# No more carrying poop bags for me! Free, free at last!!



## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

I was walking the dogs the other day, Hope always wanting to test the end of the leash, Kaya alternating between walking ahead and hugging my leg..

I'm trying to handle these two polar opposites of dogs, alternate between heeling and "free" time where they can go sniff, and all the while carrying a bag of poop, or two, sometimes three, for a couple of miles and hating it. Always looking for a place to ditch the bag.

Then I had thought to myself, "dude, get a backpack for Hope, let her carry the bags and the poop, it is her poop after all right?"

So a last night on the way home I stop by petco. They had one brand of pack and I got one in the large size for $15. I get home and try it on her and let her wear it around the house. She didn't seem to mind it at all until the strap around the front hung down in front of her legs.

I looked it over, and even though she's 75lbs this thing just doesn't fit. I think she's too narrow, and it was meant for wider chested dogs.

So on the way to training class I stop by petsmart, they have a different brand of pack called Homeward bound. I remember it because it's in big clear logos on both sides...









This time I try it one her in the store. Their large size seems to fit a lot better, the front strap isn't going to hang down in front of her legs, but the saddle bags might be riding a little low. But the only color they have is pink. So I swallow my manly ego and buy a pink saddle bag pack for her, it's not like she is going to mind, and it does make her look less like a scary black german shepherd I suppose.

So this morning is the big day, Hope gets a new job, and I have carried my last bag full of poop around the neighborhood. I put her pack on, put a water bottle in each side for a little weight, treats in one side, and bags in the other. I designate one outside pocket on one side exclusively for poop and bags the way I see it.

And off we go!

I just had the most pleasant walk with these two dogs I have ever had. Having the pack on somehow distracted Hope away from almost all distractions that usually flood her mind, and she paid attention to me better than she ever has. She heeled better, she didn't test the end of the leash as much, and at the slightest tug she looked back at me which I gave her a "good girl" for every time she did.

She wasn't able to bring herself to actually poop while wearing it though, she started to, but stopped and waited until we got home. Kaya however had no such reservations so the pack was broken in. I made the walk twice as long, and even stopped to sit a while and dish out some treats.

She didn't like to sit with it on, would not lay down with it on, but I think she'll get used to it. Hopefully she will retain the more polite walking though. I'm going to try to reward the better walking and better attention lavishly while I can. Woohoo, no more poop bags swinging around while carry them..









So how many people walk their dogs with a pack?

What brand pack is the best? The one I have seem quite prone to slipping over to one side if the saddlebags are loaded with exact equal weight.

I know, I know, I should have posted pics... Will do tomorrow.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Halo is still too young to wear a pack, but I have one for Keefer, and I LOVE having him carry all the stuff! We go out on 3-4+ mile hikes and he carries the car keys, my cell phone, poop bags, a collapsible water dish, sometimes even my big heavy camera, and I have a couple of awesome Platypus water bottles. 

Here's Keef in his pack:










It's a Ruffwear Approach, and it's really nice, and very stable. It has two girth straps and a Y strap on the chest. It's listing slightly towards me in this shot because the camera was in the bag on the far side so almost everything else is in the other bag to balance the weight. You want the pack to ride on the shoulders, not the back, so I've got the front straps cinched all the way to keep it as far forward as possible, and I even brought it to work (we have industrial sewing machines here) and had the Y straps shortened a bit (after this picture was taken). He is 80 pounds and wears a medium.

We get comments all the time, people find it amusing that he's working for his keep. I think it does make a difference with his reactivity too, he seems calmer when he's got a job to do. He doesn't mind sitting or laying down in it either:


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

Mandalay has the pink backpack, too.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I've had Jerzey wear a pack on walks as well and I, also, put a water bottle in each side as well as poop bags. You wouldn't believe that crazy looks I've gotten while walking her with her pack on. Lol. People are so weird.


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## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

What an awesome idea! 
I also have the poop bag issue, and having it swinging on my arm just wafts the smell closer to my face  

I have to head out this weekend and get one for Timber....a new training experiment!


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

Mandalay said:


> Mandalay has the pink backpack, too.


Is that a large or a medium?

That is a the same pack I got for Hope.

It looks a bit smaller on Mandalay than Hope's does on her. Hope is about 75lbs, and a bit narrow.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

We don't use our pack for normal walks because we live on 74 acres and don't really do leashed walks ... lol ... but we do use them for hiking and they're great. We have a RuffWear Approach now, which is a really nice pack. 

Never was a big fan of the Outward Hound packs because the front strap is in such a bad location and the pack weight doesn't sit over the shoulders where it should be - those are huge issues if your dog carries weight for a long period of time. But if you're using it for walks and light carrying (poop bags, keys, etc.) it's fine.

