You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I am looking for a dog carrying rucksack for a Border Terrier. He is just a pup at the moment, so can only do very short walks. Looking for a proper rucksack that he can grow into with preferably both a chest and waist belt to take the weight off our shoulders. What are your thoughts on paws in or paws out? Lots of flimsy stuff out there, but we want something for proper walks.
Following
I'm not provoking here, but just wanted to ask, why do people use these ?
brads Because young dogs are only supposed to do short walks,so means you can go further. I guess some people use them for old dogs too.
Ok I can get that.
As they get older though the dog will be able to walk further than you lol.
I've seen a few cycling with them which is cool. I'm hoping to tempt my Teckel into the trailer with my grand daughter soon.
The ones I've see were legs out which looked more comfy for the dog, less restrictive.
A border terrier, once grown, should be able to go all day, if you build them up to it.
I'm after one so that I can put the dog in when I'm riding. Plan on loads of 'gravel' rides this year, so he can run alongside us off road, but chuck him on the rucksack for the road bits. Also, I'm guessing the distances covered on bike would be a bit much for him, so can stick him in at the end of the day too.
Astonishing dog, the border terrorist! Used to walk one for an elderly friend. It was a wire-haired motor-weapon and entirely single-minded. Understand your concerns of over-walking a pup in first year as the last thing it wants is arthritis/joint problems in later life. As others say, it will easily out walk you one day soon
Found this on another forum:
One problem with BTs, is they are known to have a 'change in their priorities' when out on the hills and can bugger off. A friend of mine lost his while out running and scoured the hills before and after work for a week but to no avail.
But everyday he always repeated the exact same route at exactly the same time as on the day the dog went missing, and after 7 days, the dog joined back in with the run as if nothing had happened. He hated to think what it had been up to.
On the plus side, BTs are easily small enough to lift over stiles and rocky steps. On really steep rocky or icy ground they will also happily travel in a closed up rucksac on your back as going down fox holes is their forte.
https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/off_belay/border_terrier_and_running-681014
I *imagine* it would be more comfortable/comforting for the dog and for you to carry on back in a proper dog rucksack. A papoose arrangement (front-carry) might risk hurting your own back for no extra benefit to the dog. Those papoose things look like the dog is vulnerable, surely dog’s instinct is not to be upright with belly/soft-parts exposed to the world? Could be talking rubbish but would need to ask a dog psych/vet.
Our 14yr old (10kg) dog is best not left alone for hours at a time because he developed epilepsy in latter years. He still needs to exercise but is slowing down and can only do about a half a mile before refusing to walk. It got to the point where he was refusing to even begin a walk and would just dig in at the off. But I was convinced he was getting depressed being indoors all the time, so decided to try an experiment. He’s just a bit too big IMO for a rucksack, and so we too can still get some walking in I instead bought him a dog-stroller and made it a routine to get him out daily again. Now he comes along for an hour or two human-walk/dog-push and then happily gets down to walk the last quarter or half a mile home/do his sniffing/dog stuff. He’s a different dog now to a year ago. After an hour in the stroller he returns home and actually plays, barks and is generally much more upbeat than before.
A stroller is only useful on decent surfaces though, so if you want a solution for rough ground/hiking I can see the backpack/frontpack being the best. If a backpack just don’t ever risk a slip on wet/muddy/gravelly slope and fall on your back 😬
Some people will no doubt misjudge you as carrying a dog as a ‘fashion’ but ignorance is best ignored, just get on with it.
If you're on Insta Monika Mixova has one for her border collie pup, seems to be getting on fine with it.
"I’m after one so that I can put the dog in when I’m riding. Plan on loads of ‘gravel’ rides this year, so he can run alongside us off road, but chuck him on the rucksack for the road bits. Also, I’m guessing the distances covered on bike would be a bit much for him, so can stick him in at the end of the day too."
I used to bump in to a fella that had a little trailer for his cockerpoo. His commute to work was a mix of road and surrey heathland. the mutt would jump in or out of the trailer at a whistle...
Surely better than a rucksack?
Yeah I've considered a trailer. Incidentally, we too have a cockerpoo!
I'm just not sure that I want to ride with one on, we'll also be using the bikes a lot when away in our motorhome and a trailer would be an absolute pita to transport in the due to our layout.
I've a dog seat for my patterdale on my HT....
I’ve got the ‘knavigator’ rucksack from here: https://www.k9sportsack.com/ there’s a few online shops that are uk based.
We’ve not had it long, My cocker spaniel spaniel is still getting used to it, but does enjoy it so far. He hates the bike trailer (and so do I!).
They are a bit pricey but I’ve not found anything else like it on the market....
We have a BT, when he was a pup we just put him in a rucksack on walks although he did fall out.
He comes mountain biking and on road sections and fire trails he sits on top tube with paws on bars. It’s more comfy downhill if you drop the seat as then his bum Can sit on your knees. If we are feeling nice, we attach a bit of padding to top tube.
Previous BT did this as well. Train em young and they think it’s normal
You could also try ziptying a dog Carrier box to a rear bike rack on a hardtail. Or use one of those collapsible boxes you can get in B&q. Previous BT was quite happy in the box, whilst he could easily have jumped out he never did. He was a bit spesh though.
Got to love the commitment here.
You could also try ziptying a dog Carrier box to a rear bike rack on a hardtail.
Or just use velcro straps to mount it into an anything cage.
Never mind a rucksack get earplugs. A Border Terriers yelp goes right through you
Maybe it doesn't exist because it's a bad idea.
When I see these "dog rucksacks" I often wonder how good that posture is good for the dog, so many of them look like they put the dog in an unnatural position compared to how they would be on the ground.
i use this one for an old dog that used to love galloping about in the hills. at 14 years old she gets a lift to the tops and is happy to trot downhill!
she sits inside, no paws out. she's delighted with it, gets to look about. sometimes to the extent she doesn't want to get out!
@wheelie did you buy one? and how did you get on? Looking to get one for a mini Schnauzer pup
cheers
I got adverts on facearse for dog rucksacks but not being a dog owner I assumed they were a piss take. On the plus side at least Zuckafuks algorithms had it all wrong (me no like dogs, entitled dog owners, dog poop)