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Hi,

 

We have a 6 month old BC mixed with 1/4 retriever. Currently scent training to be a DAD diabetic alert dog.

 

We like to hike and thought a backpack for the dog would be hand to carry my daughters supplies.

 

Any luck having your BC wear a backpack?

 

I thought a water bottle and collapsable drinking dish would be handy for those long day hikes too.

 

 

more info-

Currently we all carry hip packs with two water bottles per person and we share with the dog. My dd also carries an addition small backpack with Emergency supplies. If your unfamiliar with type 1 diabetes - exercise and fresh air can make their blood sugar drop quickly. We need to bring sugary foods and protein along to keep her safe. Diabetics are 3 times more likely to get dehydrated - so she also carries extra water.

Its NOT that she can't do it, she just has to be prepared..she can do anything she puts her mind too.

 

btw Molly again alerted successfully at home. During our hike she did not alert- need to work on generalization- alerting in high distraction of scents and activity.

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My BC never gave the backpack (Ruffwear brand - the teardrop shape model) a second thought when I put it on him. He just ignored it and went about his business.

 

You should acclimate them to carrying loads in the backpack. The first time Torque wore his backpack, it was empty. The second time, I put 2 5-oz cat food cans in it (one per side to keep it balanced). Gradually increase the weight. I am not sure - maybe others will chime in -- but I think that the max weight should be about 25-30% of the dog's weight.

 

I have found it hard to keep a balanced pack once we start drinking the water or eating the snacks. The pack tends to slip more than I like to see, but I may not have it properly fitted (too loose?).

 

Glad to know that Molly is 'on the job'.

 

Jovi

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my BCs have also never given a second thought to wearing a pack, mine have a wolfpack bonzai, I can load it up and put in on any one of my girls with no trouble...thats the problem actually lol, they could not care less about the pack and carry on as normal...which means taking off through thickets and jumping off ravines into water.. pack and all our stuff included. :blink:

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Both of my dogs wear backpacks when we are hiking. They never gave it a second thought once I put them on, and have never seemed to mind. We live in the desert, so to carry enough water for all of us on a long hike is hard for me; the dogs carry their own water and snacks.

 

Be sure to get the kidney or teardrop shaped packs, with adjustable back straps, and not the ones that look like a box on either side of the dog. The adjustable kidney shaped ones fit closer to the dog's body and are much easier for them to wear without having them slip around. If the pack moves around a lot it will rub a sore spot. Because I live in a warm climate, mine do not have any cloth or even mesh across the back, just the adjustable straps. Adjustability is important as the pack goes from full to empty.

 

Put water in bottles, an equal amount on each side of the dog. Be sure to keep the weight even on both sides by giving them equal amounts of water from a bottle on each side of the pack.

 

D'Elle and the hikin' BCs

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This:

Put water in bottles, an equal amount on each side of the dog. Be sure to keep the weight even on both sides by giving them equal amounts of water from a bottle on each side of the pack.

from D'Elle

 

OTOH, I had a malamute/shepherd/something mix, that I backpacked with on several long hikes. He wasn't excited about the pack (a good one), but never really balked at it. I never liked putting water in his pack - think of the "slosh" factor. The more water, the more slosh/centrifugal slosh as they walk/run. But then, water is what is heavy, and what you want the dog to carry. I also NEVER put food in his pack - think bears! So, he mostly got bulky/lightweight stuff. Always in ziplock bags - he loved splashing in water.

 

After awhile, I pretty much gave it up, and figured if I wanted him along, I'd just have to carry everything for both of us. Didn't kill me.

 

diane

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I also NEVER put food in his pack - think bears!

 

diane

 

Hmmm! That reminds me of the joke:

Outrun the bear

 

Two campers are walking through the forest when they suddenly encounter a grizzly bear.

 

The bear rears up on his hind legs and lets out a terrifying roar.

 

Both campers are frozen in their tracks.

 

The first camper whispers, "I'm sure glad I wore my running shoes today."

 

"It doesn't matter what kind of shoes you're wearing, you're not gonna outrun that bear," replies the second.

 

"I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun YOU," he answers.

********************************

 

Soo -- I don't I would worry about my dog carrying food since he can easily outrun me. :D:D

 

Jovi

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I never liked putting water in his pack - think of the "slosh" factor. The more water, the more slosh/centrifugal slosh as they walk/run. But then, water is what is heavy, and what you want the dog to carry.

 

diane

 

I was thinking of all the slosh factor we as humans carry around...I am not as young as I think!! :rolleyes:

 

Good ideas on equal weight - I haven't bought the pack yet, she is just pup. Wondering if she will continue to grow.

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  • 3 years later...

I see this is an older post but I want to resurrect it rather than start a whole new thread as I am considering putting a back pack on Jade and I am wondering if those of you who use a back pack have a preference for a particular brand.

 

Jade is border collie/black lab but there may also be some Whippet in her. She has more like the lab or whippet coat. She weighs 38.2 pounds and will be 2 in September. Those of you who are familiar with us also know that she is extremely sensitive to noise. Working on using a thunder shirt as well....velcro ripping is a real trip for her.

 

I want her to be able to use the back pack to carry her water and her treats when we start taking longer walks to work on new environment behavior and to get her some additional different exercise.

 

Thanks

Teri

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Love the Ruffwear brand packs. I had one on my dog years ago. She backed right off a cliff on top of a mountain. Thanks to the excellent harness design, all she did was dangle safely from the end of the leash (which was clipped to the harness loop of the pack for safety reasons). I've had several of their packs over the years (plus other brands) and am by far most happy with the Ruffwear. For the rare, casual weekend hiker, many brands will do. For more regular use or more dangerous situations, I would not compromise.

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I just purchased a ruffware pack to upgrade Lyka's after having a much cheaper pack and it is much better built. Both of mine have detachable packs, which is important to me so I can choose to just have the harness on or give the dog a break without removing the entire backpack. I like that the ruffware packs clip instead of Velcro as well. As soon as I can afford it I plan to upgrade Lily to a ruffware pack too.

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I know this is an old thread and the op is long gone by I'll stick this here in case someone else comes looking for info. Ruffwear makes a hydration pack that has less carrying capacity than their other packs and has removable bladders. I've heard several people say that it makes a really nice service dog pack. Enough space to hold the necessities without being bulky.

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Liz, Cas and Maralynn,

Thank you for your responses. I knew this was an old thread but since it had the title of what I was looking for, didn't want to start an entire new thread. I will certainly be looking at the Ruffwear since all three of you have responded with that brand.

 

Thank you so much.

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