would like to be able to bring water and extra leashes and stuff but if I wear a backpack, I have a hard time with heat intolerance and anything that weighs down on me gets me close to heat stroke and fainting (I was knocked unconscious out in the middle of the day in summer and ever since then I have had a hard time with the heat). If I dont have anything like that on me, I am generally fine though as long as I am not out in the middle of the day. I wouldnt need to bring a lot, just a couple bottles of water and their collapsable bowl, two extra leashes, my cell phone, and a small digi cam that weighs about two ounces..LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Water is heavy. I wouldn't make my dog carry water, especially if my dog was only six or seven months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxgloveBC Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Water is heavy. I wouldn't make my dog carry water, especially if my dog was only six or seven months old. so even just two normal sized bottles of water would be too heavy? I am talking the Ozarka bottles. Not a big bottle. That would still be too much? I was thinking of putting one on each side of the backpack to evenly distribute the weight. The other stuff (the bowl is a collaspable fabric bowl, and the phone and camera weight next to nothing) doesnt weigh much at all. So mainly it would be the weight of the two pints of water. If that is still too heavy for her then I wouldnt, thats why I was asking. I have never taken dogs hiking before, and never thought of a dog backpack until i saw this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 IF your dog is used to carrying weight, the rule is up to 30% of their body weight but you're supposed to work up to this slowly, just like you would for yourself. I would not personally strap on 35 pounds of backpack and go on a long hike without doing a lot of conditioning. If two pints of water is too much for you to carry yourself without fatigue, I would not ask your puppy to carry that. I would rather not take risks with puppies. The most I've ever made my dogs carry is treats and poop bags. I carry the water in a Camelbak pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I absolutely love my Ruff Wear pack but am not at all impressed with my Outward Hound Pack. Ruff Wear Outward Hound I would not ask a pup under 18 months old to carry much other than a dish and some cookies, car keys, etc. A conditioned adult can carry up to 1/3 of their body weight in a well padded pack. The cheap ones should not be used to carry much weight on any age dog. ETA, if I was designing a pack I would make the chest strap a Y shape instead of the straight ones on 99% of packs. I would restrict movement less and be more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxgloveBC Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 IF your dog is used to carrying weight, the rule is up to 30% of their body weight but you're supposed to work up to this slowly, just like you would for yourself. I would not personally strap on 35 pounds of backpack and go on a long hike without doing a lot of conditioning. If two pints of water is too much for you to carry yourself without fatigue, I would not ask your puppy to carry that. I would rather not take risks with puppies. The most I've ever made my dogs carry is treats and poop bags. I carry the water in a Camelbak pack. thanks for your reply even though I feel like you are being a bit sarcastic with me. Its not the weight that would be too much for me. Its the actual backpack trapping the heat on my body which causes me to have problems, for some reason I overheat like crazy when I have had a pack strapped on me. It has only been like that since my accident. I was just trying to think of alternative ways so I could carry the water with me for the dogs instead of having to go back and forth from my vehicle is all. Sorry I even asked... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have a Kelty dog pack for Lucia. She loves it. Although, if it's really hot and she gets a wiff of water, it's done for It fills up when she jumps in and ruins everything inside Start out with nothing in it and gradually make it heavier until Blackjack is used to it. I like some of the other styles better. There's one company that makes a harness that the packs fit onto. you can take the packs off with out taking the whole harness off. Don't remember the company name Water isn't a good idea. Even the small bottles shift and slosh. It can throw a dog off balance when they're climbing. I taught Lucia to drink out of my camelbak. No bowl needed then. You can put more stuff in the backpack if they don't carry water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FoxgloveBC Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Water isn't a good idea. Even the small bottles shift and slosh. It can throw a dog off balance when they're climbing. I taught Lucia to drink out of my camelbak. No bowl needed then. You can put more stuff in the backpack if they don't carry water I might look into those Camelbacks, I never known anyone to have one so I didnt know how good they really were. Maybe those wouldnt affect me as much as one of the bigger normal sized backpacks. though, it is completely flat here (sea level lol), no climbing ever, but i wouldnt want to have anything slosh around and be too much of a hassle for her. Just trying to brainstorm to make our outings as best as possible and also better for them where they can have more access to water. The bowl folds up into a little flat thing so it wouldnt take up much room, maybe i could carry a couple things in my Gentle Leader pouch. Might be the best idea. Now to go to Bass Pro and look at these Camelback contraptions =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I was just trying to think of alternative ways so I could carry the water with me for the dogs instead of having to go back and forth from my vehicle is all. What about an old fashioned canteen that you could strap over your shoulder? You could fill it to whatever amount you are comfortable carrying, and that would save you some trips back and forth to the vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna frankland (uk) Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 i wear combat trousers (ex military camos) pretty much all the time if i am hiking, you can fit 2 fairly decent sized water bottles in them, one in each leg pocket. perhaps that would be easier for you hun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Sorry I even asked... Yeesh, there sure are a lot of oversensitive people around here these days. That said, you may want to look into a hip pack or fanny pack which will not cover up your back to carry water. Foxy may be able to carry water when she is mature, but I would not make a growing puppy bear weight on hikes. I have three dogs, so the amount of water that we all need is too much to ask one of them to carry, and splitting the water up between dogs is too big a pain in the ass for me to deal with, so for me the Camelbak is the best solution. That said, it is a backpack, so if you don't want to carry a backpack you should not go this route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenajo Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 whoops, wrong thread...going over to noise thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyoBC Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Thanks guys. I appreciate all of the help. I had never thought about a dog pack until yesterday. It just sort of popped in my head! It would make trips to the park so much easier. I got to looking online and found some different views of the Kelty pack. Here I found out it does have the "Y" belt in front! I can see how the Y belt would be nicer for the dog. From what I can tell it looks really good. And Black Jack isn't a big fan of the river anyway so that shouldn't be a problem I did almost buy the Med one since he fit into the weight and size range, but I held off buying it until I asked you guys. Just to be sure. I'm sure it would have been to big. I never thought about him being small for their weight sizing. So I am going to go with the small one. Thanks a bunch guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
in2adventure Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Lucia has a med size Kelty. She weighs 47lbs and it's a smidge big. It cinches small enough, but I think the smaller one would have been better. It was the only one they had in the store. There is also a buch of extra room that we don't need because she can't carry that much weight. The only things I really put in there is treats, extra food, leash and stuff like that. It stays put really well, doesn't slide around or needs adjustment while in use. I check it on all our breaks and even take it off once in awhile to give her a break. She looks so proud when it's on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanni and kingsley Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 here's a pretty comprehensive writeup on doggy back packs.. check it out. http://abbyk9.blogspot.com/2008/04/dog-packs-101.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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