Here's what our pack looks like. (Linked because I will not post photos to this board anymore due to the copyright issue.)
[ K-9's Abby & Ronja ]
[ K-9's Abby & Ronja ]


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## Furricane (Feb 18, 2010)

I have the blue Outward Hound pack for Apollo, and it works okay, but I have noticed that the side bags really do not balance well. I'm thinking about finding him a new pack eventually. I really only put it on him when we go for light walks, and when we walk through Petsmart for socializing. It works great for holding all of those little things hat I would have to juggle in my hands while walking him, and he tends to focus much better when he has the pack on. It makes him feel like he has a job to do, and he is so excited whenever I put the pack on him!


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## crs996 (Sep 19, 2001)

How old should they be before carrying a pack? I love the idea and have never tried it.


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## Megiddo (Feb 18, 2005)

Here's Marshal... I've been thinking of him carrying the "Bag". It can be a hassle switchin' hands and juggling the thing. Besides, I've waved to people with the bag in my had. That can't be polite!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

crs996 said:


> How old should they be before carrying a pack? I love the idea and have never tried it.



I'm waiting until Halo is about a year and a half. She'll be 16 months old on Tuesday, so I actually ordered her pack yesterday and I might have her wear it sooner, but with nothing in it to get her used to the feel.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

I wish I could get Chrono a backpack but I've never found one big enough to fit him .


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Somebody on a email list I'm on got a backpack for her 140# Saint Bernard, so you can definitely find one to fit Chrono. What his his girth measurement?


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> Somebody on a email list I'm on got a backpack for her 140# Saint Bernard, so you can definitely find one to fit Chrono. What his his girth measurement?


Not too sure, but the only places I have checked for backpacks are petsmart and petland. They don't seem to carry anything more than a large.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Why not order one online? All you need to do is measure his girth and check the sizing chart. The ones at Petsmart aren't the best quality and I don't know what brands Petland carries. This is the one Keefer has: Approach Pack Backpacking Adventure Pack for Canine Hikes - from Ruff Wear. It only goes up to a large too, but that fits a dog that's 48" around. Keefer is 80 pounds, with a girth of 33", and fits easily in a medium.

The Kelty Chuckwagon is another recommended brand: Amazon.com: Kelty Chuckwagon - XL. The XL is basically the same size as the Ruffwear large.


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## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

Both Lloyd and Nash have ruffwear approach packs. A long time ago I had bought Lloyd the outward hound pack and it just sat way to far back to be safe to really put any weight in. The ruffwear ones are nice. I do wish the packs came off the harness like their other one, but I didn't really want the hydration bladder the other one comes with.

Another option if you only want your dog to carry light stuff are Doodie Packs.


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## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

I was just thinking about getting a back pack for Benny, He is not quite 11 months so I would not put anything in it, ( except maybe a toy) and just use it on short walks, I want to get him used to it and maybe giving him something to do will calm him down a bit

I want to order the Approach fro Ruff Wear too. Benny's girth is 32 and he is was 80m pounds at last weight check one month ago. The medium should fit him fine now because he sounds like Keefer's size. Is there room for whatever growth Benny has left? Should I order the large?


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Debbie, I think the medium should be fine - it goes up to a girth of 36", and I don't think he'll get 4" bigger around than he is now. He should fill out some, but that seems like an awful lot.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I ordered Halo's pack on Thursday, it shipped Friday (priority mail from Northern California - $3.21), and it arrived Saturday! I did a photoshoot this afternoon with her modeling her new pack, I'll put up a thread in Pictures.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Not too sure, but the only places I have checked for backpacks are petsmart and petland. They don't seem to carry anything more than a large.


Have you tried any hiking/camping stores near you? Not like Gander Mountain or Bass Pro Shops, but like REI, Eastern Mountain Sports, and the like. I've found the Ruff Wear and Kelty packs stocked at those types of stores. I know REI also sells them online, both in their regular store and their outlet store.

Ordering online may be the best way to go if you have difficulty finding the right size, though. If you want a cheaper pack, the Kelty is just under $50. One nice thing about the Kelty is, if the girth strap is too small, you can just go to any place that sells nylon webbing and put a bigger strap. It's very easy to replace. 

I gave my old Kelty pack away and because I had shortened the strap, I sent a new nylon strap with it for the girth. It worked out just fine.


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## Aldo (Mar 19, 2010)

Hello! I am new to this forum, as such things didn't exist when our last GSD died years ago. He was followed by a Siberian Husky, a choice we made due to our long backpacking trips in those days. The GSD had hip dysplasia, and we wanted a 'sturdier' dog for that sort of work. The Husky got his pack at 4 months, and it was a bit big as we didn't have much money in those days and didn't want to have to get a second. We didn't know that he was too young to be carrying a load...luckily he didn't know either! I need to find some photos and scan them. 

