oh when the Norties are senile delinquents I will take them everywhere in my car They are only 2, so I think they have a few years work left in them. Just got a load of leaflets done for the dog training classes, so Doggone Distribution will spring into action in the next day or so!!!

Well malady, if you know the risks, then thats one reason I dont like them, practically all the palces that sell them, plus forums, speak of dogs sides being rubbed, damage to backs if not properly used etc.. but ultimately, I think people should carry their own stuff and not expect their pet too.

I use them as stated before but, as lot's of people know lot's of thing's are bad in the wrong hand's but my dog's stand and wait for the pack to be put on, I don't weigh them down so they struggle, and only put thing's in them to carry when there customed to using them.
As malady said you have to use them with caution.
http://www.wolfpacks.com/
Nobody is forcing people to like them, some people use choke chain's some people hate them.

Perhaps this will help a little.

Obviously to make such a statement, back injuries HAVE occured.

References to this can be found by a search, sides of the dog rubbed raw etc..

Again, its obviously been noted, these injuries, remember folks, to weigh your dog, then weigh what he carries, just 10-20% of his bodyweight!!!

Seems we have conflicting advice here!! Should we risk injury and try the 30% weight? or not?

All these Malady are just snippets, and are more than ample for me to think they are not a good idea, especially when the manufacturers cant decide how much weight a dog should carry, truth be known, Dogs are not designed to carry backpacks, so they really dont know!!

So because I know the risks, you don't agree with them !! What a bazarre conclusion !

Really ? Please direct me to all these places that make such claims !

There you go again, making assumptions. NOBODY expects their dogs to do something they don't like,you really are insisting on provoking aren't you ?

We do it because they ENJOY it Dawn, they're not forced to do it, just like they're not forced to pull a sled either, their excitment speaks for itself !

There are weights there !! So I don't know why you think that Manufacturers can't make up their minds

All you've proved Dawn, is that you have no argument because you have just googled something without giving any evidence to back any of your claims up !

Please post all the links you so obviously have to the evidence of the injuries etc and everything else you claim above.

You can find them yourself Malady, they arent claims, do you really think manufacturers and retailers will "claim" injuries, if they havent occured? Do you really think warnings are not in place for a reason? If they were safe, say like an apple crumble, there wouldnt be warnings about weight carrying (10, 20, 30% of the dogs weight?? who knows?) would there. It may well be common sense, but they are dangerous things and are totally unessessary, I reckon if you found a safe secure area for your Mals to gallop round in they would be more happy than walking 5 miles carrying weight on their backs, I know mine would.

You can keep on all you like, I dont like them, I think people should carry their own stuff and not make their pets do it!

Oh please!!! If you get a dogs lead out he jumps round excited. If you get a dogs halti out (he may NOT like the halti) he gets excited, because he knows he is going out. get a backpack out, the dog gets excited because he knows he is going out. Not because he is pleased to be carrying moms shopping!

Actually I have to disagree with you both here - not all large breeds can carry this amount of weight, it would depend entirely on their construction, however to be eligible for the WPD title, Mals have to carry a minimum of 30% of their bodyweight - not up to 30%.

What about the dogs carrying their own stuff??

Youre not disagreeing with me GH, its the companies that are selling these things that are quoting this stuff, it seems it them that dont know what a dog should carry, which is a shame, as its the dog that will ultimately suffer, if anything was done wrongly.