Dog Backpacks

Got more then you can carry... then let your dogs help out...
you know dogs don't need any special training to be a pack dog... all you need is the right sized pack...
did you know there happens to be a very active community of dog packers???

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This is Qannik wearing his Banzai dog pack on a glacier pass which accesses the Aiguilles Dorées (golden peaks) in the Alps. His owner, Cédric Undritz, took him on a rockclimbing trip.

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This is Jackson, owned by Joshua Colgan. He is a large mixed breed who was rescued from a bad situation. Now he has a wonderful home and gets to backpack in the beautiful forests of Pennsylvania. This picture was taken on the Falls Trail at Ricketts Glen State Park, elevation 2500 feet. The falls trail is known for the 22 waterfalls that line its 7+ miles. It's a tough, rocky trail, and very slick from the water that sprays on to the trail.

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this is mixed breed dog named Chewbacca up at Mammoth Lakes area.

I'm not going to recommend any brand of dog pack... Petco does sell a smaller one for less then $40... but the more serious pro bags can get rather pricey... still there are well worth the price...
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A doggy bug out bag is great.

They can carry their own food, water and still have room for extras like navigation and fire starting materials.

They're the greatest little things ever.

Good call.

Dogs may not need any special training to carry a back pack, but they do need conditioning. You don't want to load an unconditioned dog with a bunch of weight on his back or he will be injured. Dogs aren't made to carry anything on their backs, so if you're going to do this, get the pack now and start using it. Empty at first and add light weights until you get to 10% of his weight if he's working and 15% of his weight if he's just walking. That's max.

And make sure the pack fits up on his shoulders, over his front legs, not in the center of his back.

My dog loves her pack. I started acclimating her to it when she was a pup. Back then, I'd just put a few treats & some water in it. Over the years, I used canned vegetables as a weight in her pack and slowly extended the time carried while also slowly adding more weight. We sometimes go camping & she can carry her own kibble, bowl, treats and a little more without any problem. She seems to love helping- I think any dog with a job is happier. We live in a hot climate, so I'm very careful about overextending her.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


All good points, thanks for the add...
I might also say... I prefer the packs that come with a separate pad so the pack doesn't rub against the animal.... dont want your pooch to get blisters on their backs right???

Great idea, DaddyBare!

I have 3 dogs so with the right conditioning/training, they all could help carry stuff! Especially their own food and water.

S&F

If you friend Dave Canterbury on FB he posts a lot of different traps and new things from the Pathfinder School.

His latest was modifying bike panniers for his pack goat. (yes pack goat.)

I've been considering getting a Molle vest for my dogs like this one:
www.elitek9.com...

I always liked the idea of being able to have configurable packs for both of my pitbulls rather than just a couple of large pouches. Not that there is anything wrong with the standard double bag packs.

Not only can they carry everything you have. If you run out of food you can eat them.