Dog Backpacks-whose you do like best?

[Frau]

Re genetics--I know that breeds that have been indiscriminately bred (over-bred) solely for profit have ended up with many more physical problems, e.g. hip dysplasia, retinopathy than much less popular breeds. I have two such dogs. My third dog is from an unsung breed. When locating a pup of this breed I had many fewer concerns about inherited problems. The breed club does not seek to advance its popularity for this reason, among others.

Genetics is not my forte', but a look at the statistics comparing popularity and inherited disorders is enlightening. My thanks to all you experts who compile all this info for us prospective owner/companions.

The Catahoula is also an unheralded breed. I am just enquiring about it from an owner, rather than relying on what others write about it.

Frau

[desdemona]

Once I got really good packs for my crew I gave the saddlebags to a local trainer who trains assistance dogs through a prison. Like an earlier poster said, it gives the dogs a feeling of doing something, so they have a better attention span. Even on the trail they tend to mind better when they're wearing a pack than when they're just walking along.

I have noticed a big difference, she is way more focused. It isn't because she is carrying so much. Obviously as a vertically challenged (don't call her little ) dog, she couldn't and the pack is pretty small anyway. But it provides a great handle and I wouldn't go without it anymore. She changes to the working dog is was bred to be.

Most US dogs are bored to eating too much and destroying furniture and all sorts of diseases that their owners have. I think a trail dog has something to do.

BTW, the Catahoula is an interesting breed. National Geographic channel had an interesting series on dogs and that breed was discussed. It was described (I think) as a natural breed. There aren't many of those.



--des

[kiwi]

Is that a local store or a chain store? REI used to allow dogs in their stores then last year they stopped doing that. I don't know of any other stores that have dog packs on site. Well, except for PetSmart, but I wouldn't buy one of their packs.

as an FYI....the VA-Fairfax REI will allow animals in the store STRICTLY to test out backpacks. we did this about 6 weeks ago for our youngest.

[AlwaysHiking]

as an FYI....the VA-Fairfax REI will allow animals in the store STRICTLY to test out backpacks. we did this about 6 weeks ago for our youngest.

No fair! I begged them the other day and they wouldn't let me. So we went down to the pet store at the opposite end of the shopping center and didn't find anything.

I'll have to try it again. Maybe on a day or at an hour they're not so busy.

[kiwi]

No fair! I begged them the other day and they wouldn't let me. So we went down to the pet store at the opposite end of the shopping center and didn't find anything.

I'll have to try it again. Maybe on a day or at an hour they're not so busy.

we went on a Tuesday or Wednesday night and they were very very slow. that probably had something to do with it. it was also raining outside.

[Jail Break]

I use an Outward Hound pack for my dog. I've had it for 8 years and it holds up great.

[UberPest]

ÜberPest--
This is a little off topic, but can you share a little about the Catahoula as a trail/working dog, and in-the-home pet. My hunch is they are very smart and independent.

I am guessing because they have not been over-bred, that they do not have many of the health problems other breeds have.

Thanks,

Frau

This is rather long, and may be construed as a ThreadJack. If it is, please (MODS) edit/move it as you feel necessary.

The ones I've had or my family has had (I had Lucy, ACD x Catahoula, Tommy T., Beau and Tomihawk. My parents have Arie and my brother has Jake) have not been particularly independant. Beau, Lucy, Tomi, Arie, and Jake have been velcro dogs that respond well to commands. Tommy, once he recovered from his abuse (he was a rescue, as was Lucy. Arie just made it to his forever home due to his past owners' health problems) was very people-oriented, but not velcro. Tommy has been gone since December '04 and Lucy since August '07.

All these dogs are good at "go" commands and working at a distance from the owner. They've all needed clear and firm guidance because they are a working breed.

The HD rates for the breed are NOT good. Depending on how the stats are collected they are as "low" as 1 in 5 with some form of HD (perhaps mild in one hip) or as high as 1 in 3. There has been improvement in the years I've been involved with the breed (1996 to present). When I first got involved in the breed they were around #9 on the OFA rankings, but now are down to #22. By contrast, the German Shepherd has fewer HD affected dogs, however the Catahoula has more OFA excellent hips (by percentage of dogs tested). One issue with HD is that it's polygenetic, so dogs with no radiographic or clinical evidence may still pass it to their offspring.

