Are Dog Backpacks Unhealthy For Your Dog?

[Liza]

I've heard some talk about dog backpacks, saying that they can put excess strain on the dog's bones/joints to the point of causing long term health issues. Does anyone know if this is true? Now that it's getting colder and I've realized that dogs on leash are allowed at the nearby regional park, I was toying with the idea of getting a backpack for Keeda and going on hikes on weekends. Also, if dog backpacks are OK and won't cause any damage, does anyone know a place in Perth (or online) where I can buy them at relatively inexpensive prices? The ones I've found online so far cost between $110 and $170.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Liza

[~*Shell*~]

I think it all depends on how much weight they're carrying over a long distance. For my husky, i would only put an extra few kilos on him but if you had say, a toy poodle, or a pug then i wouldn't recommend them at all - it's all relative. I don't have one yet but I'm looking as well and have found a website called polapaws that specialises in things for arctic breeds and has a few backpacks that can be used by all dogs. I think the cheapest one was quite a lot cheaper than the ones you've looked at but I guess that if you want a good one thats more comfortable for your dog then you need to spend that little bit more...

Edited to add: Where the backpack sits on the dogs back is important too - they don't just sit on the dogs back but more like a saddle on a horse, which sits over the shoulders, that way the backpack doesn't put strain on the spine and instead puts the weight on the front legs.

Edited April 24, 2008 by ~*Shell*~

[poodlefan]

If you do a search here on "backpack" you'll find there have been a few threads on this subject before.

Size of dog and weight carried aside, two issues impact on whether the backpack has the potential to be harmful

*How the weight is distributed on the dog

The backpack needs to distribute the weight across the dogs shoulders rather than further back on the spine.

* How the packpack straps on.

Any harness or backpack that completely encompasses the dogs shoulders will restrict movement. If used often enough, this can lead to health issues. In all harnesses and backpacks a "Y" fitting that comes up between the dogs front legs and then parts to attach behind the head is preferable.

I honestly don't know of any cheap backpacks that would be of the better kind. The Ruffwear one from the USA is a great design but it's not cheap.

It think it pays to bear in mind that whilst dogs have been developed t pulled weight for man over the centuries, few breeds have the capacity to carry much.

[Liza]

Thanks for the replies.

Shell, that's the same site I saw, except I wasn't looking at the Basic backpack, but the Hiker pack, which costs between $110 and $140, depending on the size of the dog.

Poodlefan, I kind of assumed that the weight would be distributed at the whithers as on a horse, thanks for reassuring me! And my apologies on not searching for this before posting, it totally escaped my mind I'll definitely go do some looking.

[stormie]

What breed is Keeda and i she fully grown?

Using one on a growing dog might cause too much stress to joints etc...

Edited April 25, 2008 by stormie

[Liza]

What breed is Keeda and i she fully grown?

Using one on a growing dog might cause too much stress to joints etc...

Keeda is a mix of Australian Cattle Dog, Kelpie, and Beagle. She's about 1 year and 10 months old and she hasn't been growing visibly as far as I can tell.

[Dogsfevr]

How fit is keeda.I wouldnt be hiking or using a pack on a dog thats fitness hadnt been built up to cope with it.

A soft back due to poor exercise/lack of condition or even obesity would steer me away from using the pack until the dog is in good hiking condition.If your dog is fit then all should be fine.

Although i would consider getting the dog use to it first off.Some dogs hate them with apassion & your nice outing may end up being the nature trek from hell with you doing more carrying

[Liza]

How fit is keeda.I wouldnt be hiking or using a pack on a dog thats fitness hadnt been built up to cope with it.

A soft back due to poor exercise/lack of condition or even obesity would steer me away from using the pack until the dog is in good hiking condition.If your dog is fit then all should be fine.

Although i would consider getting the dog use to it first off.Some dogs hate them with apassion & your nice outing may end up being the nature trek from hell with you doing more carrying

She's not super fit, but we often go to the nearby woods for long walks and such and she rarely runs out of energy when we're out.

My boyfriend and I actually drove by the regional park I wanted to try going to - Beeliar Regional Park - but all the gates were shut! I wonder if regional parks are closed on holidays :/

[Tilly]

We have one for our GSD and he doesn't even notice he has it on. I was taking him for regular 3 hours hikes and got sick of carrying all of his water. With the pack he got to help out a bit. Only problem I had with him was he would often take out the side of the pack when he went to lift his leg on a tree - they were a little bit wide ... not that he seemed to notice or care

The other thing to remember is when you are taking water or whatever out of the pack - to try and keep them even otherwise they do get lopsided and a bit uncomfortable.

Edited for spelling...

Edited April 27, 2008 by Tilly

[Golden Rules]

I have a Black Dog back pack for one of my goldies - it's not really suited to hiking but I guess it depends on what you want your dog to carry. Have a look here:

http://www.blackdog.net.au/index.php?page=...rt&Itemid=5

Sorry, you might have to cut and paste that to your browser....

I put all the dog stuff in the back pack including spare lead, collar, balls, bags, treats etc and it only fits a couple of 600ml bottles of water. As soon as the pack is weighted more to one side, it slides on the dog and I am forever pulliing it into place.

I guess I really only use it when I don't have pockets which is usually throughout summer.