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Ultralight Dogs?
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Apr 16, 2010 at 1:25 pm #1598724Apr 16, 2010 at 2:38 pm #1598757
JR- what is Maes?
Apr 16, 2010 at 3:20 pm #1598776Maes is a Cairn Terrier, though we try to keep the waters still and not let her know she is a dog. That bone, by the way, is probably from a sea lion or small whale. She isn't ours, but since my wife feeds her salmon she might as well be a member of the family.
Apr 16, 2010 at 7:18 pm #1598832Nice UL dog pictures.
I had a couple of Good Southern Mongrels. Their heads were way bigger than the UL dogs pictured. I could not take them hiking because they were loud barkers. Non-dog owners would freakout when they'd see these two big, loud barking canines approaching.
Another problem with non-UL dogs is their ouput. Again those steaming logs were bigger than any of the UL dogs pictures.
Anyway, I still miss them. If we get another dog(s), we're going UL for sure.
Apr 19, 2010 at 11:26 pm #1599901Well he's not 10lbs but he can easily carry 10lbs of my weight :)
Apr 20, 2010 at 7:22 am #1599972This is my little buddy and UL dog Tennessee, she's out on her daily chipmunk hunt.
Apr 20, 2010 at 9:43 am #1600032Here's my boy, from this weekend on Mt Greylock
and this one's the g/f's (she hates cameras and know when your taking her photo, this is the only good one of her from the whole weekend, and only cause she was too exhausted to move…)
Apr 21, 2010 at 2:52 am #1600323Absolutely love this thread. Now my dog (42 Lb 1/3 collie, 1/3 Lab, 1/3 Shepard) usually eats 1 1/2 two cups a day of Nutro Lamb and Rice which is about 340kcal per cup you guys think this is too little for trail use? I was considering using same food but the large breed puppy variety which comes with a little more calories in it but compared to what you guys are feeding your dogs it seems like I may be underfeeding him. Were do you guys pick up you food at because I dont think i've seen these brands at my local pet stores. Also how effective is frontline out on the trail? I figure i'll use that and just do a full tick check each night before bed.
Heres my pup
All packed up and ready to go
Apr 21, 2010 at 8:40 am #1600402Quinn,
Frontline is the one to get/use. You can get great deals on it at Costco. I follow the advice of my vet and do not treat with Frontline in the offseason months. For example winter, unless I know he'll be going to parks and being exposed to fleas etc.
We do not have heart worm in my area so I don't have to worry about that. If that's an issue where you live I read that Frontline + Heartguard works better than Revolution.
If your local pet food stores dont sell Orijen or Evo just buy it online. I prefer getting the smaller size bags and rotating them so he doesn't get bored.
FROM ORIJEN WEBSITE:
"CALORIE CONTENT & DISTRIBUTION
ORIJEN 6 FISH for DOGS has a Metabolizable Energy (ME) of 4020 kcal/kg or 460 kcal per 250ml cup (115g). Calories are distributed to promote peak physical conditioning with 45% from protein, 25% from fruit & vegetables and 30% from fat.""NUTRITIONAL GUARANTEE
ORIJEN 6 FISH for DOGS is formulated to meet nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for ALL LIFE STAGES"Daily Ration and Feeding Guide
ACTIVE LIFESTYLE (g/cups per day) LESS ACTIVE (g/cups per day)
10-20 kg/22-45 lb 150-275g/1¼-2¼ c 115-200 g/1-1¾ c
20-35 kg/45-75 lb 275-375g/2¾-3¾ c 200-275 g/1¾-2½ cApr 21, 2010 at 9:35 am #1600428Apr 21, 2010 at 11:55 am #1600500Quinn, lucky pup, not only does he not have to carry his load, his load get's carried! (but it does make for a great holiday card photo).
I'm a +1 to what Alex said regarding Frontline/Heartguard. In the winter here in N.E. he goes off Frontline until the temperature gets to flea/tick temp, when he goes back on. I get it at Costco, though Amazon has very good pricing on it every so often too. It's also a good impetus to shower him once a month before applying the Frontline.
Mine needs Heartguard, he had heartworm when he was rescued (I actually had to wait a month for him to be cleared for adoption) so the vet said better safe than sorry, so he gets it once a month.
As for food, those brands won't usually be found at the big box pet stores, check your local mom'n'pop shop, if they don't carry it standard they can probably get it for you.
