Dog Packs 101
Shown: modified Kelty K-9 Chuckwagon
In more recent weeks, I have received a number of questions from people wanting to get a backpack for their dogs. In one case, the owners wanted to know whether a pack could help to calm their overly excited and highly energetic dog. In another, they'd heard that it would help their working breed dog feel like she has a job to do. And in another, they were considering taking up backpacking with their dogs and wanted to know where to start.
I think this should warrant an entry all about dog packs: their uses and benefits, how to choose the right one, and what features to look for. If you still have questions after reading this article, please contact me - the email address is at the top right of the page - and I'll be happy to help.
Why does my dog need a pack?
Dog packs have a lot in common with other dog equipment, such as training collars, in that they are not something every dog has to have, but that they are something that can be a useful addition to your dog training "tool chest".
Let me explain what I mean by that.
My training tool chest includes, among other things, a clicker, various training collars, and yes, a dog pack. All of these items have specific uses, but the end goal they help me to accomplish is to make my dog a happy, balanced, confident, and obedient dog. The clicker allows me to communicate better in training by acting as a marker for the correct behaviors. A training collar allows me to reinforce a command my dog already knows but chooses not to follow. It can also serve as a safety device if you have a very large or very strong dog that could easily pull you into traffic.
Like a training collar, a dog pack can serve a number of different purposes beyond carrying poop bags and house keys on your daily walks: an energetic dog may need that little extra oomph to help tire him out on your walks. A dog that needs conditioning to build or maintain muscle mass or endurance can benefit from a weighted pack as well. Think of it this way: running a mile is one thing. Running a mile carrying a 20 pound weight is another. Adding weight helps us humans to get the most out of our workout, and the same concept is at play here.
You also have the more obvious uses for a dog pack: carrying supplies on your daily walks: poop bags, cell phone, house keys, a long line for the training field, a ball for playing fetch, a collapsible water bowl, bottled water, and so on. And, if you are serious about getting into hiking or backpacking with your dog, a pack is a great way of having your dog carry his own supplies.
Can my (insert breed here) carry a pack?
Generally speaking, there isn't a type, size, or breed of dog that is unable to carry a pack or to benefit from doing so.
However, it's extremely important that you know your dog and his physical limitations before getting started. Long-backed breeds, such as Corgis, often have a hard time with packs, especially ones that are not fitted well, because of their unique body shape. Old dogs and dogs that are suffering from joint or muscular issues should always see a veterinarian before getting started with a pack, to make sure that they are able to carry it without discomfort. After all, you want the pack to benefit your dog, not harm him.
Shown: Outward Hound Quick Release
Aside from knowing your dog, it is also extremely important that you educate yourself about packs and pack training before you go out and purchase one for your dog. Some of the things you should learn is how to find a proper fit, what features to look for, and how to work your dog up to carrying a reasonable amount of weights on walks. It's my opinion that you should spend the same amount of time researching a dog pack as you would researching a pack you'd use for yourself.
Remember: any tool can do harm to your dog if it is used incorrectly.
How do I choose a good pack?
Finding and choosing a dog pack that is of good quality and works for your individual dog can be just as challenging as finding a good pack for yourself. It may even be more difficult because you have a much more limited selection to choose from.
Although most pet stores offer some dog packs, many of those are not the quality and fit you would want to see in an everyday use item. They are often designed for casual, once-in-awhile use. Hiking and outdoor stores often carry high-quality dog packs, but most of them will not allow you to bring your dog inside to try the packs in an attempt to find one that is just right.
So what's an owner to do?
Before you head out to look at packs in your local stores, it's a good idea to give some thought to the uses the pack will see and the features you want. The very first question that you should ask yourself is: what purpose will this pack serve? Are you going to take up pack hiking and spend your weekends backpacking? Or will your dog wear the pack on daily walks to get the additional exercise and conditioning? Or is the pack only going to be used every now and again, when you need a place to store gear on outings?
Shown: Granite Gear Ruff RiderThe reason those are important questions is that not all packs are created equal, and most are created for specific purposes. It's the difference between a book bag for college and a serious backpacking rig that will carry all your supplies on a two week cross-country hike.
