A dog backpack is worth buying. For around $80, there are several brands and styles. I went with the Ruff Wear dog 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.
When your dog wears his backpack for the first time, he will probably not want to wear it. He might freeze and stiffen his body as if to say, “I can’t move in this thing.” Or he might try to run really fast as if he can run right out of it. My mutt tried both these tactics. The best thing you can do for your dog is to act like the dog backpack is no big deal. Don’t praise a dog that is insecure. That will just reinforce the dog’s nervousness or anxiety. Instead, go for a walk right away. Do something fun so he associates the pack with adventures!
When you go for your first walk with your dog wearing his dog backpack, keep a quick pace. Do not allow your dog to slow down or stop and “put on his breaks.” It’s hard to get a dog moving once he is at a stand-still. Instead, jog or walk fast and don’t slow down when your dog becomes hesitant. Just keep moving forward. He might protest for about five minutes and try to pull back on the leash. If you give in, he will learn that these little protests work, that he can control you. If you ignore your dog and keep moving, your dog will learn to like his backpack and that you are in charge of the walk, not him.
Anyone with an active dog should buy a dog backpack.
1. Your dog will get more exercise while wearing his dog backpack.
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 because they wouldn’t make any noise. 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 in his dog backpack.
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. Your dog can carry your stuff in his backpack, too.
The Ruff Wear dog backpack 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. A dog backpack 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 on your hands -although the beer might be a bit shaken up!
5. Your dog can carry his own doggy bags in his backpack.
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. Now that’s a dog with a purpose! This is kind of embarrassing if someone sees you, but it’s better than running with a poop bag in each hand – something I have done many times!
6. Carrying a dog backpack gives your dog a job to do.
A lot of dogs need a purpose. Carrying his own backpack 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. You don’t have to put any weight at all in the pack to give your dog a mental challenge. Just wearing the pack is all it will take, especially as your dog is getting used to the pack.
Ace wore his empty pack on a 20-mile marathon training run with me. Wearing the pack for such a distance was not to tire Ace out, but to challenge him mentally.
Dogs get bored easily. And when they are bored they develop bad habits such as barking, chewing or ripping up carpet. Some dogs develop obsessions or anxieties. My mutt is obsessed with a tennis ball because he was not challenged enough mentally or physically his first year of life. Having him wear his backpack is a great way to challenge him and help him overcome his tennis ball obsession.
7. The dog will not be as focused on pulling.
If your dog is focused on carrying his own backpack, he will be less focused on pulling, being first and getting over excited about other dogs and people. I have worked for years now on loose-leash walking with Ace. He has come a long way. Still, he will pull if he is wearing a flat collar and we are in an “exciting” area. If he wears his backpack, he is less likely to pull. It was a great tool during the first few months I had Ace and I was teaching him the concept of “heel.”
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. I can’t imagine going backpacking without my dog. It would not be as fun for me without Ace along. Even if he didn’t carry his own gear, I would still want him to tag along. However, it really comes in handy to give him a job.
9. It’s easier to see your dog while he wears his dog backpack.
The Ruff Wear dog backpack 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 dog backpack will last a long time.
The pack is very durable, and I expect it to last Ace’s lifetime.
03/10/09 edit: Ace’s pack ripped when he crashed between two trees. Apparently he didn’t comprehend how his body was wider while wearing a full pack. He ran between two trees at full speed and ruined his pack. That being said, his pack did withstand a lot of abuse from Ace before the tree incident. Ace wore it out in the snow, and he ran through the woods and fields with his pack on, often scraping against brush and branches. I plan to purchase the same pack for Ace and expect it to last years.
Does your dog have a dog backpack? Will you consider buying a dog backpack?
Send pictures of your dog wearing his or her backpack to Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I will add them to this post.
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This is a really good idea. I have to go tell my friend. She always has to carry the dog’s water bottle, but she’s a Labrador and can carry it herself.
Why are numbers 2 through 6 the same?
That’s just cruel
It’s not cruel. Working dogs especially like to have a purpose and feel useful.
I have a friend whose dog loves doing this. If he walks without carrying everyone’s water he is despondent, but when he carries he is happy.
Too much weight would be cruel, but the general idea is brilliant.
This would seem useful for my Airedale. He never seems fully satisfied after our 30- to 45-minute walks, but I however am completely pooped.
It doesn’t seem cruel at all either. Dogs love having jobs. Dogs on farms always seem so happy because they’ve got lots of stuff to do.
