Hiking at Taos Gorge

BradA1878BradA1878
edited May 2008 in General
We went for a hike at the gorge, it was a really nice morning - but there is some biker even going on so there were a bunch of Harley people around... that was kinda annoying.

Anyway - More Spam!


The drive to the gorge
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Jen and some pups
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Jen can handle a lot of dog at once:
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Landscape
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That's the Rio Grand down there
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Kona - the pack dog
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Comments

  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    I forgot about the flowers we saw...

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  • bigdog01bigdog01
    edited November -1
    what a stunning area that is
    does your wee black dog always carry the packs on the harness when you take your dogs out
    or do they all take a turn
    whats his name and breed?
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    The dog with the pack is Kona, he is a Kai-Ken. He carries the pack because he is kinda a spazz on walks and appears to really appreciate having a job. He looks little, but he weighs 45lb... to give you a reference point for how heavy that is for his size, our red male Akita [Hilo] in the picture above weighs 62lb... so the difference between them is 16lb! Loa, the Shikoku-Ken in the pic above, weighs 35lb and is slightly larger than Kona.

    In other words - trust me, that dog can carry the weight... he is a freaking tank!

    We plan to start packing Loa too, and Ahi our other Shikoku has packed with us for years. She does great with it too but since she is recovering from knee surgery she will not be packing for 4 months or so.

    Hilo, our red Akita in the pics above, has some health issues [that is why his ears are not up] so we don't want him to carry weight.

    Lani, the black brindle Akita in the pic above, is only 6 months so it will be a while before we try her at packing [if we ever do].

    Kona, the dog w/ the pack, is only 6.5 months but since he is a medium size breed he is close to the end of his growth period... and there is only like 2lb in that pack... nothing much. He really only carries poo bags for now. :o)

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  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    I love the idea of dog packing. I am afraid to do anything like that with shiba inus though.

    Looks like a nice day! Pretty flora!
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Looks like a great day! Jen handling all four of them is very impressive. Pass my kudos on to her. :-)

    Did you have any problems getting Kona or Ahi used to the pack? I've been wanting to start Lucy with a pack for a while now. She didn't take to her bulky harness all that well at first, but she tolerates it for now. She doesn't exactly like it though. I have a feeling Joey will enjoy it more once he's big enough.

    Great flower pics! I especially like the second one.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    I don't think Kona even knows the pack is on him... he just totally ignores it. Ahi took a bit more time to get used to it, but once she got in the "zone" it appeared like she loved it.

    I would be surprised if you get your Shiba to enjoy packing... Our freeze up when we put the harness on them and would FREAK OUT if we put a pack on them... but our Shibas are kinda "dainty" like that.

    The biggest issue with the pack in the noise, Ahi was fine with it but once we packed it with gear and it made some noise it took her a while to get used to that.

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  • HeidiHeidi
    edited November -1
    Great pictures! What a beautiful area.
  • baantonbaanton
    edited November -1
    Brad and Jen; Thanks for sharing more gorgeous scenery (or is it gorge-ous?), and the pics of the dogs are absolutely fabulous! I love seeing the views you have near you!

    What a fabulous way to spend a weekend day!
  • scarletscarlet
    edited November -1
    where's the Shibas?
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Great pictures.

    Nemo will allow a harness, it took awhile for him to really accept it though.

    However he will not wear a pack. He was very, very unhappy about having one put on, and would not move at all. He looked depressed.

    Shibas, if they will wear one, are great with packs. Just don't fill it with more than 50% of the dogs weight.
  • LeonbergerLeonberger
    edited November -1
    It seem you and the pups had loads of fun!That's great!
    Beautiful landscapes!
    Kona really does seem to appreciate having a job to do.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    we use a harness everytime our shibas are walking outside the yard.. hmm.

    does packing get them tired faster?
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    I would try it! See how they react... Maui freezes like Nemo.

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    I want to add to, and reiterate, what Brandon said - mainly for future readers who may read this thread....

    NEVER put more that 25% your dog's weight in a pack he/she carries! There are a few breeds that can work with more, even close to 40% their weight, but hose breeds are working breeds and those dogs have been worked up to that weight over years [12 - 18 months].

    Start with an empty pack, then add a little bit over the course of several walks. Also you should really not add more than 1lb if the dog is under a year... really for a dog under a year I would just do an empty pack [I broke this rule w/ Kona].

    Here is some nice info: packing

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  • okironokiron
    edited November -1
    What do people keep in the packs? I would think poop bags, travel bowl and maybe water if you don't have a backpack of your own to carry a water bottle in. Maybe kibble depending on the length of your hike.
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    Yeah, you can put anything you want in the pack. On a normal hike or walk, the point of the pack is just to give the dog a sense of being at work. It will help to tire them out more quickly. On longer or overnight trips, why not have the dog carry some of their own gear? Extra leashes/collars, poop bags, food, treats, water, bedding, first aid supplies. Just keep the weight low enough that they won't have a problem. I've read 30% of their body weight is appropriate (after building them up to it), but 25% is probably a safer bet. Also, don't forget to factor in the weight of the pack when determining what to put into it. In Lucy's case, the pack that I want to get for her already weighs .6 pounds so I'd only have 3.5 or so pounds left to put in there.
  • glacierglacier
    edited November -1
    Beautiful pics.
    Brad- that seems surprising, that Hilo shouldn't carry any weight- he looks so strong. So why aren't his ears standing?
  • okironokiron
    edited November -1
    Hey Brad I was thinking, do you have the Ruffwear packs? I was hoping I could see the size proportion against one of your dogs.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    The size we have is a small, Ahi and Kona both use a small [its a bit big on Kona].

    We use the Palisades pack from Ruffwear:

    Palisades Pack

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  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    Hilo is really strong but he doesn't walk great so we are concerned that adding weight to him will make him less sure footed than he is.

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  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    So Brad doesn't have to add ( I am sure he has typed it a million times now) Hilo's ears do not stand due to a collagen deficiency.

    While from a showing standpoint it would be consider a fault, it is the reason that if Jay and I ever came to New Mexico I would have to keep a close eye on Jay or else I may find a Hilo in one of our suitcases. HE LOVES HILO!!!
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    Thanx Jessica. Your husband looks to be a pretty big dude... I'm not sure I could stop him from taking Hilo. :o\

    Rina - We keep dog food, dog treats, poo bags, and a first aid kit in our pup's packs. Some times water, depending on the length of the trip and the dog [how much they can carry].

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  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    Jays a smush, he would take you too just so you wouldn't miss him too much.
  • sujewelsujewel
    edited November -1
    We use a pack on Mika in the fall and the spring. Too hot in the summer. In addition to extra/different leashes we put poop bags in there, a ball, treats and 2 to 4 12oz bottles of water for weight.
  • zoiegirlzoiegirl
    edited November -1
    Very beautiful pictures i love northern New Mexico theres nothing quite like it. Your dogs are lovely look like a good group.
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Well I picked up some bad information along the way. I will not pass it along anymore. 25% it is.
  • BradA1878BradA1878
    edited November -1
    No worries Brandon, I wasn't really correcting you - I figured you were being sarcastic. :o\

    I just had an image of a Shiba w/ 10lbs on its back. lol. not good!

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