Behavior

Why Your Dog May Need A Job: Ruffwear’s Singletrak Pack

Stacy Mantle 10 years ago

Despite our best attempts to complicate dog ownership, dogs (and people) are really very simple creatures. They like to eat, they like to sleep, they like to hunt, they like to play, and they like to feel needed.

The need to feel needed is important. If you don’t give them a reason to feel needed, they will create their own reason to feel needed. That could mean aggression, if they choose to be the “defender” of your pack, or anxiety-behavior if they choose to be the “needy” one of the pack. The fact is, if you don’t give them a job, you are headed down a rough road.

We recently had the opportunity to check out Ruffwear’s latest day pack, called the Ruffwear Singletrak Pack. Living in the desert, having a dog that can carry their own water is a good thing. It makes my life a lot easier because a dog can go through as much as a person, depending on size and exertion. It’s recommended that a person drink a gallon a day.

This day pack includes two on-board, collapsible water bottles. It’s enough to keep your pets hydrated all day (and if you’re not in the desert, it may be enough to keep you hydrated as well). The bottles are fully removable from the packs, which makes cleaning very easy. Just rinse them out really well with soap and water, let them air dry, then store with the cap off.

This particular pack is only available in one color: the one you see in the photos. It’s a nice color and works perfectly in the great outdoors – no matter if you’re in the desert or the mountains.

One other thing we like is the way the harness stays secure. The clips are snug beneath an exterior pocket, so you never have to worry about hair getting caught or anything snagging on the buckles. The vest also has two external stash pockets to store important items (like keys and your cell phone!)

Be sure you order, watch this video for the easiest way to get your dogs measurements because these harnesses are well-designed and you want to make sure you order the right size.

[bt_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/9DlfMQGt8mI” width=”600″ height=”400″ responsive=”yes” autoplay=”no”][/bt_youtube]

We also checked out the Ruffwear Slack Line Leash , which is an adjustable length lead that can be worn around your waist (our preferred method of walking with Bree) or held normally (what we choose to do with Brock). I wish this leash were a little longer. It can go from 3.5 feet to 6 feet as it is, but we would almost prefer to see a 10 foot lead so we can more easily walk our three dogs (who tend to trip over one another if they walk too closely). So, while the leash is incredibly well made and perfect for “regular” walking, I either need to lose a few sizes (most likely) or it needs to be a little longer.

If you’re in the market for a daypack that will last forever, this is one I would choose. It’s a slim design for outdoor running, it looks great on any dog (again, refer to pictures) and Ruffwear’s equipment is incredibly durable.

The equipment you’ll find for your dogs at Ruffwear will be a little pricey, and at a retail cost of $89.95, but we have worked with them long enough to tell you that you’ll never have to worry about a seam coming undone, a zipper breaking, or any other equipment failure. So think of their equipment in terms of never having to purchase the same piece of equipment again. Our first pack we ever purchased from them is still in use today! Ruffwear equipment is built to last…