Backpacking w/ dog?

[William Finch]

I prefer to hike with my Yorkie, Beans. She weighs just six pounds so it's no big deal if I have to carry her some of the time. She stays nearby and can climb as well as if not better than I can. She is not yappy and doesn't chase wildlife. She eats very little and never complains. Her feet get a little swollen now and then and I just carry her. She does well at water crossings if it's not too deep.

Check out her short bio and a photo at: http://sierranevada.home.comcast.net/IndianLakes/beans.html

[J Bailey]

I really appreciate everyone's input, it helped immensley. I'd been watching the Colorado shelters and adoption networks looking for a suitable dog to bring hiking for long distances. I also consulted with a vet who was of great help.

I finally brought home Maggie, a 1.5 year old female German Shepherd mix. She's allready been out on some trails across the front range for some short day hikes, no longer than an hour and a half. She loved it.

I've started building her stamina and the toughness of her pads, as well as her obedience training: we're enrolled in a three month class.

I just ordered her pack and some booties, the vet helped me choose suitable equipment, also a light insulating layer, something warm to sleep on and other misc. small stuff. In short, we're heading towards taking overnight trips in late may when some of the snow is starting to recede.

–edit–
I don't always tie her up outside like that, she just would not hold still to take a picture.
–edit–

Thanks Again
Justin

[Diana R]

You found a beautiful dog… May you have many happy hikes together :)

[Steve .]

Congrats on your new hiking partner :)

[Kevin Stephens]

I hike with my Lwellin Setter and wouldnt tradde a minute of it for anything………after all nice to have him point the grouse out before I step on them and have a heart attack :)

[adam brenner]

We have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (about 15 lbs. each). I find them to be great multi-day hikers, where I am hiking 10-15 miles a day. On snow they tend to float on top and not post-hole. They can climb most stuff and when it gets too steep, it's real easy to carry them with the Ruff wear 5 point harness. We've belayed them down a 40 foot ladder. I can fit the two of them in my 2 person tent with lots of room to spare. When we get cold, my wife and I each can take one in our sleeping bag as an instant heater. People on the trail are less freaked out by their being off leash.

[Elliott Non-Disclosed]

Australian Cattle Dog gets my vote too.

[David Gever]

I have seen this discussed alot both here and on whiteblaze, and have been surprised that no one has suggested the Rhodesian Ridgeback. This is a link to short video about them http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-rhodesian-ridgeback.html
Some of the amazing features for hiking
1)The most thickly padded paws of any dog breed
2)bred to go 24 hours with out food and water
3)Able to run 30 miles with a hoarse
4)Immune to insect bites
5)Tick repellent coat
6)Resistant to both hot and cold temps
7)They also ignore strangers so for those of you that don't like dogs on the trail don't worry

[Joe Clement]

Rhodesians are cool dogs. They will ignore people, but they'll sure watch them. My favorite breed to hike with –

Doesn't mind as well as most of the breeds listed though; can be whiney, and is expensive.

[Mary D]

The breed doesn't matter nearly as much as extensive training and socialization! The obedience classes will train you in how to train your dog. I was shocked at some of the things I'd been doing wrong of which I was completely unaware but which the instructor spotted immediately. It's usually expected that each class level will need to be repeated at least twice–the first time to train you and the second time to train your dog. The class situation also trains your dog to work in the presence of distractions (like other people and dogs). I spent a lot of money training my dog (Lab/Golden cross) and it was worth every penny. You might consider a beginning agility course later on. By the time your dog has learned to go through tunnels and over teeter-totters, she won't be scared of hazards you'll encounter out in the mountains.

Please remember that larger dogs like German Shepherds, Labs and Goldens tend to have sensitive joints (all these breeds are prone to hip dysplasia) and don't become fully mature until two years old. Hold off on more than very light packs and really long hikes until then. Your conditioning program sounds excellent; just don't rush it too much.

Maggie is a beautiful dog–may you enjoy hiking with her for many years to come!

