If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

A dog backpack is worth buying. For around $80, there are several brands and styles. I went with the Ruff Wear backpack, but there are plenty of other brands out there to choose from. I like Ruff Wear’s gear because it seems to favor usefulness and durability over style. But I also liked the look of the pack, and my mutt doesn’t mind wearing it. It fits him comfortably and doesn’t slide around. The packs come in several sizes and have adjustable straps. Anyone with an active dog should buy a dog backpack. Here’s why:

1. Your dog will get more exercise.
A tired dog is a good dog. But let’s face it, how often are our dogs actually tired? Whether you go for an hour run or a 15-minute walk, you will get tired faster than your dog. If you want him to get rid of some extra energy, slip his backpack on him and add some weight to the pockets. I put cans of soup or books in the sides, but you could use anything. Bags of sand would work well. Just be careful not to add too much weight, especially in the beginning. Work up to more weight. My mutt weights about 60 pounds, and he probably carries about 6-10 pounds in his pack, depending on the intensity of our workout.

2. Your dog can carry his own stuff.
When you travel, it will be handy to load up all your dog’s stuff in his own bag. When I travel with my mutt, I put his food, toys, bowls and whatever else he needs in his backpack. It’s just less stuff for me to carry, and his stuff is all in one spot.

3. He can carry your stuff, too.
The Ruff Wear pack has plenty of room in the pockets for more stuff than my mutt can possibly need. So guess what? He is often stuck carrying some of my stuff or my cat’s stuff.

4. It makes a good water/beer carrier.
When you’re out on a run, but don’t want to carry water along, just put a bottle or two in your dog’s backpack. He won’t mind. Put a bowl in there and he can have a drink as well. This also works for carrying beer. If you fill the pack with ice, you might have one good beer bitch.

5. He can carry his own doggy bags.
I don’t know about your dog, but when I’m out on a long run with my mutt, he tends to stop and poop three or four times. There aren’t always trash cans or Dumpsters handy, and I don’t like to leave it behind. So, I pick it up, double or triple bag it, and have my mutt carry his own poop. This is kind of embarrassing if someone sees you, but it’s better than running with a poop bag in each hand.

6. Carrying a backpack gives your dog a job to do.
A lot of dogs need a purpose. Carrying his own pack will give your dog a job. Not only will it help eliminate extra physical energy, but it will also give him a mental challenge. This will also help to get rid of pent up energy.

7. He will not be as focused on pulling.
If your dog is focused on carrying his own pack, he will be less focused on pulling, being first and getting over excited about other dogs and people.

8. Your dog can go on more trips.
I like to bring my mutt on as many outdoors activities as possible. When I go camping or backpacking, he carries his own gear and then some. It really comes in handy to have him along, and he loves it.

9. It’s easier to see your dog.
The Ruff Wear pack has reflective strips on the side, so it’s easier for me to see my black dog in the dark. Since his pack is bright red, it would be easier for me or someone else to find him if he were to get lost in the woods. I also run at night with my dog, so it is an extra safety precaution having a reflective pack.

10. The backpack will last a long time.
The pack is very durable, and I expect it to last for Ace’s lifetime.

I see pet ownership as a lifelong commitment to the animal. I can’t imagine giving up my mutt, or my cat. I believe it is my responsibility to care for them and make sure they are happy. But, what if I can’t make them happy? Would it really be so terrible to find them new homes? This is a question pet owners face every day.

I’ll use my mutt as an example. Ace’s first owner, Karen, felt obligated to adopt Ace as a puppy because she knew the person who owned the mother dog. Karen already owned a dog and a cat and had her hands full raising a teenage daughter. In nine months, Ace grew to be 60 pounds. He was spending all his life in a kennel or tied in the yard, and therefore he was full of energy at all times and out of control. Karen’s daughter had nothing to do with Ace. No one took the time to train him, let alone walk him or play with him. It was less than a year before Karen put Ace up for adoption through www.adoptapetfm.org.

Karen made the same mistake thousands of people make every year, the mistake of adopting an animal without being prepared and committed. But finding Ace a new home was the best thing Karen did for him, her family and maybe even me. Ace was not mistreated in Karen’s home. He probably had a better life than 90 percent of the animals in this country. But Karen knew Ace could be happier. Plus, he was causing added stress to her life. It is not worth it to burden yourself and keep an animal if it is making your life miserable. You have to put yourself and family members before your pets.

When I adopted Ace from Karen, he did not know how to walk on a leash. He had been walked one time. He did not know any commands. He had experienced very little in a year. Next month marks the one-year anniversary of when I adopted Ace. Since then, he has completed two levels of obedience classes, three agility classes, gone on two backpacking trips, swam, taken road trips and trained for a marathon. He is the perfect dog for my lifestyle. He is athletic and built for endurance, yet he is perfectly happy sleeping all day while I am at work.