We see three categories of dog packs on the market: high-end packs designed for serious use, such as long backpacking trips; low-end packs designed for a quick walk around the block, but not for serious weight carrying or daily use; and mid-level packs that fall somewhere in between.
Many of the high-quality packs currently on the market are geared toward serious backpackers who spend weekends and even longer trips hiking backwoods areas with their dogs. While those packs are of excellent quality, they tend to be very large in size, and there is little point in using such a pack for daily walks around the block, which is not what they were designed for. It's difficult to balance a small load in a large pack, even one that has inside compartments.
When you look for a pack, you'll want to look at the following:
- pack size
- pack fit and comfort
- quality of manufacture
- pack features
They are listed in the order of importance, with pack size and fit at the top of the list, and pack quality and features at the bottom. The reason for this is simple: even if a pack has great features and is made from quality materials, it can still be the wrong one for you if it doesn't fit your dog comfortably. If a lower-quality pack fits your dog better, always go with the one that is a better, more comfortable fit.
Choose the Correct Size
When you choose a dog pack, you want to make absolutely sure that it's the correct size, both in regards to the physical size of the panniers, and in regards to how well it fits your dog. Both are equally important.
When it comes to the pack's loading space - cubic inches inside the panniers - consider that there's not much point to having a pack designed for week-long trips if you'll only use it to walk around the block. You simply don't need something huge. Always make sure that you get the pack that most fits what you will use it for.
When it comes to finding the correct size for your dog, you may find that this will turn out to be the most challenging part of buying a dog pack. The majority of manufacturers offer five sizes: extra small, small, medium, large, and extra large. Each size offers adjustable straps, giving you the ability to fit packs on various sizes and breeds of dog.
Some manufacturers will provide a list of which size is suitable for which breed. My suggestion is to ignore these breed guidelines and instead use the measurements for girth (chest circumference) they provide in order to get a proper fit. Even within a breed, dogs vary too widely in height and weight to make breed recommendations an accurate form of measurement.
It is important to note that even choosing the size based on your dog's measurements, does not guarantee you'll get a pack that is comfortable fit for your dog. Just like human packs: even though Pack A and Pack B may both be the correct size for you, Pack A may fit and feel much better than Pack B.
Unfortunately, the only surefire way of finding a perfect fit is to try the pack on your dog. This isn't an issue at pet stores, but most of the quality packs have to be purchased from specialty stores or over the Internet, and trying them on may not be an option. Always make sure that your place of purchase offers a return / refund policy in case things don't work out.
Note: if you can't see the dog for the pack, get a smaller size.Shown: Mountainsmith Dog Pack
Choose a dog-friendly design.
The perfect dog pack would be designed in a way that takes the dog's anatomy, as well as his normal movement when walking or running, into account to ensure proper fit. Unfortunately, most packs on the market are far from perfect, and some appear to have been designed by people with no understanding of canine anatomy.
An important thing to know is the fact that dogs have flexible spines and are not naturally designed to carry weight as, for example, horses whose spines are less flexible than those of a dog, are. (See a dog's spine and a horse's.)
A dog's spine is flexible because the vertebrae are relatively far apart and therefore allow for a wide range of movement. The dog's spine can be both convex and concave and also provides for lateral movement. A horse's spine, on the other hand, has vertebrae that are close together, meaning horses have a limited range of movement and flexibility in their backs.
Because your dog's spine is built this way, it's important that his pack sits as far forward as possible, so that its weight can be supported by the shoulder and front legs, rather than sitting on the spine. Unfortunately, this is where most pet store, and even some higher quality, packs come up short.
Below is an example of an extremely bad design. The panniers are designed to sit over the dog's ribs, putting the pack's entire weight on the dog's flexible spine. The "chest" strap sits high on the neck, interfering with the dog's normal movement, his collar, and even his breathing.
Shown: Outward Hound Excursion
Besides proper placement, a pack should also be comfortable to carry. A good pack should be anatomically designed, meaning that none of its parts will interfere with the dog's normal range of movement when walking or trotting. Your dog should have no trouble raising his head, breathing, or moving his shoulders. There should be no spots where the pack rubs or causes sores.