A few other things I've learned: Crate training helps produce a dog that will lie quietly in the tent. The dog learns to regard the crate as a place of refuge and transfers this to the tent. Taking along a comb and combing the dog's hair at bedtime not only reduces the amount of loose dog hair (my dog sheds constantly) but removes any creepy crawlies, like ticks, that may be crawling around. Frontline or K9Advantix kills ticks but not until after they bite, so there could be quite a few on your dog's fur. It's a good idea to do this after spring dayhikes, too, before you put the dog in the car to go home, to prevent arachnid hitchhikers. Besides, most dogs enjoy being groomed, so it's a chance to bond. Always make the dog "Wait" before going out the door (at home or in the tent). While mad dashes after an escaping dog may amuse your neighbors, it's better to teach the dog always to let you go first.

[Michael Landman]

I hiked with my Wolf/Husky/Malamute cross (1/2 Husky). He could go all day at a much faster pace than I. He would lope at 5 or 6 mph, and could do this non-stop. It was a bit confusing for folks to see a "Coyote" with a dog pack on. He also munched on small rodents he cought for snacks on the trail.

[Amy Reid]

Mary is right. Breed isn't as important as conditioning, training and being a responsible handler.

Knowing that you're going want to take your dog in the back country is the first in a line of considerations for selection. Temperament, agility, and size will be important for how you'll live day to day with your dog. Working dogs, from Samoyeds, Malamutes and Huskys to Border Collies, Kelpies and Aussies (and everything in between) are excellent for packing and can be great family dogs. The working breeds are numerous. They need lots of attention, exercise and thrive on having 'jobs'. They may or may not fit into the rest of your lifestyle. But on the packing side, the larger the dog, the more food they'll need.

Whether you choose a working breed, a sporting breed or an Evolution Dog (aka Mutt), training will make the difference in your (and others') experiences on the trail. Start early and be diligent with obedience training. Find a good professional trainer to help teach you to be a good handler. DON'T work the dog off-lead until its REALLY ready. Be patient. The rewards will be worth the work.

If you plan on having your pup carry a pack, get it early, but don't put any weight in it until they're a year old. You can start before then with just paper in the pack to let them get used to it. They can carry 1/4 their own weight, but shouldn't carry any until they're 12 mo. old. Wolf packs makes some great packs designed for working dogs (www.wolfpacks.com) but there are lots of companies that make them. I've had a WP Bandito for my dog since she was about 6 months old. After 4 years of use in the Sierra high country and foothills (read granite & brush) it shows little wear & tear.

Toughening up pads can be harder than it seems. I run mine on pavement next to my bike and she's still gotten tender hiking long periods on granite in the high country. Consider having your pup carry a set of MuttLuks (www.Muttluks.com) or other boots in their pack just in case. (If your pup has dewclaws, check that the strap for the boots doesn't run across the dewclaw, this can cause irritation or a wound.) I helped some people extract their 115# Rottweiler out of the wilderness with a bad case of couch paw once and would hate for any dog to go through that. (This is another good reason to consider size). The pup's pack should also include some basic first aid.

Most importantly, take every opportunity to expose your puppy to new places, new dogs, new people, different situations. Socialize them early and often.

Be responsible on the trail. In areas of heavy use, observe leash regulations, even if you believe your dog is well behaved and can handle being off lead. Sometimes its a drag. While working as a wilderness ranger in a heavy use area, I was charged multiple times by dogs off-lead in an area where leashes were required. In every case the owners swore the dog was a 'nice dog' etc. etc. Even 'nice' dogs will get protective in strange situations with strange people and unfamiliar territory.

Good luck!

[David Olsen]

"
Adding post to: "Backpacking w/ dog?"

Re: Backpacking w/ dog? Posted 03/22/2007 10:02:19 MDT by Einstein X (EinsteinX)

>>Are there other breeds of dogs that I should look into?<<

Uhmmm…. The lightest one?

Sorry couldn't resist

Eins"

Like this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CzarGideon.jpg

Ours is 24" at the shoulder and weighs 29 lbs.

Very light on his feet.

[Lynn Tramper]

"Uhmmm…. The lightest one?"

Yup

Helix: 9lbs…

Size really doesn't seem to matter to him, although occassionally we have to carry him over some tricky bits. And that's one of the nice things about a small dog-they are easy to 'extract' or otherwise assist because you can easily carry them. He too can go all day without tiring, and his pads are now well seasoned.

