Pwca
Posted : 4/19/2007 7:13:25 AM
Here's some notes from a talk at our local REI about packing with dogs, and a few observations from almost 3 years now of packing.
Notes for fitting backpacks
A properly fitted backpack should be no longer than the dog's rib cage (no weight on the spine where it's not protected by ribs) and long-backed, short-loined dogs (like properly build corgis) should have one that's even a bit shorter than that. Dogs with poor conformation (particularly poor toplines/shoulders) should carry less than the 20% general weight. always acclimate & use common sense- never start a new dog at full weight, etc. Straps should be fitted but not tight- fingers underneath, just like people-packs. no bunching or twisting. saddlebags should not interfere with dog's shoulder. most people tend to fit too big- smaller always better if it carries what you need. puppies can begin carrying empty pack 5-6 mos, keep weight off until grown. talk to vet, trainer, mentor- depends on breed & growth rate.
Keep in mind terrain- lots of up and down, decrease weight. especially if your dog has a very straight front (poor shock absorption.) Remember water is heavy and shifts, especially in bladders that aren't full. 1 Q of water weighs almost 3 pounds. For training/exercise, rice is better, or ice blocks, especially in hot weather- wrap in something for thin-coated dogs like pointers. watch out for bag fit on downhill, most packs don't use any system to keep them from sliding forward. (That's what the loop on top is for in most cases.)
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There's a LOT of good gear reviews on the various outdoorsy-sites. Uberpest.com has some great info about backpacking with her catahoulas. I *loathe* the outward hound packs- I think they're overpriced, under-designed pieces of junk that don't fit ANY dog properly. They're too wide in the top (and the drawstring system tends to slip), they hang VERY low unless your dog is built like a beer keg, and they're all much longer than they really ought to be. Ruffwear makes GREAT packs but they're overkill for dayhiking. I have four packs at this point- a Kelti Chuckwagon that doesn't fit any of my current guys, a no-name cheapie pack from Petco ($10, modified to let the straps out) that I use for Indy (corgi- needed a toy-size pack that was shallow, not too long- with long backed dogs, balance weight on shoulders, but with straps for a deep chest and large neck), a Weneha jogger (Wings' pack- we used it for her everyday SD stuff, but it's the PERFECT size for dayhiking- fits about 2 quarts of water, a snack, and all the poop bags and a first aid kit with a decent amount of room to spare.), and a wolf packs saddlebag, which is okay, but not great- it's not very adjustable, and I don't like the way it hangs. My local REI is getting in some of the Ruffwear packs in the next week or two and we'll try those out. One thing I've noticed is that the weight ratings on some of these packs is bizaare- they seem to assume that a 40 pound dog is really much heavier. Wings was 48 pounds when she passed away at 20 months and wore an EXTRA SMALL pack that was supposedly rated for a 20 pound dog. That 20 pound dog would have had the world's largest girth for a small dog, then, because I actually cut down the strap so that it would not dangle so much after being taken up. The '20 pound dog' pack fits Mal if it's let all the way out.
Um... other stuff.. if your dog calms down well with a pack, check out some of the 'anxiety wrap' products- you may get a similar effect with those. And if you're only going to use it for exercising in, there's really no need to go nuts- the "Outdoor Products" cheapies (and the Petco ones- whcih I've just been reminded are by Dickens Closet) with the mesh back conforms to most dogs a little better than the outward hound ones and are in the same price range. Better yet, if you've got a local REI, (check REI.com for locations), go try them on in person, and get some advice from their employees. REI is a co-op, IIRC, and while yours may not have it, ours has a local dog hiking group.
Cait & the monsters