Tuesday, February 8, 2011

[SNUGGLES] Pack-packs!


Wanna know wut my favorite thing is? I know you prolly does! It's my pack-pack! Mummy got them for us to wear wen we take her for a walk. She puts sum weight in them so we get a workout and we sheep good at night. Mummy always sez, "A tired pit bull is a happy pit bull," wutever that means. I do know that I'm ready for a good rub-down when we get home and that my tung hangs out real far and I smile lots. Mum sez the pack-packs give us a job to do. It's pretty cool to have a job to do. Cuz then I can bring home da bacons. And I like bacons a lot. We walk better wiff our pack-packs and don't try to pull so mush. We like to pull so mush so Mum can go MUSH! and then we pull her real good like one of them super hairy sled goggies. Also, Mum sez sumtimes I am "leech reactive" and my pack-pack makes me walk nicer on leech. I dunno what a leech is, but it sounds slimy. [Note: my sissy Clover just tole me that leeches suck.] All I know is that "Backpack Time" is my most favoritest time and I love when Mummy sez it's that Time!

I shud also prolly tell you that the first time we came home after we weared our pack-packs, Mummy noticed that the straps were "chafing" my big muscley chest. Since I like to flex and show off my chest for the laydees, I tole her we needed to do sumthing about this. So she buyed some neesox from The Targets and sewed them so they wud cover the straps. The straps feel mush better now and we look super cool, too. The sox is stripey and have skulls and crossbonez. I like my new sox cuz for one, any kind of bonez is good bonez. And for two, it makes me feel liek a pirate and that's cool cuz I awreddy has a eye patch! Anyways, if you decide to gets a pack-pack, make shure to tell your mummy to get some neesox. Yours don't hafta have pirate things. They cud have butterflys or pokadots or spayships or wutever!




Pls no paparotzis, thx.





Come on, let's go awreddy!

12 comments:

Two Pitties in the City said...

I wish I had known more about this when Miss M was younger and totally crazy. Mr. B loves wearing his backpack, and even if there's nothing in it he becomes more focused and directed on his walks.

Heather Cherry said...

Me, too! I wish I'd bought them a long time ago. Probably would have more training under our collective belts by now.

A Confessed Pit Bull Addict said...

Great idea! We never thought about packs because we can't take them to run errands. Toni can't take crowds (like farmers markets) and is also traffic phobic (most of our errands are along busy streets). Téa is leash aggressive, so also not good in crowds. But I was thinking of the pack only as a carrier. A pack for the pack's sake - brilliant!

phyllis said...

My new girl is going to love looking so pretty in her pack. The sox on the strap is brilliant. Any brands of backpacks better than others ?

Heather Cherry said...

T2 - Yeah, it works great! I don't live in a take-yer-dogs-everywhere type city either (unlike Two Pitties), so I know what you mean. Mine don't really get to help me on errands or anything, but I can throw my keys, phone, and poo bags in there. Some people will put a bottle of water on each side. But the weights I use are the kind you wrap on your wrist or ankles because if you unroll them they lie nice and flat along the inside of the pockets, they're soft (unlike dumbells), and you can buy them in different small sizes. I started with a one-pound weight on each side, but the first two times we walked with the packs, we went empty just to get them used to the feel. The very first thing I did was major treats/praise just having them around the packs. And say in a happy voice "Yay! Good backpacks!" I would feed them treats directly off of the packs themselves, like a plate. Then I moved to just lying the packs across their backs while hanging out on my bed (treat, praise, etc.), and after a couple days of that, we actually put them on and walked. I read that eventually a 40-50 dog can carry 6-9 pounds. So on those days when you can only get in a quick 15-minute around-the-blocker, it tires them like a 45-minute walk would.

Heather Cherry said...

Phyllis - I got my kids the Kurgo 00028 Wander Packs (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002FYZ0UY/ref=oss_product). They run about $30. They are the saddlebag type, which puts the weight on the dogs' sides, not on top of their backs, and that's what I have heard is best. These packs were affordable and had good reviews. But there are also some more expensive and high quality packs out there, too, if you want to splurge a little more. It may be that I had to do the knee socks thing on these because you get what you pay for and the nicer packs don't chafe? Meh. There wasn't any guarantee my dogs would take to the packs, so I didn't want to make a major investment in the higher end ones and then end up not using them. These were good starters. And I may invest in some nicer ones down the line. But getting all domestic with the socks was kinda fun. And they look cute! :) So far, I've been happy with these packs.

Phyllis said...

Heather
Thank you for your quick reply. I just adopted a young, puppy like big girl and will need to tucker her out. I had forgotten what it was like to have a young, peppy dog. I just lost my 15 year old girl in November and our walks usually ended with me carrying her back to the car. I must say she was always a good sport about being carried. Any how my new girl, is helping to mend my broken heart and slim my ample butt with long walks and a pack will be just the ticket to help her settle in and focus. I am so glad I found your blog and look forward to sharing ideas in the future. When I got my first girl the internet was not so big and information about pit bulls was really pretty slim and not so great. I wish I had the support with her since she was a great but dog aggressive girl which was really hard. Thanks for the help, information and your pictures of your Fabulous dogs, oh such a handsome boy and pretty girl.

Heather Cherry said...

Oh Phyllis, I'm so sorry to hear about your baby! But I'm glad you have another baby to love on. Go to my profile page and email me from there. We can talk pibbles some more. Cheers!

A Confessed Pit Bull Addict said...

We actually live in exactly the same city as Two Pitties! I even volunteer with A sometimes. But T2 aren't as take-everywhere friendly as Miss M and Mr. B so we have to find other ways to wear them out without stressing us all out. Their birthdays are coming up - I sense backpacks in their futures! Thanks for the intro advice, as well.

Heather Cherry said...

Ah, gotcha.

Sightless said...

Hey, thanks for the advice. I've already got some moleskin on the straps since it cut into her and it works well for us (and doesn't require sewing for lazy me!). Now I just have to wait for her to heal before I can load 'er up again. She's got insanely sensitive skin, so all her harnesses have moleskin on the straps. She'd never had a problem with our old pack, but something about the new one was built differently and it irritated her skin.

Emma and Clover do look a lot alike!

Heather Cherry said...

Ah, I never thought about moleskin!