+2 w/ VW....I also like the wagon/ pulk sled idea....
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Good advice there! I agree with WV. I'm afraid a pulk or a roller pack or a sling or a baby carrier will just cause great discomfort to your little buddy. He'll tolerate it but would you really want to do that to him? Of course not! Just adjust your trips to his ability--I would definitely NOT push the envelope with him either. Stay WELL within his abilities to account for the difficult terrain and all the "side trips" pooches take. An easy walk for him will be a great adventure that he'll enjoy very much! And his company will give you great joy on the trail too! Thanks for taking such good care of your little guy. :D
I didn't mean to rule out carrying your pup entirely, but you know your dog best and can judge what he can tolerate. It's not bad to have experience with the carrying option in case of an accident. I once cut four leg holes in a big beach towel so I could use it as a sling for our terrorist (part alarmist, part terrier). :)
Peanut tolerates being carried pretty well. Given his druthers, I'm sure he would druther not go in a day pack, just as he would rather not sleep in my hammock with me. But once he's in the hammock, he sleeps pretty comfortably. If he gets too hot, he climbs out from under the sleeping bag/quilt and sleeps on my head, at the top of the hammock. I call it my dog hat.
I'm really not doing anything with Peanut that he hasn't been doing for a couple of years. The day pack works great by itself, but I need something different when I'm wearing a backpack. I'm just trying to extend his range a little bit so we can see different places and get him out in the piney woods for overnights.
It's been three years since his back injury and I know his limitations. He won't hesitate to ask to be carried up the stairs, or a large hill. And Peanut knows his limitations too. If he's tired, he rests.
And he does need to get out and exercise. The worst thing for his discs is to be overweight. It's taken him three years to get up the stamina for a two-mile hike, but he's very slowly getting back in shape.
I definitely don't like the pulk/wagon/roller idea. The dog's too small for that. Here is a picture of Peanut next to my Hammock Gear Burrow 20* topquilt.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/p...ictureid=12226
As you can see, he really is a peanut! Not a lot of dog there.
I'm leaning towards converting a day pack to clip on to the front shoulder straps, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to transfer the weight to the hips.
Peanut's a super cutie, that's for sure! Have you heard of Pet-a-roos? Attachment 29718 I don't know whether it would be big enough for Peanut, but they are pet carriers made to wear "the pet" on the front. Good luck and keep us up to date on your travels with Peanut! :D
If Peanut were 40 lbs., then that's a lot of weight to carry and rollers/sled/wagon might be the way to go. But Peanut is 16 to 20 lbs, and that's not a lot of weight. Besides, the roller/sled/wagon route is not that useful, from my perspective, unless you're hiking on a handicap-accessible trail with no rocks, roots, etc.
That's why I'm leaning towards something like the Outward Hound Petaroo. I checked out the prices and you can find one for less than $20 that will fit Peanut nicely. However, I think I'll save my money and just wear the daypack on the chest. Peanut's already accustomed to the daypack and I do sometimes wear it on the chest.
I'm not carrying Peanut for long - 30 minutes max before he gets out and walks. And we're not going much further than usual. If he can hike two miles now, I just want to get him to maybe five or seven miles to extend the range of places we can go. I despise drive-in public campgrounds. The hike-in campgrounds are less-crowded and offer a better wilderness experience for Peanut and me.
Silvr:
An off road baby stroller with knobby tires should work fine (or you could make your own). It should be light enough to carry for short distances, over obstacles, and will keep you from carrying the dog, which will not be comfortable for you or the dog as compression to the dog's ribcage will make it hard for him to breathe.
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