# Hiking/Traveling with Poodle in Backpack?



## Travis (Sep 10, 2012)

Hi everyone! Just curious if anyone has a poodle who likes to ride in a backpack? I stopped hiking with my standard poodle when she got older because she was just too big to carry when she got too tired or simply_ wanted_ to be carried! 

This time around, I have decided on a miniature poodle and I am determined to make her into a hiking companion and am hoping she'll enjoy riding in the backpack when the hike is too strenuous. There are some very cute videos of an australian shepherd who seems absolutely elated to cram his large body into his owners backpack on hikes. I also purchased a backpack especially for carrying your dog, which is surprisingly comfortable to wear and even has a lined area to put a cool pack if it is hot and your dog needs a little air conditioning! Would love to hear how people travel with their poodle or how they incorporate taking their dog with them on their favorite activities. My Sophie used to go with me to the tennis club and loved to chase the ball when I'd hit with someone. She actually just ran from one side to the other as the tennis ball traveled much faster than she could, but she loved it and when someone hit it into the net she was right there to snatch it up!!! Would love to see some pictures of poodles doing activities with their human counterparts!!!


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

I suppose I would only hike with my dogs that would hike _with _me, not _on _me lol


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Small doesn't mean incapable.

My mpoo has an easier time hiking than my fiance's Golden Retriever. If we are off-trails and terrain is very rough - if he is repeatedly jumping over his shoulder height to get over rocks, trees, etc - then I take his pack off. Otherwise he carries my water in a backpack. The entire pack with water weighs 4 - 5 pounds.


Jet at the Felsenmeer by tortoise11, on Flickr
*
Depriving a dog of physical exercise is the worst thing you can do for its wellbeing! * Let your future dog be a dog.


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## Rusty (Jun 13, 2012)

Congrats on your upcoming new puppy! With respect to backpacks for smaller dogs, our friends use one of the boxy-looking backpacks for their senior dachshund, and he seems to like that, although if he gets excited and tries to crawl out of it, it can be tough for them to adjust him in the backpack (since, obviously, it's on one's back). I've also seen people use big wide scarves (they look like baby slings), which seem fairly comfortable for the dogs, and it's much easier to reach the dog if you need to since he's on your front. 

With respect to minis as hiking partners, though, I'd be surprised if your little guy needs a backpack. Our Rusty used to go for substantial hikes with us. He was still comfortably doing 10 - 12 km hikes with us when he was 12 years old, and fairly tricky, rocky, uphill hikes at 14 years old. Tricky footing and long distances never seemed to bother him, although sometimes we'd help him go up or down if the jumps were too long or wide. It was only in his senior years (say, 15 - 17 years old), that his eyesight limited his ability to handle bumpy hikes (although if the trails were fairly flat and wide he still walked on his own, and we just picked him up over jumps or areas with really uneven footing). The smaller size of the mini made it easy to carry him short distances when he needed help.

So, I guess my advice would be to wait on investing in a backpack until you and your new poodle have had a chance to see what he's capable of. I'm guessing he may surprise you with how tough he can be!

I'm going to try to include some pictures of Rusty hiking at 15 years old on the flatter trail, and Rusty at 14 years old at the top of a rocky hike that even I had trouble with (he was only being held in this picture so he could be part of the group photo).


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## Travis (Sep 10, 2012)

tortoise said:


> Small doesn't mean incapable.
> 
> Depriving a dog of physical exercise is the worst thing you can do for its wellbeing! [/B] Let your future dog be a dog.


Love the picture of the boulders and your poodle! I love seeing poodles in wilderness environments because they actually really look in their element...more so than laying on the sofa or sitting in a perfectly manicured yard (don't get me wrong--love those photos too!). So how far can your poodle hike, normally my hikes are 8 to 12 miles, occasionally 16 in a day. Mostly, I want to make sure there isn't too much pounding on my new girls joints as if I clock 12 miles then the dog probably is clocking more like 20 something or more as much as they run back and forth! You are probably right though, my new poodle will probably hike most of the way and expect me to carry all her supplies on my back! Thanks again, great photo!


