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WECLOME TO HEX DOG TRAINING!

What's the Deal with Dog Backpacks?

4/9/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture
A dog backpack, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a piece of equipment that looks like saddlebags... The dog wears it, (at opposed to is carried in it! :)

Dog backpacks can work wonders in a training/rehabilitation program, as there are psychological reasons to use one, not just physical, and here is what I mean by that:

Picture you're the dog.  A weighted backpack is strapped to you (sometimes you take the step of acclimating the dog to wearing the pack with NO weight in it first, but not always).  You're aware of the pack on your back, you have to compensate for it, you have to adjust your balance a little bit.. It can shift the focus.  Often, and sometimes immediately, you see the dog relax.  Less "scattered," I call it (scanning ahead or around them with their eyes, looking back 'n forth, setting themselves up to react to whatever is on the horizon, that kind of thing).  The backpack helps shift their focus & helps them "settle" or feel more grounded, I really think. 

(I found out recently they do similar things with autistic kids in programs... weighted vests to help with that "scattered" feeling and anxiety.) 

The backpack also has a physical advantage - it's like you running with weights.  Tires ya out more because you are working harder, and I definitely feel that any amount of anxious energy you can alleviate is a good thing!  (They apparently make similar things - vests - for working out as well, which I learned from a client that is very into physical fitness & the gym & that kind of thing.. who knew!)

I am in no way shape or form saying that getting the backpack and weighing it down (you start smaller & get to about 10-12% of their body weight, generally) will solve anything, but it IS pretty much a safe piece of advice I can give over the internet, and sometimes, the change in a dog is remarkable in just adding the backpack alone to a well-planned little training program, although no guarantees, of course.

The backpack can be a huge asset to part of an overall rehabilitation/training program: no more, no less.  Any tool sitting on the dining room table is just that: an inanimate object that has no power behind it on its own.  I am a huge fan of the backpack for what it is, and just like anything else, it isn't for every dog, every situation, every time.  Check with the vet first if there is any reason the physical weight could be a problem.

Here are links to some of my favorite models:
    http://www.laguardk9unit.com/
    http://www.myoutwardhound.com/backpacks-for-dogs-dog-backpacks.html

Please visit HEX Dog Training on facebook at www.facebook.com/hexdogs and check out our actual website www.hexdogs.com!  Thank you for reading, and HAPPY TRAINING!

Cassie-Leigh Stock, ABCDT, CTDI, AKC-CGC, CDT
Owner, Higher Expectations Dog Training & Behavior Modification


4 Comments
Ames
4/14/2013 11:42:11 am

Thank you for helping us see how beneficial these are. Gargamel walks like a dream when his backpack is on. He is a good walker when it's off BUT he notices every single thing. He is looking ahead for potential things to fixate on. When he has his pack on its like he knows he is working and doesn't care about what's around the corner. He isn't trying to stop and sniff everything. He is focused and isn't as easily distracted. Thanks again Cassie for this cheap miracle :)

Reply
Louise Stapleton-Frappell link
2/3/2014 07:39:03 pm

Thanks for this informative post - any recommendations on well fitting back packs?...

Reply
Life of a Pup link
3/12/2014 10:03:01 pm

Taking your dog out for hiking is easy to talk but without having back packs it becomes hard. Dogs must also have their own back packs. So that they can take their stuff like water, drink bowl etc.

Reply
Alisa link
10/17/2016 04:44:15 am

http://www.dogica.com/dog-backpack.html

Reply



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