dog back pack carrier question

[Beamer]

Hi Everyone,

I did a search and found a little information but am hoping some of you might have some more. My husband and I enjoy hiking and camping and we have been doing some research on how best to tote Beamer a long with us on a hiking trail after he gets tired. I think the best we have found is the Dabbadoo front pet carrier (the model where the dog sits in and his legs stick out and this is all hanging on two straps like a back pack in front of you). I have read some really good reviews but was hoping someone here might have some experience with them as well. Also, I don't really know what size to get because Beamer seems to be a bit too long for a medium and might be too short for a large. If you have one of these, could you make a suggestion or send me your dog's measurements and what size you got?

If anyone has any other suggestions of a brand of carrier, I'm also interested in that as well.

Thanks so much!

Anna and Beamer

[jwestoverpug]

How long of hikes are you talking about? We take our pugs hiking pretty much daily, and will often go on all day 5+ hour hikes on weekends. As long as it's not too hot they do just fine.

I have a backpack style carrier (never used it for hiking, only for buses/subways). Not sure it's still made, the brand is "pet portage". I'm not sure those kind where they feet dangle support them enough.

[Rosiepug]

Sherpa also make backpacks.

[Beamer]

Thanks, I'll have a look at Sherpa.

We typically go hiking when we are out camping. I have no control over the weather as we book camping trips months in advance and it gets fairly hot and humid where I am in the summer. Beamer doesn't do well in some of our more humid days so I want to make sure that he can still enjoy the outdoors with us when we are out camping. When I take him for walks in the more humid weather, he will last about an hour to an hour and a half and then his breathing gets a bit snorty so I don't like to push him (I bring ice and a water bottle with me when we walk as well and sometimes he goes swimming in local stream as well to cool off). If we were to go out hiking for 2-3 hours in humid weather, Beamer would need a good break halfway through. I would prefer to just put him in some kind of pack and let him rest while we keep going and then let him walk again once he's had a chance to rest up a bit and cool down.

I went looking at some backpacks that had a flat bottom where Beamer could sit in them but in order to get one he would be comfortable in, I wouldn't be able to carry any other pack because they're really big... and HEAVY! We were finding ones that weighed close to ten pounds. That's why I started looking at the Dabbadoo ones. I wouldn't be carrying him all day, just for a little while until he's rested up. This would allow me to still carry a hiking pack on my back as well.

[Wonka & Nilla]

I don't have any advice, but I'm interested in hearing what other PVer's say about this. We often end up carrying Nilla when we're out on day-long walks and I've thought about one of those packs before, but they all seem to be made for very small dogs and lugging a 17 pound pug would put a lot of stress on those shoulder straps.

[Kansas Sky]

What a great thread! Chase has no interest in keeping up with his more sprightly step-sister on walks, (I'm pretty sure he expects to be carried everywhere on a silk pillow), but I hate to leave him behind when we go on longer hikes. I've been thinking for a while that I need a baby bjorn type carrier for him.

[Beamer]

For me, part of the struggle is finding something that my husband will be willing to use as well. We "compromised" when I got Beamer (he wanted a doberman) :) so he doesn't want to be walking around with a little frilly pooch backpack if I can find one that is 'manly' if such a pack exists. I've read some really positive things about the dabbadoo ones but they don't seem to be available except for via the internet so it's hard to see how it will fit him before ordering one.

[sassismom]

I am thinking that if you could go to a thrift store and find the right size book bag , possibly have it altered with netting in the sides for airflow it would be light weight, roomy and manly enough. I have three now so I have a runners stroller! I tried "packing" Sassi when she was an only the humidity just isn't worth the trouble last year Meelah got too hot and her nose wrinkle started to swell we stay in or they can enjoy the yard. Good luck!