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
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
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