This is a very good idea. Thanks for sharing!
I agree, this would be great for my high-energy dog. When we walk, I end up carrying a backpack with water, newspaper to read when we take a break, cell phone and car keys. I think she’d enjoy toting stuff, and it could use up some of her friskiness.
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Haha! Gus just stands there like he’s frozen when I tried to get him to use a backpack. I just wanted him to help carry his water on hikes since he goes through so much. I did get him to wear it a few times, but then hubby gave up and now he isn’t having it. I didn’t even overload him at all. I’ve tried it without. Unfortunately, when you don’t have both people consistent with Gus, things just don’t work out all the time. Hubby is too lazy with him.
That sounds like Ace when he has to wear his vest. What a sad, sad story
Natural Pet Center in Fargo carries good starter backpacks for medium to large and extra large dogs for about $40. We got one for Lucky, who is my spaz dog. Wow, what a difference. He immediately calms down, and almost acts proud. During the summer, he carries produce home from early morning trips to the farmer’s market.
Now, what I really want to do is build a light dogcart so Lucky can pull me around. I know he’d love it!
We love shopping at Natural Pet Center! I highly recommend a dog backpack to anyone with an active dog (hmm, like a husky mix!). Glad to hear it has worked out so well for Lucky. That’s great that he carries produce home from the farmers’ market. haha!
I’ve been wanting to get Charlie a backpack for a long time and I finally got one yesterday. Unfortunately it was raining, so we waited until today to use the pack so it didn’t get soaked. Charlie didn’t react to it at all. He just started walking and he didn’t stop or anything, but he did look like he was concentrating a lot more on going forward and not what was around him.
The only problem I had with it is because of Charlie’s size he is at the awkward too big for a small, too small for a medium thing. We got the medium, and I have to use a safety pin to hold up the end of the straps because they hang down from his belly too far, and it covers his entire back. He looks like a professional at work though. Hopefully this will stop the kids from running up to him so much.
I got the Outward Hound backpack because it looked the most durable of the options.
Just wanted to comment to ask everyone to please be careful with how much weight you’re having the dog carry. Unless a dog has been specifically conditioned to pull or work with heavy weights, the maximum in the dog pack should be 10 percent of his/her weight. Packing the pack with ice and beer would likely exceed most dogs’ carrying capacity. Just to give you an idea, a liter of water (or about 4 cups or 34 fl oz) weighs 1 kg, or 2.2 lbs.
That being said, we have a RuffWear Approach pack, but my boxer-mix dog gets so hot in the summer time (despite her very thin coat!) that I haven’t used it in warm weather. However, I was contemplating putting half-frozen water bottles (especially one of those soft Platypus bladders) to keep her cooler. Not sure if it’ll work that way, but I may give it a try.
Thanks for the reminders! I like your idea of putting frozen water bottles in the pack. My dog gets way too hot. I never use a pack for him anymore unless we are backpacking. Then he is stuck carrying his own gear.
I just bought Annie, my 85-pound chocolate lab, a backpack today. She carried two water bottles (one for each of us) and my keys through a local nature preserve and took to the backpack immediately. Intead of pulling me on our walk like usual, she stayed in perfect heel position. The only downside is that I bought her a pink one, and she splashed in the mud with it on.
Haha! Yeah maybe black would be better for hiding the mud – but pink sounds cute! And just for something to think about – don’t put your keys in the pack unless you are 100 percent sure your dog will not get away from you.
Enjoy the backpack! Glad to hear it helped on the walk. Thanks for checking out my blog and commenting!
I’m taking my border collie mix on a three-day backpack hike with some girlfriends over the mountain in a couple weeks. He has had a pack on a few times, and I’m getting him conditioned now. I love the idea of frozen water bottles (platypus) as he gets hot with his black coat. I’m planning on 10 cups of dog food for him that I’ll switch out with the water; and he can pack out the trash
He loves his pack. As a working dog he needs a “job,” and he is part of the team. Since this is our first major hike, any suggestions will be appreciated!
My dog is always very excited when we get to a new park, so anything you can do to get your dog used to visiting new outdoor places would be good. Maybe he’s calmer than my dog, though. If you don’t allow him off leash, you may want to bring along a long lead so he can at least run around a bit and explore at some point.
I would definitely keep walking him with the pack on before you leave so he gets used to it. If he’s a dog that gets really hot, try to plan your hike around areas where there will be streams and lots of shade. And depending on how he handles the heat, have a back-up plan for hiking fewer miles than planned just in case he gets too hot. And obviously bring tons of water.
