Customer Reviews

A Guide to Backpacking With Your Dog

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has the basics just fine. But nothing on the more experienced side. If your trails require fording you find no help here. Tent training, protecting tent floor & inflatable sleeping mattress from dog's nails etc stuff are missing.

The best part of the book was dog's health checkup, signs of dehydration, paw hardening recipe etc.

Conclusion: If your hike lasts a day, the book is fine. If it lasts a week in the wilderness, your dogs will be in trouble unless you find some more information.

Now in a new and significantly revised edition, A Guide To Backpacking With Your Dog by dog-owner and backpacking expert Charlene LaBell is a no-nonsense guide to the ins and outs of enjoying vigorous outdoors hiking with one's canine pets. Individual chapters address necessary training and conditioning, mountain biking, geocaching, selecting a pack that properly fits one's dog, bringing along the right amount of food for oneself and one's dog, legal and permit issues, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and easy-to-follow rule lists nicely flesh out A Guide To Backpacking With Your Dog, which is practical, "user friendly", and enthusiastically recommended for pet loving hikers with their canine companions.

As an avid hiker & dog lover this book is a great read in my mind. You'll get all the basics, from choosing a backpack, training your dog to wear the pack, picking a route, planning a trip, safety, etc.

I've hiked extensively with our 2 Alaskan Malamutes and we use many of the tips that Charlene gives in the book. In fact having hiked as much as we had I often wish other hikers with dogs would read this book. Why? Because the book gives many good ideas for proper behavior & training of your dog outdoors. Things like being on leash, cleaning up after your dog, being controlled, etc...these are all things that make the experience of being outdoors more enjoyable for you, your dog, every other person and the wildlife.

If you want a great book on getting started with backpacking with dogs, look no further. Charlene has written the definitive guide to packing with dogs. Don't listen to the naysayers! This is it when it comes to choosing a pack, planning a hike, and camping with dogs. I highly recommend this book -- it's the first and the best out there.

This is the best book so far that I have found on the topic. Avoid the falcon press book on doggy packing - it's pretty durn lame and very short. This book does have basic factoids like how much you can expect your dog to carry, how much water to bring, proper tethers, dog booties,proper trail etiquette (yes, the dog is ON THE LEASH),etc.

She understands that the way the public sees people who hike with dogs is up to each of us - I have had the displeasure of being pounced on in the wilderness by a dog - I instantly had a bad impression of the hikers who called him back. Also, dogs left alone barking at camp - take your dog with you! It's so mean to leave the poor dog alone in a strange place anyways - I'd bark too! This is what gets trails and camps closed to those of us who are responsible!

So if you want to be a responsible 'dog packer' read this book and follow her advice.

See you on the trail!

I didn't find this book as helpful as I hoped to. I found the information very general. I did value the suggestions regarding putting together a first aid kit for dogs as well as the information on dog foot pad care.

Charlene LaBelle admirably covers such practical matters as selecting and fitting dogpacks and planning hikes, and has a special gift for instilling confidence and generating enthusiasm.

Reading fluency: 9/10
Content information: 6/10
Entry level requirement: 1/10

The book seams to be intended for day hikes. The basics (checking the dog's health, choosing the right pack, outdoor etiquette, etc.) are excellently covered, but there is little info on how to deal with more advanced issues and some basic puppy training.

To start with, there is very little coverage on getting the dog used to difficult (slippery) surfaces and terrain, high elevation, walking on plates, etc., before actually getting on the track.
There is also no advice on how to deal with dogs that have problems on the trail (refuse to walk because of insecure footing, get scared, etc.). Obviously, the book is not intended to be a dog psychology course, but some tips on how to deal with 2-3 situations would have been nice.

The other issue i have with it is that there is no info on the more difficult hiking situations, like crossing streams, tent training, etc.

That being said, the book is worth buying, it's all you need for the basics. I'd recommend also getting the Hiking With Your Dog (http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Your-Dog-Trails-Backpacking/dp/1879415356/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1), for more advanced tips.

This book was a quick and easy read that contained the essentials to getting started.