How to Make a Back Pack for a Large Dog

Large breed dogs can be difficult to fit.

Backpacking with your large breed dog provides exercise, socialization and bonding time. Unfortunately, though, many commercial made backpacks are extremely expensive or aren't high-quality. Designing a backback that fits your dog and your needs is easy to do, inexpensive and fun. The backpack also is easy to customize to suit you or your dog's personality.

Things You'll Need

• Five-point harness
• Saddlebag
• Fishing nine
• Needle
• Appliques (if wanted)

Instructions

1. Fit the harness to your dog. Make sure that the straps around the chest don't chafe under your dog's legs and that the girth strap fits with at least two fingers underneath. Make sure that the edge of the strap connecting the chest straps and girth strap (the one on top) sits right at your dog's shoulders, at the base of its neck.

2. Take the harness off your dog. Send your dog on its way or allow it to observe.

3. Turn the saddle bag so that an invisible line drawn down the middle of the bags, between each side, rests on the top strap of the harness. Make sure one edge sits directly in front of the D-ring on the harness. Pin the saddle bags in place along the top strap of the harness. Make sure no pins are protruding.

4. Call your dog over. Place the harness with the pinned saddle bags on it. Make sure the saddle bags lay evenly along each side of your dog's body. Adjust until they do.

5. Thread the needle with several feet of fishing line. Using small, close stitches, sew the saddle bags to the top strap of the harness. Tie a knot in the fishing like under the saddle bag chassis. Remove the pins from the harness.

Tips & Warnings

• For additional support, find the area of the saddle bag that overlaps the chest strap on either side. From the inside of the bag, sew the bag to the chest strap on either side.

References

• Daily Puppy: How to Make a Backpack for a Large Dog