They have other health problems as well, but those are mostly related to the merle gene and with proper breeding practices can be avoided.


The rest of this post is what I've posted elsewhere in response to a similar question.

Tomi's is about the same height, but not as heavy as Beau. I've had them since 1996, so that's a big contributer to what I take on the trail. I originally had Lucy and Tommy T. as rescues, then when I got Beau I wanted a dog that I could take hiking, use to protect the chickens/ducks/geese I had at the time, watch the house, not eat my neices and nephews, and not be embarrassed to take in a show ring. Beau has been exactly that.

As for the breed on the trail--I like a dog that is somewhat an independent thinker, but will also listen to me. This is because I often encounter obstacles on the trail where I have to turn Beau loose to find his way through things. Once he's past an obstacle, he needs to wait for me on the other side. Most herding dogs are this type of brainy obedience.

I also hike (or did until I moved to S. Indiana) in black bear country, and I always thought a dog that would help make a great deal of noise to scare off a bear would be a help. Since one of the original purposes of the breed was to tree bears, Catahoulas again seemed like a good choice.

The pros of the breed on the trail is the short coat doesn't pick up much debris or moisture (bred to live in the bayou, they're usually a little oily), good feet (Beau's are tight, working dog feet), and a naturally protective demeanor.

The negatives are (but not limited to) prey drive-- they are bred to chase and tree or kill raccoons and squirrels, plus trail hogs, deer, and bear. Beau loves to chase skunks, though he's learning they are NOT kitties and will NOT play nice like his kitties do (he's good with familiar cats, but many are never good with them). He doesn't seem to worry much about rabbits, but his 3/4 brother Jake (my brother's dog) LOVES to chase them. Most, if not all, have some level of same-sex aggression, which can be very dangerous if you aren't prepared for it (or really, even if you ARE).

A "neither good nor bad" trait is that they "smile" when they are happy or when they are greeting you. Tomi does this a LOT and sometimes includes showing his teeth. Some people might mistake this for baring teeth/aggression. It's NOT the same at all--his cheeks curl up like a Samoyed's do while he does this. Supposedly its wolf behavior (a friend with Chesapeakes says they do it, too).

Beau is a four-legged vacuum and will eat ANYTHING. None of my others my family has had have been like that. I had to work hard to teach him not to take food from people's/kids' hands without my permission. Some are overprotective, but on the trail I tend to listen to the dog on how "nice" strangers are. The short coat is a problem in cold areas of the country-- I need to carry something to keep Beau warm. I've never needed to put booties on him, though I did moleskin a cut he got once from erosion control plastic. Lucy needed booties (she was a Catahoula/ACD mix).

They're definitely one of those breeds that needs a minimum of 1 hour of hard exercise a day or they get into trouble. Mom and Dad's new boy, Arie, had to leave his original home not because they didn't love him (they loved him VERY much) or becaue he wasn't a good dog (he went to a lot of obedience classes and is great in public), but because he had so much energy he'd jump up. He knocked his previous owner--a woman in her 70s-- over and hurt her BAD. Now that he's playing with my Dad for a couple hours a day he doesn't have the jumping up problem any more.

They're definitely a breed that needs a job, and Beau definitely has a different attitude when we're out for a walk vs. a walk with his pack on.

One thing to make absolute sure of (if you don't get a rescue) is the breeder of the dog tests for hip dysplasia. Of course, even with testing it may crop up, but there's a high incidence of HD in the breed. Some lines are known to produce sound hips.

[Frau]

Thanks, Überpest,
Just what I wanted to know. I am surprised by the HD stats, but really, we need to check all the sires and dams of all breeds before we buy. We still have no guarantees. I have a rescue lab (who smiles) w/mod HD and a loose ACL, and a Rottie with mod HD on one side. Thank goodness for one healthy trail dog, the GWP.

On topic, I have him carry his back (water) when we are hiking high and dry. He does no running then. When on the AT and other busy trails, I keep the leash handy. On less heavily traveled trails he ranges up, down back and forth. He doesn't get into trouble, but certainly benefits from an hour's running every day.

