Backpack

[Chicagocanine]

Originally Posted by lkcheertex

It would just be for short walks and hikes. An hour at the most probably. Where are they half off?

At REI and I think also on Ruffwear's website (only one of the colors is on sale I think.)

[GSDElsa]

Thumbs up to both the new REI brand ones as well as anything RuffWear. Get the size according to what you need it for.

[Rodeo.]

Rodeo has one of the Outward Hound ones from petsmart. I use it on trail rides. Hopefully the weather will back off soon so I can get some new pictures.

[AbbyK9]

Shenzi'sMom - I do explain it on my blog but I don't mind explaining it again.

When it comes to carrying weight, dogs are built very differently from other animals used to carry loads, such as horses or goats or llamas. Dogs have very flexible spines, so they're not really designed to carry heavy weights where they are supported by the spine. That's actually very uncomfortable for the dog and can potentially cause injury depending on the weight, duration, and period of years you pack with the dog.

For a pack to be properly designed for a dog's anatomy, the weight of the pack needs to be primarily supported by the shoulder (and the front legs), rather than the spine, so you don't stress that flexible spine and allow your dog to comfortably carry a load.

The front / chest / neck area of the dog is also something to be considered. If you watch horses pull a heavy load - or dogs pull a load, for that matter - you'll see that they tend to lean their heads forward, often until their neck and top of the head is level with the shoulder. This gives them more pulling power. Equally, when a dog carries a load, especially uphill, you want to give them the ability to "lean into it" (just like people tend to lean into it carrying packs uphill) in a way that is comfortable and not restrictive.

That's why a good design for the pack's suspension system is so important - you want the dog to lean his neck forward without being restricted (or "choked") by the chest strap. A y-front harness is the BEST way to accomplish this as it distributes weight onto the center of the chest and does not restrict the neck. As an added bonus, it tends to keep a pack much more stable than a straight-across neck/chest strap does.

I also think, quality wise, some of those cheaper pet store packs just don't hold up if you use them very frequently or for carrying anything heavy, like a whole bunch of water. The packs done by Kelty use the same materials and workmanship as the equipment they make for people, and they make some pretty nice equipment. (Kelty does, among other things, backpacks for the military.) RuffWear is in its own league as they don't make human gear, just dog gear, but it's excellent quality like what you'd see from a really good hiking pack like from Gregory or Osprey, in terms of materials and workmanship.

One thing I really like about RuffWear is that they ask for AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION customer feedback and comments. One of the trail dog groups I belong to has a RuffWear rep who comes there and talks to people using their products about how to improve them and to get general feedback, and a lot of the changes they've made is based on feedback like that.

[Dlilly]

I have an Outward Hound pack. It is cheaply made. We bought it online real cheap though so.... I used to have it on Shiloh, but it looks like it is too far forward on her and rubs against her legs. It fits better on Delilah since she is larger. I hope to start backpacking again with Shiloh.

[ShenzisMom]

Thanks Chris. I learned a lot from your blog and your posts. I'll definitely look into RuffWear and get a better suited pack for the dog.

[dogluver]

I have looked at many makes of backpacks for my girl and need suggestions from experience on style.
Most have a single strap that either comes around the front of the neck or across the chest. I seen only a few that actually have a T-strap like a harness on the chest.
Please tell me what you think of the choices and what you believe to be the best. I'm only going to use it for day hikes. Not a lot of weight.

[doggiedad]

how much weight should your dog carry??

Originally Posted by dogluver

Please tell me what you think of the choices and what you believe to be the best.

>>>>I'm only going to use it for day hikes. Not a lot of weight.<<<<

[doggiedad]

i think the Ruff Wear "Approach Pack" is
on sale at REI. you can order the pack on line
and they'll send it to the REI nearest you
saving you the shipping charge. find
out how much weight (a safe amount) you dog
can carry.

[VaBeachFamily]

We have the Outward Hound one from Jeffers Pet.. I wanted Blue, but got Green lol, but otherwise I like it. Only issue it, it doesn't have the least straps at the top, which I wanted since we do most of our hikes off lead, but we even use it when we go return redbox or blockbuster movies, he carried them, my keys, my cell, etc. He loves it. He sees the pack and goes ballistic... he loves to have a job!