Looking for a Backpack for little Miss Manix!

Hi guys and girls and furbabies!
After the whole ordeal and the loss of my Eddie Bear it is now time to dedicate 100% to our little (but getting bigger everyday!?!) rescue dog! We rescued her as an untrained and unloved 7 month old in february this year, in March Eddie got ill and we didn't have the time to do anything but the basics with Lola. All this aside she is a quick learner and good at forgetting all if she's not in the mood! She's a large girl weighing in at 24 kg already, she has the concentration of a newt and the energy of a Tasmanian devil on caffeine! My health issues mean I can't take her for as many walks as she wants/needs and when I do they don't seem to do anything to her energy levels no matter how long they are (we have done the long 3 hour out beach/field walk and had the same results as a quick 30 minute walk!)
Anyway, I was advised that maybe a backpack, working up to weights in the bags, to help her not only channel her energy but also use up some of the excess! Great! Now we've always been a fan of E-Z dog stuff. Eddies collar had seen everything possible and was just as sturdy 4 years after we go it and the same goes for his harness, we bought the same for Lola and so the obvious choice was the E-Z dog Summit back pack! It looks stunning but thats where the positives end! I measured Lola at 68inch around her girth the medium pack fits 56-94cm so I bought her a medium. After an amusing, if only to me, half hour of getting it on her and trying to do it up tight enough I worked out it was too big! I couldn't get the straps up tight enough and the whole thing just slipped around her when she moved (which it took her about 10 minutes to do!!). So I sent it back and got the smaller size. I was a bit disappointed as the smaller size obviously has smaller bags and I can't even get her training lead in one of them, which was a major bonus to the back pack so I wouldn't have to carry it, but it fitted!
Well it fitted her until we got half way to the park and the straps started coming loose and the pack started sliding around her again. So I stopped, wrestled with her and adjusted the straps again and off we went only for it to happen again before we even got to the park. Annoying but I was contemplating how I could fix the straps in place myself! I'm glad I didn't do anything drastic though as yesterday whilst walking nicely beside me (so the pack works!) she caught a smell and did a 180 degree turn and yanked backwards. Not only jolting my poorly back but also pulling the D ring from its tether and tearing the pack! So its still within the 30 days Amazon return period so I'm sending it back! I paid £35 for it and being on disability means I can't spend too much more but need advice on what to get her in replacement! I like the look of the K9 julius range but can't find an all in one pack only a harness and optional bags, which is an expensive way of doing it especially as she already has her harness and now Eddies Harness and some of the reviews state their dog has gotten out of them! Is there anything else anyone has got that doesn't cost a fortune but is adequate for a energetic Staffy??

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t25144-backpacks?highlight=backpacks+for+staffys

Have a read through this old thread may be some ideas, personally I have never used them so cant help much

Ta hun, yes I had read that thread already and it didn't really help me make my mind up! The trixie one whilst a lovely price has me thinking if the E-Z dog one wasn't strong enough then a cheaper one definitely won't be, the Ruffwear one is a tad too expensive for me at nearly £100. The 3 peaks one I can't seem to find in the UK (i.e. on Amazon as that will be where my refund goes to as I originally purchased from them!) and so its down to the Julius but I'm a bit concerned that others have said their dogs have escaped!
Oh choices choices eh?? x x

I can't add anything as we don't use anything like this for Flo as she's an older girl. I would like to say thank you for rescuing and sorry for your very recent loss.

Do you use a long lead on walks or is Lola off lead. We found a huge difference once Flo went off lead, she certainly burns more energy off lead.

You may want to take a look at the one in the link below, sorry I cannot personally recommend it as Rocky has never used one, but it appears to get good reviews on Amazon:

http://www.innerwolf.co.uk/on-the-trek-backpack-for-dogs.html

I would not recommend the Julius K9 harness as Rocky has also got out of it.

-Ian- wrote:I can't add anything as we don't use anything like this for Flo as she's an older girl. I would like to say thank you for rescuing and sorry for your very recent loss.

Do you use a long lead on walks or is Lola off lead. We found a huge difference once Flo went off lead, she certainly burns more energy off lead.

Hi Ian! She is currently still on lead all the time. I have a short one for walking her (although my hubby prefers the extendible one, I don't find it gives me enough control!) I also have a 15 ft lead which I attach to a large tree in the park to teach her recall before I trust her off lead!
She had had no walk training at all by the time we got her at 7 months old and she hadn't been socialised with other dogs so I'm a bit wary about letting her off especially as she's not exactly the most delicate of dogs and she has no spacial awareness. I have socialised her with every dog we see on walks and everytime she's like a bull in a china shop! Whilst I'm aware that she's nearly 18 months old but with the training of less than a year (some of that was basics only because of my other dogs illness!) others are not and don't really understand a dog of her size bouncing like a puppy! But we are getting there from our 30 minute walk and 20 min play/training today she came back when called about 90%, slow and steady will get us there! My Eddie was only ever on lead if we thought people would worry, he was so much better off lead but others only see the negative don't they? One day my Lola will be at that standard as well it will just take longer as my health is a major pain in my posterior! Lol x

Kathy wrote:You may want to take a look at the one in the link below, sorry I cannot personally recommend it as Rocky has never used one, but it appears to get good reviews on Amazon:

http://www.innerwolf.co.uk/on-the-trek-backpack-for-dogs.html

I would not recommend the Julius K9 harness as Rocky has also got out of it.

After a couple of days going around and around I've narrowed it down to either this one or one of the Outward hound ones ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/321472965536?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&chn=ps&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0 )
The K9 was way too expensive especially as the reviews online also say about the stronger minded dogs being able to work out of them.
Now my only problem is I'm being a bit Anal about the colour! The Outward hound one I've linked is the shape/size/style I like they only have it in Blue....and I don't want to put my girl in blue! I don't want pink either as neither of us are girly girls but I originally saw it in red but they don't do this one in red only this one.....
http://www.traininglines.co.uk/outward-hound-quick-release-dog-backpack.html
....which to me looks bigger and bulkier and doesn't have the chest plate like the Kyjen one does!
Am I just being fussy for the sake of it? Does the colour matter? After all its a practical helper not a fashion accessory!
Thanks for the help guys! x x

I think backpacks are great. Nothing wrong with a good color either