When he was 6 months old (yeah, I know...WAAAAY too young) we took him out for an 8 day trip. His pack was LOADED (as were ours...55# & 43# for my wife and I) and we had a marvelous time. He would get so excited when he saw the pack as it meant we were going exploring. He never ran off on the trails (off leash) but was uncontrollable anywhere else. He would go ahead a bit, but when he was a bit out of sight, he'd come back and see us. If my wife and I were hiking at different paces, he would go back and forth between us. It was really amazing as he was never really trained. He learned one REALLY cute but obnoxious trick (learned by accident): running fast downhill, we would duck down and stop....and could eject the pack! The design wasn't as good as the one's today (come on, it was 26 yrs ago!) and he thought he was so cute...and I would sometimes have to crawl through bushes to retrieve it. 

Wow...hadn't thought about that in years. When we put him down in 1998 @ 14+ yrs old, it about killed us. Haven't been ready for a puppy since. Our last cat (almost 15 yrs old, raised by the Husky) is terminal with a squamous cell carcinoma in her mandible. We decided to get a kitten to keep the other cat company as well as a puppy. We purchased him after meeting him last weekend (Von Lotta kennels) but Yuliya is keeping him for a couple of weeks while we deal with the cat. We are looking forward to getting back into a well balanced household (2 cats and a dog!) and doing more hiking with the canine. 

BTW: we used to joke about taking the cats along on hikes, just putting them into the puppy pack!


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

Excellent Story! I have a backpack for Echo but don't use it on a regular basis. Think I'll give the "carry your own d*[email protected] poop" idea a try today!


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## tintallie (Aug 6, 2008)

Syaoransbear said:


> Not too sure, but the only places I have checked for backpacks are petsmart and petland. They don't seem to carry anything more than a large.


Measure Chrono's chest measurement based on the instructions on ruffwear.com and then try Gear4Dogs Online Store as they are based out of Vancouver so the shipping won't be an arm and a leg (or by UPS ).


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## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Benny wears a medium in the Approach. It fits girth 26-36". Benny's girth measures 32 and he is 85 pounds at 11 months so the medium allowes for growth,

The large, fits girths of 32-48" but with that size you will have a lot of extra straps.

Here's the link where Cassidy's mom ordered her and it seems to have the best price: Arcata Pet


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## Nicnivin (Nov 6, 2009)

I totally need to get one of these for walks! Research time! lol


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## shepherdlady (Mar 17, 2010)

I have backbags for both of my girls. Unless it rains very heavy - we don't leave home without them. It is their job to carry the bags and they don't get fed until we are done with our 5k walk. I also get funny looks all the time, but the dogs walk soooo much better with them on.

Would not want to live without them.


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## CindyM (Mar 20, 2007)

I just want to share my picture!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I'd LOVE to get a backpack for Kaynya and/or Spike but I have a hard time finding xxsmall sizes that aren't $75!


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## LauraT (May 22, 2007)

Kirin loves her backpack and we use it everytime we go hiking to have her carry water, treats, her leash and poop bags. She loves the pack and I swear she struts her stuff with it on. It also makes people smile and they seem less afraid of a black GSD wearing a backpack!!


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## lbrennan2 (Feb 21, 2011)

Spencer modeling his backpack


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

JerzeyGSD said:


> People are so weird.


Says the person with poop in a bag in a packpack on a dog.


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## JanaeUlva (Feb 5, 2011)

CindyM said:


> I just want to share my picture!


Sweet!


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## EchoGSD (Mar 12, 2010)

Echo carries the poop-pak, er, backpack when we walk. Three dogs makes quite a potential "load" by the time we get home. People always ask me if she's a police dog, or if there is police equipment in the backpak...they look horrified when I tell them "Nope, just lotsa poop!"


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

i have a pack for Shasta and Riley. Shasta's still kinda sags on her because she's not thickened up yet. She's finally stopped growing up so maybe now she'll start growing out but i weight it right and she's cool with it. She's got NO issues with hers. And its so much easier to have her carry poop bags, the mail, keys, my cell phone, collapsable water bowl and her water and sometimes mine as well. She likes it. It gives her a job to do.


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## x0emiroxy0x (Nov 29, 2010)

As ya'll know Rocky is my first GSD and I have a few questions!

1. How old should a GSD be when they start wearing the pack.
2. How long should they carry it empty before adding weight, and how much weight should be added over time

Also, I have no idea about his parent's hips, so should I hold off until he is 2 and gets his hips checked? I don't want to effect them at all

Thanks!


