Hi. We haven't got our puppy yet but I'm wondering how I am going to carry him around to socialise him before he can go on the ground. The vet says 14 weeks before that, so that means 6 weeks of carrying him. Has anyone tried any of the backpacks on the market? How long and heavy is the average (working line) puppy between 8-14 weeks? Most backpacks look as though designed for small dogs. The only backpack I've seen that looks as if it would be OK costs £60
Hello and welcome! I carried all three of my pups (two working line and one show line) in my arms until they were old enough to go on the floor. They don’t need to be out for long, ten minutes is enough for socialisation and habitualisation trips. Little and often can be better so as not to over-face the puppy.
I don't have a car available in the day so wherever I go to socialise in the day I would have to carry there and back.
I used a sling and it worked great. Granted I was much younger then, but I carried my first dog until he was about 10 kilos. I think a puppy would be too wiggly for a backpack, but I've never tried it. You could use a backpack worn on your front to solve the wiggle issue, but I've tried this with my friend's chihuahua and find it really awkward compared to the sling. When looking for a new sling for myself, I found this one but I've not tried it yet. It's meant for dogs up to 15 kgs. The other thing I was thinking of was a stroller type of thing or converted bike trailer for dogs. It would be more of investment, but easier on the back!
