Backpack for my Saint

[Saint Pixie]

Does anyone know where I can find a backpack for Romy (my wonderful saint bernard) to wear when we go on our long walks, etc.  He is only 50 pounds right now but is estimated to be 200 as an adult, and Im looking for item that he can carry his own water, etc.  I have found backpacks for medium size dogs but have yet to find anything close to what I will need for Romy and the people at the pet stores are completely clueless!  One girl actually thought I was looking for a backpack for me to carry him in when I went for walks (and I had him with me at the time)!!!  Any info would be much appreciated.

Brightest Blessings
Mel and Romy

[Dobe SDs]

I got a really nice one at PetsMart made by Outward Hounds.  It's adjustable all over.  The "saddle part" has velcro on it so if you want to remove the "saddle bags" you just pull them off.  They are pretty easy to keep balanced.  I use them on my Service Dog when I go shopping.

[brandon]

How about this?






Ohhh... .  You want the dog to wear it?

[brandon]

If you dont mind spending a bit.. www.wolfpacks. com seems to be a good one and they can customize it.

I had read , for newfoundlands at least, that you don't want them to bear extra weight on their hips, carting, backpacking, etc,.. until they are 2, and the growth plates have closed.  No experience or otherwise here, just something I had read you might want to check into.

[shangrila]

I agree with everything that Brandon said. I think that wolfpacks is your best bet at finding a large enough backpack, and I would also be very cautious about putting too much weight on a growing saint pup. At 60lb my saint showed no signs of hip dysplasia - now, less than a year later, its something we struggle with everyday. Prevention is soo soo soo important with saint's hips

[Saint Pixie]

Thanks for the reply.  It's so funny though because I went to Petsmart and they were the ones that were extremely clueless, but I will check into the name brand you gave me.  Thanks again.
Brightest Blessings!

[jules]

Hey where did that cute backpack come from?I would love to get my son one.

[Saint Pixie]

Thanks! I will check into the website you suggested.  And yes, I am very well aware of the risk of putting too much weight on him.  He's not my first 'Big Paw Dog'    He wont be carring much, just enough to help me out (his water bottle, poop bags, treats - thats it!).  Thanks again for all the input, I do appreciate it!

Brightest Blessings!

[Anky]

Kelty makes one as well.  I think it was called the Chuckwagon.  When I was looking for a backpack for my Dane service dog, I came across a site that was just backpacking with Newfs.  I'll see if I can find it.

Edited to add:  Found the site

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1011/newf-doggear.html

OK!  And the site isn't working, but I brought up the cached version, and they said:

"There are quite a few companies making them nowadays. When we started hiking there were only 2 or 3 available. We use Mountainsmith Dogpacks. Why? Because they seem to fit our larger dogs best and because of all the adjustments possible. Our dogs really change and grow for a long time. I love all the straps and adjustments possible on these packs. For some people they seem complicated. For smaller dogs they are way to cumbersome. These packs really can hold alot of gear. They are great for strapping gear on the outside, too. They are truly expedition style packs. If you are only going for an overnighter or the weekend, buy something smaller.
On the Mountainsmith packs there are 3 straps across the back. This helps keep the back cool in heat. The straps can be adjusted to fit the length and depth of their back. This is especially nice if you have a high withered dog or one with hard to fit shoulders. There is a chest strap to keep the pack from riding backward and for going downhill we sometimes tie that extra lead on the back ends of the bags and twice around the hindquarters to keep the pack from sliding forward. If the weight is distributed just right, this usually doesn't happen, though. You can also put a towel (dampened in hot weather)under those straps for comfort on older dogs. They seem to need the extra padding.

Other packs you can find out there are the Wenaha and the Wolfpack. I like the ability to remove just the bags from the Wenaha ( we make a similar pack ourselves) and I have heard good things about the fit and durabiltiy of the Wolfpacks. I have only used their smaller pack on a small dog. This is the pack I would use if I had a small or medium dog that wasn't going on any long expeditions. For a very complete list of dog packs available zip to this page

We have also made our packs in the past. This is a good idea for your young growing dog, before you know for sure what size he will require. We make 2 kinds- a harness with velcro and removable bags or a vest/jacket type ( a little like a Wolfpack)


A note about size- they sell packs by weight but some dogs are much shorter or fatter than others. Pay attention to the width of your dogs back as much as how far around he is. Be sure to try them on your dog over a towel or something to keep the pack clean and test for fit. You don't want to keep a pack that doesn't fit well. And don't use a pack that doesn't fit. You know what that feels like for a person. Well, it's even worse for your dog, what with all those elbows and legs. "
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Here's the Mountain Smith pack link

http://www.mountainsmith.com/store/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=185&category_id=8aa13962081f71d37d608ac2533e623d

It's really a good site for dog hiking in general.

[brandon]

This looks like some really good info here:
http://www.agilepooch.com/dogstuff/dogpacks/dogpacks.html

The kids backpack was found here: http://mailjust4me.com/crafts/whiskeebackpack.htm

[Saint Pixie]

Thanks!  There is a lot of good info on that site.