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Hey Laurie you should take a look at these: 
http://www.kingwholesale.com/shopping/ProductInfo.cfm?Item=21151
They're not great for carrying lots of weight for long distances, but I'm assuming the Cresteds would not be doing that anyway. This is the same as the Urban Adventure pack I describe below. They have other sizes, not just XS btw.


My favorite brand is Ruffwear, they're really well made, hold up great and are easy to balance properly. However I usually only use Bianca's Ruffwear pack if we're doing a real hike or I need her to carry more stuff or more weight.

If we're just going for a walk, I still use a pack but I don't need to have a large amount of stuff in it so I use a Outward Hound Urban Adventure pack instead. I like that for the walks because it is small, flat (doesn't stick out to the sides) easy to put on and off and it doesn't cover a lot of the dog's back. I make her carry baggies, treats, clicker and my cell phone plus a few extras sometimes.
That pack is not very good for the hikes where I need her to carry water and more items, because it doesn't do the best job of distributing weight when you put heavy stuff in it, and it is not a non-restrictive pack (there's a strap that goes across the chest) however it works perfectly for our shorter (usually 2-4 miles) walks and when we go to events or walkathons.

If someone wants a hiking pack I always recommend Ruffwear, but I quite like the little pack if we're not doing serious hiking.

Outward Hound Urban Adventure pack:













Bianca's 'serious hiking' pack (Ruffwear Palisades Pack):


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## High5 (Apr 21, 2011)

Has anybody ever tried these packs and harnesses or ordered from this place? They seem pricey but i kinda like them as the come off the harness or you can add larger bags.

Strong 2 G-Hook Backpack Panel


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

Here's Paw Paw in his Ruffwear Approach pack. After I get my promotion and raise (should be Nov, Dec or Jan) we'll finally be able to afford the green Approach for Beowulf and the red/black Palisades for Nara. I can't wait! I've been wanting to get them for our other dogs for over a year now.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Lately I have taken to always having Bianca wear her small Outward Hound pack on all our regular walks. I HATE carrying a purse/bag so I just let Bianca carry everything! I also have been using a hands-free leash (goes over my shoulder or around my waist) so I don't even have to carry a leash in my hands. It's nice!




AbbyK9 said:


> Never was a big fan of the Outward Hound packs because the front strap is in such a bad location and the pack weight doesn't sit over the shoulders where it should be - those are huge issues if your dog carries weight for a long period of time. But if you're using it for walks and light carrying (poop bags, keys, etc.) it's fine.


I agree that some of the Outward Hound packs are like that, but the one I use has a very small compact pack and the weight is over the shoulders. I used to dislike Outward Hound but I really like the small size of the pack I have for walking. I also don't put much weight in it though, just light things for our usual 3-4 mile walks in the city or short hikes. It is hard to balance correctly if you put more weight in it. If I want her to carry more or we're going for a real hike I use the Ruffwear packs.


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

Spencer is adorable! Wow..cute dog


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## Gilly1331 (Apr 16, 2011)

We love our back packs. Lexi & Zeus wear theres on long hikes, they carry our water, snacks, sometimes dinner or lunch sandwiches, and anything we need along the way,.


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

Any of you ever worried about hiking near water or crossing streams on hikes? Being in Utah tends to have a lot of water sources on our hikes and Titon likes to wade in them sometimes. I don't mind the pack getting wet so much as my phone being in there with it. LOL


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

We don't usually cross water on our hikes so it's not a problem. If we were doing "real" hiking where we might cross water or Bianca wanted to swim/wade I would take off her pack. This is where the Palisades comes in handy because you can remove the pack part and leave the harness on the dog.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

Here my boys on a hike. This was before the weather was so stinking hot. I bought these at petsmart and am not crazy about them. They slide off to one side or the other ,but they work for now.


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## Two (Jul 18, 2011)

Awesome story, and cool pictures =]


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## malinois_16 (Aug 8, 2010)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> I'd LOVE to get a backpack for Kaynya and/or Spike but I have a hard time finding xxsmall sizes that aren't $75!


Lauri, I was just at the pet store here and the xxsmalls were $35. I was debating getting one for Ruby but then figured since she wont wear her winter jacket I dont think the back pack would agree.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

kennajo said:


> Here my boys on a hike. This was before the weather was so stinking hot. I bought these at petsmart and am not crazy about them. They slide off to one side or the other ,but they work for now.


Just FYI, I hope that puppies pack is empty because a puppy should never be asked to carry weight on their developing body.

We have the packs from petsmart and they work perfectly, we've even done some several hr long moderately rugged hiking with our dogs and the packs. You have to keep them VERY evenly weight and ensure you purchase the correct size for your dog and adjust the straps properly. The front strap will need to be fairly short so the pack stays over the dogs shoulders vs down on their back.


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