What do you guys think of dog back packs? I want to get Arnie something better than his chest plate harness and also be functional and practical about things. It is winter here now, but in summer I want to start doing some hikes and camping trips and be more out doors. Now, I am too cold. I am thinking of getting either the Ezydog Convert Harness or the Kurgo Wander dog backpack harness. I like the ezydog one more than the Kurgo, based on the quality of the other ezydog products I already have. I am having trouble finding one though. The Kurgo is everywhere, but I don't think I will get one of them. Anyway, what do you think of these kinds of harnesses? http://ezydog.com.au/convert-harness/ https://www.amazon.com/Kurgo-00028-Wander-Dog-Backpack/dp/B002FYZ0UY
Can I ask if you've already got the ezydog chest plate harness? I was going to order a harness from the UK, but if ezydog is a good product then I'm happy to go Aussie.
Yeah @Xena Dog Princess i have the chest plate harness. It is pretty good. I am on my second now because he outgrew the first one. He wore a medium sized one until just recently, at about 6 months. And now he's onto the large size. We will see how long it lasts. Quality wise they are great. Arnie swims with his and wears it whenever we go out. So it cops a lot of abuse, and it never let go or broke. Pretty much all my dog gear is ezydog.
I'm a bit dubious about putting a load on a dog's back. Backs weren't designed to take weight. If you do use one make sure you accurately weigh everything that's going to go in it and perfectly balance the left and right sides. And do a lot of training, gradually building up to the final weight. Back muscles need time to develop the strength to carry weight and the body needs to learn how to walk with a weight involved.
Thanks @Somatic turns out they don't ship internationally but there are ways around that. Good to hear a glowing review.
Yeah @Oberon I don't intend to load him up with heaps of weight. I think the harness itself is really good and the added bonus of the backpack is cool. I will only load small things in there, like his own meals and a bottle of water.
No worries Just make sure the weight is evenly balanced, left to right, otherwise it'll move unevenly and will put more strain on one side of his body.
Gosh how strange, I remember asking this question and being told it was a bad idea. I don't know how to link but the thread is 'Dog Backpack or Saddle bag' under Products for dogs and their owners.
I'm not keen on the idea of dogs carrying things, I do know of course that people have them do it (so lots of people obviously think it's fine) but I think there are enough problem joints around in Labradors to make me wonder if it's a good idea....
I think it probably is a bad idea, and not really worth it in most cases. My remark was flippant, but the dogs' needs (first aid kit, food, water) weigh next to nothing in relation to our own. So I don't see why you wouldn't just chuck it in with your own stuff.
I also think it a bad idea, it could slip to one side or the other, the weight may cause muscle strain, it restricts the dog's movement. Nice thought though
I've already bought it lol. Not gonna load him up, so I doubt it would cause any problems. And when I do put something in it'll only be small items weighing next to nothing. I appreciate everyone's comments though. I will send some pix and video when it arrives and we can have this conversation again
Just don't let them roll in poop! I would really want mine carrying things around for many reasons but getting poop on stuff thats hard to wash nightmare
We had one for our Malamute and our first two Labs, Ginger and Tilly. We haven't gotten one for Cooper yet. Ruffwear used to make one where the pack separated from the harness. Made it easy to get the pack off without unbuckling everything else. It is very handy when you come to a lake and don't want the pack to go swimming. Often I find that the pack shift to one side, even if they are packed equally. Tilly seems to have something in her gait that makes her pack go to the right, but she still carries it fine. I think with the extra load, they only go twice as far as we do, instead of 3 or 4 times as far. I recall one trip where Ginger, wearing her pack met another dog on the Timberline Trail. The other dog was completely flumoxed by the pack and the two of them got into a serious play chase. Ginger went by a stump and pealed her pack off the harness. After that the other dog was fine with her.
@Somatic found a stockist here so I've ordered one, will be here on Tuesday. My kid is very disappointed that I didn't go with the camo pink Can't wait to see pics of Arnie in his dogpack!
Can I ask....why do you want to use a doggie back pack? If the weight they are carrying is almost nothing (as has been said earlier) - then why bother? I do worry slightly this is a Cesar Millan thing, as he says give a dog a job to do by making them carrying a weight. That is nonsense. Just checking....
On the hiking trails in the western U.S. dogs with saddle packs are a very common site, especially on multi-day backpacking trips. The kind and size much depends on the type of trip you're going on. The general rule of thumb is the total weight of your canine’s pack should not exceed 25% of their body weight. A medium size saddlebag from Ruffwear weights 1.15 lb (0.52 kg). Throw in some water bottles, freeze dried food, collapsable water bowl, dog first aid kit and you're way under that weight limit. My lab could carry 20 lbs (9.07 kg) but the above items wouldn't even come close to that amount.
I do worry about this a bit though - what evidence is there that it is ok for a Lab to carry 20 lbs? They are not pack animals. And while humans aren't either, we know when things hurt, or backs ache, and so on, and can adjust what we carry and how we carry it. Dogs can't communicate if something isn't right, or is causing them discomfort (even if they could identify the cause). This isn't a challenge for the sake of it, I'm genuinely interested if there have been any tests or studies. Guidance from people selling dog back packs wouldn't count though, really....