Ace is just one example of a dog who was living an unfulfilled life, and his story turned out OK. Across the country, there are thousands of dogs living in less than perfect homes or in homes that just aren’t right for them. Maybe the dog has no room to run. Maybe it needs a job to do. Maybe it fears children. Or maybe its owner is just unwilling or unable to spend time with it. Dogs that are not trained or exercised are often the dogs that cause problems. They can become frustrated, aggressive and unpredictable.

It’s rarely the dog’s fault, and it’s not always the owner’s fault either. It’s just that some dogs are not compatible with certain people. In these situations, looking for a new home for the dog is often the best solution.

More and more people board their dog at a kennel while traveling, due to our increasingly busy schedules. Whenever I leave town, I ask myself who is going to take care of my mutt. Friends and family are a good option, but only if they are reliable enough and they actually want to take my dog for a week. I don’t want to ruin a good relationship by burdening someone with my dog. My friend and I often take care of each other’s dogs while the other is away, but not everyone has that option. For many dog owners, boarding is the best and sometimes the only option. There are a lot of really bad kennels out there. Trust me, I worked at one. But there are also some really good ones. Do your research before boarding your dog anywhere.

1. Tour the facility.
Never leave your dog anywhere without touring the facility. If the staff will not allow you to see where your dog will be, that is a really bad sign. They have something to hide. It might mean the cages are too small, the building is unclean or rundown, or maybe more than one dog is crammed into one kennel. I have seen this happen. Just because a staff member tells you the facility holds 40 dogs, don’t believe it unless you see it. The business owner could be illegally cramming 200 dogs in a small area, just to make more money. If the staff member lists certain hours when tours are given, that is fine. But ideally you should be able to stop by anytime and someone should be happy to show off their great business. By seeing where your dog will be, you will instantly have a feeling of whether or not you are comfortable leaving your dog there. Trust your first reactions. But on your tour, here are some questions to keep in mind:

2. How clean is it?
An area with several dogs in it is never going to smell good, or be totally clean. But are the staff members making an effort to pick up all visible dog poop? Is the ground dry? Are there any abnormal odors, other than what you’d expect?

3. How many dogs are there?
Ask the staff member how many dogs the facility can hold, and then count for yourself how many are actually there. If most or all the kennels hold two or more dogs, you should immediately ask why. The staff member might tell you that dogs from multidog families are boarded together. But they can’t all be from multidog families, right?

4. How the dogs are identified?
The dogs should be identified in some way, maybe with a card and photo on their kennel, or with a labeled collar. You know what your black lab looks like, but with nine other black labs, do you think someone could get her mixed up with another dog? The answer is yes. You don’t want to pay for extra treats or playtime sessions, only to have them go to another dog that looks just like yours. And you don’t want your dog to get sick from eating the wrong food or receiving the wrong medications.

5. Is there a play area?
Don’t believe there is a play area unless you see it. And don’t believe the dogs actually play in it unless you see dogs playing in it. Ask how often the dog will be let out, and if there is any extra cost. The kennel I worked at charged an extra $4 per 15-minute play session. But because of our limited staff, there was no time to actually follow through with these “play sessions.” Guess what? The owners were still charged, and they had no idea their dogs sat in a kennel all week other than to get out to go to the bathroom.

6. How many staff members are on site?
Ideally, you want to have at least one staff member for every 10 dogs or so. If there are less than that, it is not a good sign. It is not possible for one person to properly care for more animals than that. You want your dog to receive as much attention as possible. If a fight were to break out between two or more dogs, it would not be easy for one person to break it up. There should be enough staff members so the place remains clean and the dogs get plenty of exercise and affection.

7. What is the cost per day and what does that include?
If the kennel charges $20 a day, ask what this includes. Most will charge extra for food, baths, playtime and treats. Don’t assume that the fixed rate covers everything or anything extra at all. Ask if you can bring your own food. A good kennel will encourage you to bring your dog’s regular food, to keep her schedule as close to her typical routine as possible. Just make sure you know what you are paying for. The charges add up fast and you don’t want to come home from vacation and receive a kennel bill higher than you expected.

8. What will happen in an emergency situation?
What will happen if your dog gets sick? Will you be contacted? Which vet will see him? Is there a vet on site? Will you be responsible for all the costs? Is there any circumstance where your dog would be euthanized without your approval first?

9. Ask all the questions you can.
If there’s something on your mind, ask it. You have every right to get the answers you want. You are trusting strangers with your pet, and you deserve to know everything you can. You should leave your dog feeling comfortable that she is in a safe place and well taken care of. If you have any doubts, move on to another boarding facility.

10. Tip the kennel staff.
You want your dog to get the best treatment, right? Well, why not slip the staff member an extra $10? This will go a long way. He or she will remember you tipped, and will likely give your dog a little extra attention, whether it’s a few minutes of ear scratching or some extra time in the play area. It wouldn’t hurt to tip them again when you pick up your dog.