Benefits of Dog Backpacks

Dog Backpack has become one of the worlds most popular tools to burn your dogs excess energy. Why?

A doggie backpack has 3 huge benefits; the first being, a 1 hour walk can feel more like a 2 hour walk to a dog carrying the extra weight. You can put about 10-20% of their body weight by pounds into it. Huskies can carry loads of up to a massive 35% if they are fit. So for example a 50 pound dog can carry anywhere from 5-10 lbs, depending on their energy level and age. Have the weight evenly distributed on either side of the backpack, so if you want to add 10 pounds, make sure you add 5 pounds on each side. You can use anything you want to add the weight from bottles of water to canned goods. I myself use bottles of water but now he carries my raincoat, tourch, bowls and other hiking gear.

Second - Dogs love to feel like they are important and have a job to do in their life. When a dog is wearing a backpack they feel like they are performing a job and it gives them a sense of pride. Our dog is almost prancing when he has his the backpack on, he is like so happy and proud. It is similar to when we’d see Search and Rescue dogs wearing their packs. These dogs that have jobs feel important and proud and the backpack is a symbol to the dog in the same way. They feel they have a job to do and want to do it well. A dog can thrive on working activites and helps give it a sense of purpose.

The third benefit, besides the draining of energy and making them feel proud is that dogs usually can only concentrate intensely, on one thing, so when they wear the backpack they tend to have a more focused walk. A dog that generally tries to sniff and pull on a walk will be more likely to walk in a controlled manner when wearing a backpack. They are focused on that extra weight they are carrying and balancing the pack so you’ll see that it helps them be more composed. Cesar Millan gave us our first insight into dog backpacks and he puts equal weights in each side of the backpack (a bottle of water, tins of food, or whatever is appropriate to the dog's size). He lets the dog carry the load on a regular walk. For many dogs, this gives the dog a sense of purpose (Milan said in one episode of The Dog Whisperer, "That dog is going to take those pickles somewhere!"). It also helps them burn off pent-up energy in a constructive and physically active way. Exercise and draining the dog’s energy is the most important first step in having a happy, well-behaved, well-trained dog.

The Ruff Wear Backpack is the best design we have tried and I would recommened it because of the harness fitted system and removable saddle bags.