So how much weight?

[aManicCookie]

Okay so I just got Gryff an approach pack for our walks... We're not going to be doing anything hardcore. Just like an hour max in and around town, parks, on some light trails. Nothing huge...

But I wanted something to help wear him down a little and figured he could carry some water bottles. I've been weighing them... and I'm unsure at how much to put on him. I figured I'd put one liter bottle in each side of his pack. That's roughly 5 pounds. (1 L = 1kg... 1kg = 2.2lbs)

Is that okay to start with? Just wanna make sure

[Msmart]

I'm no expert by any means. But I have 64 pound female and I have her carry the weight you described and she does amazing. Actually slows her down a little and makes the walk much more enjoyable. Hope this helps. Merry Christmas.

[AbbyK9]

How much does Gryff weigh and how old is he?

A healthy adult dog that is trained to carry weight can easily carry 30% of his body weight on an extended weekend hike - even 40% of his body weight is fine if that amount includes items that will be used during the hike, like food or water.

If you're new to training a dog for packing and just getting started, a good start-off weight is 5% of the dog's body weight, including the weight on the pack, and then increase it gradually from there to build stamina muscle.

And please make sure your pack sits correctly. It should be really far forward with the majority of the weight being supported by the shoulder and front legs, not sit in the middle of the back. This is not so important if you have very little weight in the pack but becomes very important if your dog carries a lot since their spines are flexible.

[DaisyAM]

It's recommended that your dog carry no more than 25 - 30% of their body weight in their dog pack. If your dog is new to dog packs, start with a light load and work up to a heavier load as your dog gets accustomed to wearing the pack.

[Chicagocanine]

Personally if you are going to be using it a lot for regular walks I'd probably not go higher than about 10% of their body weight, and that not until they've been conditioned. I would not want to put too much extra stress on the bones and joints.