The pack I was trying on him had a buckle broken when I got it. We repaired it twice. His wirey hair is, of course, dry and I am concerned about hair breakage. For that reason I have asked about the fleece covers for straps. I plan to hike at Otter Creek Wilderness in June and don't want to have to carry HIS pack because it has damaged his hair.

Thanks for all the Catahoula info.

Frau

[bayinghounds]

I did a bunch of research and discovered a company called Wolf Packs that makes a pack called the Banzai. They have some great testimonials (and the pictures are cool). I wondered if anyone had any experience with these.

I haven't personally used the Banzai but I've heard really great things about them. Don't know if you've seen this, but you might like to check it out... http://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...n%20Deiterich/

[mtnkngxt]

I hike with my beagle and plan on training my new lab puppy to hike with me as well. The wolfpacks are very nice, and I have been using them for awhile. I had one for my great dane for our woods walks. Because of her immense size I never took her on the AT, but it did the job to carry 4 pnds of food and 2 quart of water. Quick thread jack that guy is a tool for making that dog carry so much.

[desdemona]

I hike with my beagle and plan on training my new lab puppy to hike with me as well. The wolfpacks are very nice, and I have been using them for awhile. I had one for my great dane for our woods walks. Because of her immense size I never took her on the AT, but it did the job to carry 4 pnds of food and 2 quart of water. Quick thread jack that guy is a tool for making that dog carry so much.

LOL! Of course, Great Danes are the weight of quite a good size man (with none of the other inconveniences )

--des

[CascadeLiberationOrg]

I've done a lot of backcountry scrambling in the Cascades with two corgis, 21 and 25 lbs. I would never ask dogs this size to carry anything. Intereferes with bushwhacking, balance, scrambling, endurance, and maybe cooling. The load they can carry is small. I've not looked closely at dog backpacks, but those I've seen do not meet the standards of ergonomics and light weight that I insist on for myself.

[OhDubiousOne]

I agree with crumbsnatcher about that pack.

I use a small size kelty chuckwagon, and considering buying an RW approach.

After much searching I just bought my little guy Ruffwear's Approach pack. I would have much rather purchased the Singletrak pack, but they only made the Approach pack in his size (xxs). I would have preferred the Singletrak because I do NOT plan to stuff his saddle bags with a ton of weight, and the more streamlined bags would have been nice for us. That aside, all of their packs are very well made and have so many more adjustment points, are better balanced, have little to no extra dangling strap even when tightened to their smallest, and lots of cushion. If you are considering trying a cheap-o pack instead just put that thought out of your mind. You definitely get what you pay for in dog packs. I will post some pictures later for everyone. Hope this helps!

[FarmerChef]

I use a prior year model of the REI classic dog pack for my Alaskan Husky. If she weren't a working breed I'm not sure that I would use it but since she can't pull anything while we're on the trail (except for us, which she does when we're going uphill) we give her something to carry. Only a couple baggies of food - we carry the water. The handle has come in handy a few times as we've needed to lift her (55 pounds) up a challenging style or up a rock face she can't quite climb. The nice thing about it is the straps help distribute the lifting force (usually one person pushing up from below as well) and balances the lift point in the middle of the dog. We also use it as our "short leash" when we encounter others on the trail.

Love the booties dubiousone. Which brand are you using?

[burrito]

I haven't personally used the Banzai but I've heard really great things about them. Don't know if you've seen this, but you might like to check it out... http://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...n%20Deiterich/

my rhodesian ridgeback 'salsa' has the banzai pack , i cant speak for her , but i think its a great pack.
i, ve used other packs on my dogs , but this one is the best i've tried so far.
you can see it in action this spring when salsa and i do our thru, starting at springerchattooga river hike 004.jpg

[d3v]

I haven't personally used the Banzai but I've heard really great things about them. Don't know if you've seen this, but you might like to check it out... http://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...n%20Deiterich/

Hi, I'm currently searching for all the user-feedback I can get regarding the wolfpack banzai but unfortunately this URL is dead. Can you somehow let me know what the article said about the pack?
thanks in advance!

[ktest]

Bump!

My dog gets really hot when hiking. Other than just not using a pack (the game plan for scorching days), I've been looking at packs with mesh back panels (like the REI packs). Any suggestions for other packs that might be cooler than sticking her in a neoprene sleeve?