Dog Backpacks

A healthy, well-conditioned canine can carry o­ne quarter of his own weight.

There are all kinds of backpack styles special for dogs. Dog packing has changed a little over the past 1,000 years, but the concept is still the same - let your dog help carry the load. Most experts agree that a healthy dog can carry about ¼ of their own body weight in a properly fitting dog pack.

This can mean 15 to 25 fewer pounds for you to carry when backpacking, cross country skiing, mountain biking, or just walking home from the market with your dog! Of course, this depends o­n the size of your dog.

Most dogs will love to wear the pack right from the start; others may need a little encouragement. Here are a few tips...

It is important that all dogs being considered for packing be healthy and fully mature. Even though your dog may still be growing, you can do some early training.

Try placing a small towel across the dog's back while speaking in a happy voice. Even though the towel will soon fall, repeating this exercise often will begin positive conditioning to "wearing" something o­n the back.

Your dog will like the new pack if you make it a part of the fun times. Put it o­n your dog when you go for walks together. A pair of plastic water bottles (20 to 30 ounce size) work well for training.

Remember to use lots of praise. Soon just the sight of the pack will start the tail to wag happily.

Start with light loads and brief hikes. Build up gradually. Just like your shoulders, long hours and heavy loads will make dog muscles sore. Occasionally check your dog's paws for wear.

Long hikes may call for dog boots and frequent water breaks.

If your dog likes to chew things, you should discourage any pack chewing immediately. Pet stores sell a spray that tastes awful to dogs, which is very effective.