There a a few reasons why you might find training your dog to wear a backpack helpful, not just cute.
Dogs like jobs. If you have a very active dog that never seems to burn off all that extra energy… giving your dog a job (carrying some stuff) can be really helpful.
They can carry their own supplies. This is probably my favorite part of the backpack. I put a poop emoji patch on one side of his pack so he can carry his own poop on long hikes. (the poop emoji helps me remember which side you don’t want to store your own personal belongings on)
It can protect them from brush. My dog loves leaping through brush and he ends up with cut up legs.. but his body is always fine! Most backpacks have handles on them too which can be very helpful for grabbing your dog to help them get up rocks.
We have always purchased Kurgo brand backpacks for Pigpen… (Click the image above to head to their website) It works really well, its not very bulky compared to other backpacks I have tried on him in stores… and it is very adjustable. Kurgo also has a great warranty. The orange backpack shown above he used for almost 3 years until he rolled in human poop on a trail. I threw the backpack away because I didn’t want to deal with that… then ordered a blue one for him online. About 6 months after we got the blue backpack.. it started ripping on one of the saddle bags. I reached out to kurgo and they sent me a new one, no questions asked. It was great. He’s been using his new blue one for about a year now.
It is important to know that you shouldn’t just purchase a backpack, put it on your dog, fill it up, and hit the trail. When we first got our backpack, I put it on Pigpen with nothing in it for a few weeks. He was able to break it in, I was able to adjust it a little each time to make sure it fit him correctly, and once we both felt good about it.. I started adding a few items for weight. Also, you do not want to add weight to your dogs backpack if they are still growing. Pigpen got his backpack when he was about 10 months old, he didn’t carry anything until he was almost a year old… even then.. it was light. Better to be safe than sorry with a growing puppy. Smaller dogs are usually fully grown around a year old… if your dog is larger… I would wait even longer. If you are unsure, I would ask your vet. (Pigpen is 30lbs)
Once he was use to his new pack, I started filling him up. It is important to remember that just because the pack can hold ALL OF YOUR STUFF, you shouldn’t load your dog up. I would never put more than 20% of my dogs body weight. Even then.. I personally think 20% is too much… I usually try to stick to 10% of his body weight. Too much weight can hurt your dogs joints over time.
What 30lb Pigpen carries in his pack:
I bought two Gulpy water bottles. You can find them by clicking here. There are two sizes, I got the smaller size. I like them because it makes it easy to keep the weight evenly distributed by having the same size water bottle in each pack. Also, they have built in water bowls.. that makes life easy. I just try to remember which side I let him drink from last, so I can keep his pack level while we hike.
Pigpen also carries his own poop bags (empty and full) on hikes. I put a poop emoji patch on one side of his backpack so I can remember which side the poop goes. I usually bring an extra bag to put the poop bags in… just to be on the safe side.
When we go on smaller hikes where we really won’t need much water (when he can just share what I bring in my pack) I usually just fill his backpack with some snacks for him, and tennis balls. I like to mix up the weight with each hike, depending on what is on the agenda. (and the temperature that day)
If you have any questions about dog packs, feel free to send us an email any time! chevytheboston@aol.com.
Chevy The Boston 