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## Travis (Sep 10, 2012)

Rusty said:


> With respect to minis as hiking partners, though, I'd be surprised if your little guy needs a backpack. Our Rusty used to go for substantial hikes with us. He was still comfortably doing 10 - 12 km hikes with us when he was 12 years old, and fairly tricky, rocky, uphill hikes at 14 years old. Tricky footing and long distances never seemed to bother him, although sometimes we'd help him go up or down if the jumps were too long or wide. It was only in his senior years (say, 15 - 17 years old), that his eyesight limited his ability to handle bumpy hikes (although if the trails were fairly flat and wide he still walked on his own, and we just picked him up over jumps or areas with really uneven footing).
> 
> 
> > That's great information! It's amazing how the miniatures can often have more stamina than the standards. The breeder told me that as well as said that she thought it would be a great size to accompany me on my hikes. I used to carry my standard for maybe a quarter of a mile and then she would decide she was ready to walk again. A BIG BABY! A miniature will be much easier to tuck under one arm...Sophie was a two arm or a shoulder carry! She was also black so I think the reason she wanted to stop was just her fur would get hot. She was really funny though, amazingly athletic...she would jump and race and occasionally when she would get a tiny little burr or a twig in between her pads she would stop everything and do this pathetic limp like she had ripped a ligament or tendon--she would bow her head and look up at you with her paw raised and these sad distressed eyes like she had received a fatal wound...then you would remove the stick and off she would race like a racehorse coming out of the gates completely recovered. More than once someone would say, Oh NO! I think Sophie is REALLY HURT!!! Only to have her race off after her pad was cleaned. Thanks for the pictures, Rusty obviously led a great life and sure looks like he was having fun out there. It's so great to see photos of dogs hiking as they always look so happy and engaged!


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

Our hikes are limited by my fiance's knees.  This hike was 6 miles. It was very hard going - about half was completely off-trails and we had inclines as steep as 180%.


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## Huxtable (Feb 19, 2012)

I don't remember the member's name or the name of the thread, but there is a member that hikes very regularly with their poodle-- I do think its a miniature though... nevertheless search "hiking with poodle" or something similar in the forums search bar and some good stuff should come up, and you'll be able to contact the member I'm speaking of _(I think they had just completed a really long hike, took a couple of days, doing some mountain trail)_

I've became a huuuge fan of this guy on flickr who hikes with his standards, Frtiz & Briggs. They literally travel all around and go on the most amazing hikes and adventures.... I have to post a few of my favorite pics:




























photos are from flickr member *"Runs with Poodles"*: Sand Racers | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## Travis (Sep 10, 2012)

What great photos! Dogs in their element doing what they love to do--run, jump and get dirty!!! Little Huxtable is adorable and a major fluffball...I think I mentioned in another post when I was visiting the breeder for my mini that she had a couple of toys and they were so cute and cuddly and sweet, had she not brought me back to reality I may have decided to get a toy instead. I called the dogs to play and it was a scorching 98 degree day and the only one that ran over to me out of the shade to play in the hot sun was the little toy. She was quite the acrobat too, made me forget that she only weighed 5lb!!!! You probably already know this but Huxtable looks pretty darn spoiled there...he is sititng on his luxurious fur throw and then throwing you the look that says, "Really?? Really??? You just have to interupt me while I'm napping to take my photo...yes I know I'm adorable but get over it!!!"


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## Huxtable (Feb 19, 2012)

Travis said:


> What great photos! Dogs in their element doing what they love to do--run, jump and get dirty!!! Little Huxtable is adorable and a major fluffball...I think I mentioned in another post when I was visiting the breeder for my mini that she had a couple of toys and they were so cute and cuddly and sweet, had she not brought me back to reality I may have decided to get a toy instead. I called the dogs to play and it was a scorching 98 degree day and the only one that ran over to me out of the shade to play in the hot sun was the little toy. She was quite the acrobat too, made me forget that she only weighed 5lb!!!! You probably already know this but Huxtable looks pretty darn spoiled there...he is sititng on his luxurious fur throw and then throwing you the look that says, "Really?? Really??? You just have to interupt me while I'm napping to take my photo...yes I know I'm adorable but get over it!!!"


omg travis you have me over here rolling with the Huxtable scene/dialogue you created, lol! love it. It's funny b/c sometimes I do think he's thinking something along the lines of that, lol


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