As to what food to get, get the small bags until you find 4 or 5 brands/flavors that he likes as much as your pocket book does then rotate/mix from there. Ask your vet about grain free for your breed, I know some breeds don't do well on them while others thrive. Mine went grain free a while back and now basically refuses to eat any grain'd food, for better or worse.
while I'm at it, I can't recommend enough the dog psychology book "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell, it should be mandatory reading for all dog owners (her other book, "For the Love of a Dog" is also good but covers much the same material)
Apr 21, 2010 at 1:01 pm #1600528
Kickin' it in the Trinities. Tigger had a broken hip when I found him at 9 weeks old. No pack for him, but he loves to go. Just have to keep the mileage down a little for him. When it starts to get dark he puts himself to bed in the tent. Usually on my stuff. Has his own quilt and pad that I happily carry for him.Apr 21, 2010 at 1:53 pm #1600551He is a 100 labrador and able to carry his own food and pad. I carried a 300 weight fleece blanket for him at night during an overnight in the snow, and he was warm enough between that and a ridge-rest. I do throw in a plastic margarine tub to use as a food dish or water if needed (though he was still playing in the water this trip).
Apr 21, 2010 at 5:06 pm #1600646Katahdin:
With his fleece on:
Quinn, if you google Evo or any other high quality dog food brands, you should be able to find lists of dealers close to you. It's definitely worth looking into. As far as how much food to give your pup, it'll probably just take some trial and error. If you're not out on the trail for weeks at a time, this won't be a problem.
Frontline is the way to go for tick control, but there are also lyme disease vaccines for dogs. They're not 100% effective, but they're worth having if your dog's outside regularly. Definitely use Heartguard too.
Apr 21, 2010 at 11:13 pm #1600791My dog is 3/4 Lab, 1/4 Golden Retriever. Here he is wearing his Ruffwear Palisades Pack, older model. I note that several other dogs here have the same pack! It's big enough for 10-12 days food. Here it's just about empty except for a few gear items and my garbage, since we are at the end of our trip. He's very interested in someone fishing down the lakeshore! He's wading in Marm's Lake in the southern Wind River Range, Wyoming.
He eats Breeders Choice Active Care Chicken and Rice (he's allergic to most other dog foods). On the quantity, you need to go by what keeps your dog at his ideal weight–not getting too skinny but on the other hand not gaining weight. The vet says my dog should have a definite waistline and I should be able easily to feel his ribs but not to see them sticking out.
After a vomiting episode during a trip last summer (we had to turn around and go back out), the vet suggested feeding him smaller amounts at a time during trips. We'll therefore be stopping for lunch as well as breakfast and dinner, thanks to his sensitive Labrador stomach!
I also use Frontline and Heartguard except during the winter. I have been switching to K9 Advantix for the mosquito months. It helps a little with the mozzies but not as much as advertised.
Apr 22, 2010 at 2:02 am #1600812Here is my 8 pound dog south of Harpers Ferry on the AT. I have him on a harness so I can pick him up over obstacles.
Apr 22, 2010 at 7:40 am #1600866I believe the rule of thumb is that you don't want to see the ribs but if you lightly run your hand over his skin you want to feel them.
Here are my 2 pups. A yellow lab mix that is 6 years old (my boy) w/ a Granite Gear pack. He has been hiking with me for all 4 years we have had him. The chocolate/chessie mix is 2.5 years old and we got her about 6 months ago. She has the Ruff Wear Approach pack. It is much higher quality then the Granite Gear and I think we will soon get another Approach pack for the yellow lab.
Apr 22, 2010 at 5:25 pm #1601055Sigh, we've just added another UL dog to our 'pack'. She struggles a bit more than our other dog as she has a defective front leg she can't use, so we find we really need to carry her a lot. I've made a front pack to carry her in (she's 4kg/9lbs). But she's a lot better in the natural insulation department than our other pooch :)
They both love to snuggle under my new cuben/down quilt :0
Apr 23, 2010 at 3:23 am #1601151Im not so lucky as alot of you guys, or maybe it is i am more lucky. My Dane, Murphy weighs 152lbs and eats 9 cups a day, so anything more than 3 days is more than fits in his pack and i get stuck carrying it.
Apr 23, 2010 at 10:58 am #1601264Scott, are you using a high caloric density food? Can he fit a larger pack? Either way, he's a beautiful creature.
Apr 23, 2010 at 12:14 pm #1601281Scott he's a good lookin' dog! I love his markings.
Yeah why 9 cups of food? If you go with something like Orijen you'll only have to feed him 4-6 cups a day. I just doubled your range and cut your clean up duty in half.
Apr 23, 2010 at 1:34 pm #1601313Apr 23, 2010 at 4:28 pm #1601369^^^^I say just get a mini saddle at that point. Would you get in trouble for going on trails that didn't allow horse and pack mule traffic?
Apr 23, 2010 at 7:49 pm #1601434Apr 27, 2010 at 12:18 am #1602630I <3 this thread =)
I had a Dachshund back in Germany, a Pharaoh Hound with the ex (she took it :/ ) and now I have the fiancée almost so far that she's OK with getting a dog. I'll likely get a German Shorthaired Pointer, not really UL though I love their looks & character. He will be accompanying me then on my adventures in the future, and when he's old enough he likely will learn to carry his own food and gear.
All lovely dogs, you really put my dog fever one up!
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