An ideal pack should have padding where it comes in contact with the dog's spine. The inner sides of the panniers should be smooth and, ideally, have padding as well. The front strap should be of a Y-shape design that comes together at the lower chest and connects to the chest strap. The chest strap should sit behind the dog's shoulder, similarly to the cinch on a horse, and should not chafe or interfere with movement.
Quality of manufacture should go without saying, but let me add it just in case. It also goes right along with pack features. As a general rule of thumb, quality and features are found in the same packs. Some of the things you may want to look at are the materials - it should be a thick, durable ordura nylon; it should have reinforcements and double-stitching along stress points, particularly where straps attach. Features I personally like are inside compartments, and outside cinch straps to balance light or uneven loads.
I just bought a pack - now what?
Even though I have been receiving many questions about dog packs and their uses, not a single person has asked me about how much weight their dog should carry, how to get him used to the pack, and how to work up to carrying x amount of weight. All of those are important questions and I'm disappointed that nobody asked them.
Please - never purchase a pack, immediately load it full of water bottles, and expect your dog to carry it on his next walk. Doing this is an invitation to disaster and possibly serious injury. Packs are great, but they need to be used safely.
When you first bring your new pack home, take some time to familiarize your dog with it. Letting your dog sniff it and check it out while it's laying on the floor is a good way to start. Then grab a hand full of treats and have your dog stand while you lay it across his back, without buckling any of the straps. Praise and reward him for being a good dog. Buckle and adjust all the straps, again rewarding your dog for good behavior, and let him wear the empty pack around the house (under supervision only!) and on your walks.
This will give your dog a chance to become familiar with it in a fun, pleasant way, before being asked to carry weight. To most dogs, carrying a pack is new experience and you will notice that most dogs have to learn to take the size of the pack into account. Expect your dog to bump the pack into you when in a heel position, for example, since it makes him wider than he's used to.
Once your dog has gotten used to the process of putting the pack on and taking it off, as well as wearing it empty on walks, you can start adding weight.
It's best to have a scale when you get ready to add weight, as this gives you an accurate way of determining how much your dog is carrying and how much you need to increase the weight. Since most weight amounts in this article are listed in percentages of your dog's weight, this online percentage calculator may be helpful.
When you first add weight, it should amount to more than 5% (including the pack) of your dog's body weight, and your dog should carry this amount for the first two weeks prior to increasing it.
There are various methods of adding weight to your dog's pack, and I've found that choosing one where it can easily be measured and kept constant works best for training. One way is to fill the pack with water bottles, which has the advantage that you can also use them on walks. Another is to fill Ziploc bags with sand or dirt.
After the first two weeks, you can being increasing the weight by 5% each week or, if you prefer, every two weeks, until you reach the maximum amount your dog can carry. The maximum weight should be between 20% and 30% of your dog's overall body weight, never more. If you're unsure about your individual dog's condition, age, and health, please don't use more than 20%.
When training, your dog should carry the pack at least three times a week, and if you're going for distance as well - in other words, if your goal is a 10 mile weekend hike - your daily walks with the pack should be between 1 and 3 miles.
What pack do you use?
I use a modified Kelty K-9 Chuckwagon for Abby.
Even though we are serious about pack hikes, our work schedules keep most of our hikes down to days and weekends, which does not require much equipment. Some people call this "primitive hiking" and "primitive camping", which basically means we pack as little as possible.
The Kelty pack is very nice quality and just the right size for those weekend trips, but not overly large for daily walks. At under $50, it's also the most affordable quality pack on the market. (Unfortunately, it only comes in one color.)
I did feel the need to make modifications to get more out of it, and the main alterations I've made were adding cinch straps to the outside of the panniers to secure, and adding nylon webbing across the top, to which I can clip small pouches. This style of webbing also allows me to attach things using cord - for example, a light, folded blanket. I have also made minor modifications to get a better fit.
Which packs do you recommend?
The following links represent a selection of dog packs that I personally consider to be quality, well-designed packs. I have not used every one of these, but have tried a fair few. Some are listed because they have gotten excellent reviews on the Yahoo Trail Dog group, which is a group all about hiking and backpacking with dogs.
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