MitchellC wrote:
She doesn't look entirely happy about the new deal.
It's mostly the wrinkles talking. She almost always looks some combination of sad, worried, and annoyed. If she was actually unhappy her tail would be tucked, that's her first response to not liking something happening to her (like being made to put on a backpack).
She wears it just fine, but is still learning that while wearing it she's wider. So she gets hung up when cutting too close to stuff like door frames and such.
keethrax wrote:
Backpack got here today:
Once I got a greyhound, other people's ideas of muscular dogs amuses me.
Of course, your dog isn't made of tissue paper like a grey, so there's that. 
Osterkraut wrote:
Once I got a greyhound, other people's ideas of muscular dogs amuses me.
Of course, your dog isn't made of tissue paper like a grey, so there's that.
She's all chest and shoulders, it's just hiding behind the pack.
In fact, sizing the pack was tough, because there's so much taper from chest to waist on her. The small one fits her waist, but isn't long enough to actually get to her waist, and so doesn't fit because she's way too big up front. The medium one (pictured) gets to her waist but barely gets small enough to fit.
Ideally I'd get a pack this long that's skinnier, or the shorter one at this width. But they don't exist as far as I can tell. This works it's just all the way at the ends of its range of adjustment.
She is 57 pounds of muscle (and a bit of loose skin and a skull made of iron). I know she's 57 pounds because we were just at the vet today for our third emergency trip to the vet in the past 4-5 months.

This was 4-5 months ago when she was still growing up and not out (I think, maybe a bit farther back than that but certainly not less), her waist is still similar, but she's filled out quite a bit more in the chest since then. At least 20-30% more in the chest/shoulders. And even back then her chest was 3 times as big around as her waist.
And like a greyhound, the fur is practically non-existent, so that's all dog, not dog + some fuzzy airspace around her. Love greyhounds myself, but don't think I'd have one where I live, they don't seem like cold weather dogs (neither is Daisy for that matter, but she was a local rescue so you kinda get what you get)
oh, how cute.. now your dogs can share the experience of getting a bad back at an early age from carrying too much weight on their back just like their human masters..
That is a very nice looking dog, very lean and fit looking. I once saw a group of people with rottweilers that had carts attached to them, even one with dually Rotts. Some dogs are working breeds and are bred to pull and carry stuff. I once saw a picture of an old women after the destruction of WW2 in Germany with her rott on a cart carrying stuff.
Good luck with that beast looks like a nice one, great form and posture.
benzbaron wrote:
That is a very nice looking dog, very lean and fit looking. I once saw a group of people with rottweilers that had carts attached to them, even one with dually Rotts. Some dogs are working breeds and are bred to pull and carry stuff. I once saw a picture of an old women after the destruction of WW2 in Germany with her rott on a cart carrying stuff.
Good luck with that beast looks like a nice one, great form and posture.
She would love to pull a cart. Her pack would still be more useful, but I'm sure she'd have a blast with a cart. But frankly I don't want to have to train her to differentiate when it's OK to pull and when it's not.
Otherwise it would be sweet to take her out on the paved biking/skating/walking/etc trail with one. Hmm.. said trail is free for people on foot, but anything with wheels has to pay ($15/year). I wonder how that would work with a dog cart if I were on foot.
I have learned two things today.
- A lot of people don't just let their dog drink out of puddles and streams.
- Dogs look ridiculous wearing saddle bags.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:
I have learned two things today.
- A lot of people don't just let their dog drink out of puddles and streams.
- Dogs look ridiculous wearing saddle bags.
When available those are usually fine. But where we tend to walk, the water is old mine pits. Which means it's behind a fence, and down 1-200 feet of essentially cliff. Not bad water where you can actually get at it, but the detours to do so are extensive. The ground is both steep and porous enough that puddles pretty much don't happen.
The nicer trails are north of town. As you can see, plenty of water. But it's difficult to get at.
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yamaha
Reader
6/22/11 9:41 a.m.
if you have a "working" dog like a shepherd or lab, they actually will see it as a job and enjoy it if you start them young enough. start off with a little water and food, then progress to a little heavier. I'd never go over 20lb on an 80lb dog though, too many bone/joint issues
yamaha wrote:
if you have a "working" dog like a shepherd or lab, they actually will see it as a job and enjoy it if you start them young enough. start off with a little water and food, then progress to a little heavier. I'd never go over 20lb on an 80lb dog though, too many bone/joint issues
Yeah. Her max load on a day where she'll be carrying it for an extended period of time is only going to be:
-
her folding bowls (< a pound for the pair)
-
a few days food (~ 1 pound/day)
-
a bottle of water or two to ensure not getting stuck between water sources (another pound or two depending on availability of water),
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the pack itself (a hair over a pound)
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and maybe a small first aid kit (a few ounces at most).
Should be well under 10 pounds for stuff in the 3-4 day range. For now, I don't see going much farther than that with her without a resupply somewhere.