We used to have a ridgeback. Nice dogs!

[Bill Reynolds]

This old guy has put in a lot of miles with me and is a great hiking companion. I hope he and I both finally get to do our thru of the AT in 2010. He is an 80 lb Flat Coat retriever named "Yonah" which means Black Bear in Cherokee.

[Amy Reid]

Seriously . . . CUTE! Does he have a bitty pack too?!

[Mary D]

As long as we're posting cute doggie pictures:

This is my dog at Marm's Lake in Wyoming's Wind Rivers last summer. He's 3/4 Lab, 1/4 Golden and was a "reject" from Canine Companions for Independence (wheelchair assistance dogs). He had never seen anyone fly-fishing before so is quite interested in a person casting a ways farther along the shore.

[Jonathan Ryan]

Alright, I will post one too. This is me and my Choco Lab Aspen.

[scott burgeson]

This is my Plott Hound,

She is wonderful in camp but I have to keep her on a leash when hiking. She comes when called but is very easily distracted and likes to wonder very very far away.

She is bred to tree bear and that is the last thing I want to deal with if she ever catches the scent of one.

Granted she is still young, about 2 years, and I am hoping more training and age will keep her on the trail and not out of sight for the whole trip.

Warning: Cold Puppies will steal your sleeping bag. I woke up to this the first cold morning on the trail. (or rather my wife woke up to this, I was still dead to the world.)

[Ken Thompson]

What packs can you guys recommend for my pooch. He is a mutt, but similar build to Scott's Plott. Searched the forums here,but you know how that goes…

[Zack Karas]

My dog is only 50 lbs and the RuffWear Approach pack fits her great. I've tried other packs, but those seemed to put the weight too far behind her shoulders. I think it weighs roughly 16oz size small (dogs can be ultralight too).

[David Olsen]

Lynn-

Do you have a front pack for that pup?

[David Olsen]

Cool Dog.

I had a black and tan for 17 years. She could outwalk
me times 3 even at the age of 15.

We used an electric collar to stop running off or chasing
animals. If done correctly, it works great. It does
take considerable training before you even strap it on though.

Makes 'em a good forest citizen.

Freedom with responsibility.

[scott burgeson]

I have the Ruff Wear Palisades for my hound.

The pack detaches from the harness so I can take it off for river crossings and in camp. This is the main reason I bought the Palisades over the Approach.

Also it is the only one I found that sits on the shoulders and not in the middle of the back.

It is overkill but it also has water bladders on both sides and compression straps to stabilize the load. They run big so read up on sizing.

I found one for 50% off online so shop around.

–scott

[Mary D]

In the water lily photo above, Hysson is wearing the Ruffwear Palisades Pack. It has built-in water bladders. Its best feature is that the pack is detachable from the harness, making it really easy to remove and re-attach the pack bags at rest stops, and giving the dog a harness for other uses, as Scott mentions.

Unfortunately, Ruffwear re-designed their packs a year ago, making them considerably smaller. Hysson is wearing the older model, which is quite a bit larger and can hold 7-10 days' food. The newer model won't hold more than 5 days' food (and not much else). I fortunately was able to find an older model on closeout. There are a few other dog packs (Mountainsmith is one, I believe) that still have the larger capacity. They do not, however, have the pack bags detachable from the harness. Only Kelty's dog pack and the Ruffwear Palisades have that feature. Hysson had a Kelty Sherpa for several years. It's about the same size as the new model Ruffwear–not big enough for longer trips–and tends to be tippy. But it does have the detachable harness and another feature I like, an underbelly strap from the pack bags, which keeps them from flopping should the dog decide to go on a running spree. Overall, I think the Ruffwear is a much better designed pack. I don't know if you can find any of the older model still around, except maybe used, but it would be worth a search if you need the larger capacity for longer trips.

The water bladders (basically mylar wine sacks) of the Ruffwear Palisades are on the underside of the pack bags and act as padding. They are a bit of a pain to open and close, but are really handy if we camp a long way from the water source. They hold about a gallon each, although I have never put more than two quarts on each side. Of course when I use Hysson as a "Gunga Din dog," his pack is otherwise empty!

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