Packing Dog

whammy said:
Also, You can make a cart for your Berner! (this is what they have done for YEARS in the alps, They would pull carts of milk from the farms to the villages ever day Without any people with them)

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I WANT ONE....I REALLY DO. I imagine the Bernese would make a good riding companion? Anybody know. Do you guys know any breeders in Alberta. Boy, I sure wouldn't mind rescuing one from the pound either. A good companion for the OzzMan (my blue heeler).
 
Ours came from a breeder up in Rocky Mountain house, but i know there are a few around Alberta, one near calgary I'm pretty sure. You wanna make sure that they have a pretty low amount of hiking/packing for the first couple years as you can seriously damage their joints. I'll try the breeders name.
 
Newfie and bernese owners.

How are these guys in the house? Are they active or do they prefer to keep their romping outside?

I always wanted one, but can't deal with an active indoor dog.
 
All my dog does when shes inside is sleep. She finds a nice corner in the winter time with a little sunlight and she sleeps for the day, in the summer Its a little tough for them because they can get kinda hot, so she likes to spread herself out on the hardwood to cool off.
 
X-man said:
He was looking for a good dog to handle the mountains & elevated terrain which is generally more open country & free of heavy underbrush for the most part.
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You obviously haven't been to Vancouver Island, or the coast of BC: brush that is so thick you can't see daylight through it! And those little twigs et al. seem to entwine themselves in any long haired dogs fur.

As for the "Akitas are not ment to be around children" comment, you will notice I said "well bred Akita", not any Akita with unproven temperment.

Bernese are wonderful dogs for sure, and they are one of the most bomb proof when it comes to kids, but Akitas are wonderful bear dogs and are perfectly suited to the thick, crappy brush and climate of the west coast.
 
Newfs are great inside dogs. I have had labs that are a pain in the ass in the house, too much energy.

But a newf is just a big black rug
 
Not to frown upon larger dogs (my favourite is the Pyreneese (spelling?) shepherd), but they do often have signifigantly shorter life spans in many cases. Depending on what it does, how it's bred etc, a healthy BIG dog has a life expectancy of between 8-12 years, with the last 2 being happy, but not overly mobile. The way our vet described it once was, most dogs are built the same, any specific breeds will have a shorter lifespan on average, and most dogs have "average" sized organs - IE heart etc, so a lab will have the same sized heart and a Great dane, and the great dane will naturally put more stress of it's heart and other organs. There are of course exceptions to this rule, but something to be aware of, as once your dog's been with you for ten years, it hurts to have one collapse in the back yard or front hall and not have any way of helping it. That said, often they'll die because they've had a good life and have lived it well, so there are merits to any breed.
 
Until about the late 1950s the hinterlands of northern BC was laced with individual prospectors. They all used pack dogs. Certainly, there were no, or very few, pure breds, just a big dog. The same dog that wore a pack in the summer and fall would pull a sleigh in the winter.
 
Well there are quite a few good choices so I thought I'd mention one that would be a poor choice;) Picturerd is a Redbone Hound. Trust me that he'd be a last choice as a pack carrying dog. Strong yes! Trouble is if he got sniff of something your pack is GONE! You won't see it for sometime and when it finally comes back there won't be anything edible left in what's left of yor pack. I bet you $20 you wouldn't get a pack on him again after the first time:D. At least if you plan on having both of your arms. I'd pick a Lab instead.
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I've used springer spaniels, labs, rottweillers and newfies that happened to be pets, for packing, and they all worked fine. The water dogs (springers and labs) can be a pain in the ass as they insist on getting into any water you come across, so you have to keep them well trained or put hour stuff in waterproof containers. My rottweillers and newfies could pack LOTS. I've never had any problems with any of those breeds around kids. Really, I think most any dog in good shape can pack about 40% of his weight farther than you can pack 40% of yours.
 
really interesting thread. I love the newfies, friends used to breed them.

question: how much can (or should) a packing dog pack?

anyone with good practical advice on this and what packs on the market is best for the job, as to fit and function? thanks
 
Have you considered a Malamute? One of my hunting partners has one, I don't know how much he could pack but he pulls like a tractor.
 
johnkwok said:
really interesting thread. I love the newfies, friends used to breed them.

question: how much can (or should) a packing dog pack?

anyone with good practical advice on this and what packs on the market is best for the job, as to fit and function? thanks
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Packing weight all depends on the dog. The packs we have are made by a company in Nobleford Alberta, I can look up their name and address later tonight for you.
 
All depends on the dog/breed. It is recommended that you avoid putting a lot of weight/work on big dogs for the first 2 years because it can be very damaging to their joints. what were you thinking of getting your dog to carry?
 
profesional 111 said:
How much can I realistically expect a good dog to pack , and how mucch food do they have to eat per day.
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Exactly what i was thinking about Berner or Bernese (sp) need a lot of food and even if the dog is carrying it he will not carry other stuffs ...

i ve seen inuits using pack dogs taken from their sled dogs team and they feed them with ptarmigan or fish .. Rustic dog we can say ...


not an expert but ill try that one day ...
 
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