I was considering getting a backpack for my German Shepherd, but I am worried that he will get too hot. It’s quite muggy here in Michigan, and we don’t really go for long, or overnight trips, just quick 3- to 5-mile walks around town and on the trails. Any thoughts about how it will affect his temp? I don’t need him roasting any more than he already does.Poor thing!
p.s. Check out my blog to learn more about our walks!
Could be a good option for winter walks. If he gets really hot in the summer, you could have him carry the pack with nothing in it. Then it’s more of a mental challenge than a physical one and it shouldn’t make him much warmer than he already is. You could also have him wear it around the house if he’s one of those dogs that seems to need more to do.
Yea, he’s one of those dogs that I think has learned that less is best… Though he does love his walks! I’ve never met a dog with as much personality as this one.
Sounds like you have a good boy!
Hi, I have a German Shorthair Pointer. He’s 9 mos old and weighs 44lbs. He’s about 27″ around the chest. He’s great in the house, follows all the rules and is pretty respectful toward our cats. I got him neutered two weeks ago.
When we go anywhere together, however, he’s a complete wild man. He pulls so much I can’t really walk him. In fact, a month ago he pulled me over and I hurt my knee. It’s still hurting, so that’s almost completely curtailed our walks. I’d like to try a pack which I suspect might settle him down. Is he still too young?
Thanks.
I would get one for him. The only argument against it would be that the pack would be too much weight on his still-developing joints. You could ask your dog’s vet, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Just don’t put too much weight in it – no more than 4 pounds. I hope the backpack settles him down a bit!
Thanks! I’m really hoping it’ll help him cool his jets, too. I was guessing that four lbs would be about right. I also purchased a prong collar today and we were just out practicing with it. It seems to be helping a bit. If my knee isn’t back to normal soon, I may try and pick up a treadmill for him at the local Goodwill.
Ozzie is my 3rd dog, so I’m no novice at this. Both of his beloved predacessors (first Dewey, a huge 90 lb Doberman mix, then Ike, a 65 GSP mix) were probably just as wild and in time, at about one year, all the training seemed to click in and each, for the most part, snapped out of it and turned into truly wonderful and totally cool gents. Both would heel off leash, though Ike was more trustworthy with that than Dewey.
I’m sure Ozzie will develop the same way, but he was so out of control at the vet’s today, it’s making me want to take immediate action just in case eventually achieving “coolness” isn’t part of his plan for the future.
Since his chest is right at 27 inches and he’s going to be at least 20lbs heavier when he’s done growing, should I get him the medium or the large backpack? Will the large adjust down small enough to accomodate 27 inches?
Thanks again,
Terrie
The backpacks adjust quite a bit. I would go with the size recommend for what he’ll be when he’s full grown.
I hope the prong collar helps as well. If it doesn’t, you could also try a Halti. Some dogs do better with the prong. Others do better with the head collars.
Thanks!
I Have a basset-lab mix and she is a year and a half. She isn’t a complete spaz, but she does pull extremely hard on walks which is why she hardly gets exercise,and me having bad hips doesn’t help, but being that she is a smaller dog (around 45-50 pounds) would you still recommend a back pack?
Absolutely. I’ve recommended backpacks for dogs as small as 10 pounds. You just have to get the right size.
Thanks!
Shasta loves her pack and a week from now will be doing a 50 miler on the Superior Hiking Trail…From the 1st day she loved it for some reason and it tires her out for the evenings…
That’s great! Enjoy your hiking trip!
I got my boxer/bulldog mix a Ruff Wear pack, and took her for a nice long hike today. She loved it and is totally pooped now. The only issue I had was the comments from other hikers – everyone we passed felt compelled to comment on it, and a couple definitely implied that I was lazy/mean for making her carry stuff. I just said “it gives her a job and she loves it” but I definitely wasn’t expecting that reaction. Other people thought it was smart.
Who cares what other people think. You are doing your dog a favor!
I got Abby a pack last week and she carries 2 water bottle on each side and a fold up water bowl. She loves it and being a pure breed Border Collie she needs the work out. I live in hunting land so she could only go in the fields the first week but now that hunting is over I took her to the woods. She loves it and as soon as she sees the pack she is ready to go. The pack was the best thing I ever did for her. It’s great for both of us.
Awesome! Thanks for your comment!