How Can a Dog Backpack Help with Behaviour?

Bouncy, energetic or reactive dogs come in all shapes and sizes but they all have one thing in common, if they don’t use up their energy, they can get up to mischief. This could be in the form of destruction, constant barking, escaping the backyard, or as aggression towards other people or dogs. Let’s explore how a dog backpack can help with this behaviour.

How can a Dog Backpack help?

Dogs have energy, and the backyard life for 99% of our pets is BORING! Going for a stroll each day, or worse, a couple of times a week just isn’t enough for some dogs. Some have high physical energy and some need real mental stimulation to tire them out.

“If your dog is chewing the outdoor furniture, digging holes or escaping, they are looking for something to do.”

High-energy, nervous and anxious dogs seem to respond very well to ‘having a job to do’. Plus, it uses up to 3 times more energy than walking without a backpack so a 15-minute walk becomes the equivalent of a 45-minute walk when an appropriately weighted backpack is worn.

That’s got to help the before-work schedule hey?

Why use a Backpack?

• For some nervous & reactive dogs, wearing a backpack causes them to focus on their ‘job’ and not be so triggered by their fears.
• Your dog will get more physical exercise from carrying a weight.
• Your dog will be in ‘work mode’ so the mental stimulation and focus will wear him out more and help him sleep when you are gone.
• They will not be as focussed on ‘pulling’ when wearing a backpack so the walk is more fun for the owner!

How to use a Backpack?

• Introduce the backpack gently first, and loads of treats for the first couple of walks. It’s a good idea to pop it on, treat the dog continuously then get moving fast and keep treating.
• Put the backpack on without anything in the pockets at first. Let your dog get used to it. Go for 2-4 walks with the backpack empty.
• If your dog is ignoring the backpack after 2-4 walks (many dogs even become eager to put it on once they connect the backpack to a walk), begin adding the weight a little at a time. Go by the size of your dog. For an Irish Setter, start with a 350ml bottle of water on each side. For a Cocker Spaniel, start with an orange or something of similar weight.
• Be sure you have even weight on each side of the backpack.
• Go for 2-4 walks with each weight before adding more. Keep the first walk with the new heavier weight short; don’t try to do a 3km hike if you’ve just added weight.
• Do not add more than 10% of your dog’s own weight to the backpacks. For an 11kg dog, don’t add more than one kilo total (half a kilogram on each side).
• In the summertime, larger dogs can haul chilled bottles of water. This can help cool the dog too.
• Owners of small dogs sometimes use uncooked lentils to add weight to their dogs’ packs, which conform to the dog’s body, making the load comfortable. Plus, you then have good control over exactly how much weight you add and can add more in small increments.

NB: We recommend a vet assessment for dogs with back or hip problems or older dogs before use. If you continued to have problems with your dog’s behaviour, please ask us in-store. We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves to help with mischievous dogs and we might just have the perfect one for your problem.

For more advice on backpacks, visit us with your pooch, in-store, seven days a week.