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| Pack Dog |
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| The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America currently offers 3 different Pack Dog titles. |
| Novice Working Pack Dog - NWPD Dog must carry 20% of body weight 40 miles (10 mile hikes) Working Pack Dog - WPD Dog must carry 20% of body weight 50 miles. (10 mile hikes) Dog must carry 30% of body weight 40 miles (10 mile hikes) Working Pack Dog Excellent - WPDX Dog must have NWPD & WPD titles. Must be 36 months old. |
| NWPD - Dog must carry 20% WPD - Dog must carry 30% of body weight. Option 1:GSMD must pack a minimum of 30 miles. Each trip must be a minimum of 10 miles per day or an overnight camp out with 5 miles in and 5 miles out. To earn a title in 30 miles, at least 1 trip must include an overnight primitive camp out. Option 2:GSMD must pack 40 miles. Each trip must be a minimum of 10 miles per day. |
| Current Other Rules: Primitive- No camping in established campsites. All equipment & supplies must be packed in & out by dog and handler. Distance- Elevation gain may be substituted for mileage, up to 2 miles. Every 1,000 feet of elevation is equivalent to 1 mile of flat terrain. Elevation is considered the difference between the highest and lowest points of the trip. Only one primitive hike will count towards NWPD title Only one primitive hike will count towards WPD title Handler- One (1) dog per human on all pack hikes. Dog Age- NWPD Dog Must be18 months old. WPD Dog Must be 24 months old & have NWPD title. WPDX Dog Must be 36 months old, have NWPD & WPD titles. |
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| Aspen Winter 2003 - Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas Nevada |
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| Denise Delta, Amanda Sequoia, Sally Dulce - 11/30/02 |
| What to expect on a GSMD Pack Hike? The hike starts with a weigh in. At this time you will present a letter or statement from your vet with the dog's current weight. It must be dated no more that 7 days ahead of hike. Percent of weight to be carried will be calculated and pack weighed. You will be allowed to add or remove items from the pack at this time to achieve the regulation weight. For ease of all involved, its best to pre-pack & try on your load the night before to ensure it's balanced and close to your target weight. This process can take some time to work out. (If traveling to the hike location - packing a scale can be a big advantage for this process). Then inventory the contents of each bag. (So your drinks/food can go back in the cooler for the night). Once packs are checked in, they stay in possession of the hike leader until the group arrives at the trailhead. Packs are then returned to the owners, strapped on usually a group photo is taken and the hike begins. Each dog & handler work at there own pace. Some will prefer to work at a brisk pace and take the lead. Others will move at a slower pace. The hike leader will ensure that no person gets too far ahead or behind. The any member of the group can call a break for water/rest at any time. There is usually one with in the 1st mile to allow for adjustments to equipment and take a quick snack. At the 5-mile mark the group breaks for lunch. (About 1/2 hour). If you are hiking with a dog less friend, only one of you may eat & drink from the dog's pack. Plan to carry a back pack with supplies for the dogless human. Or let others know you have a "walker" available. It's easy to train two or more dogs to pack at the same time, but regulations require 1 dog per person on the actual hike. |
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| Sequoia *1st leg of NWPD Title 11/30/2002 * 2nd leg of NWPD Title 4/12/2003 * 3rd & 4th legs of NWPD Title earned over night trip 5/11-12/2003. NWPD Title earned 5/12/2003 *1st leg of WP Dog Title 11/29/2003 * 2nd leg of WP Dog Title 3/20/2004 * 3rd & 4th legs of NWPD Title earned over night trip 5/20-21/2004. WPD Title earned 5/21/2004 |
| Aspen *1st leg of NWPD Title 11/29/2003 * 2nd leg of NWPD Title 3/20/2004 * 3rd & 4th legs of NWPD Title earned over night trip 5/20-21/2004. NWPD Title earned 5/21/2004 |
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| Aspen, Hogan,Q,Sequoia,Doc & Hunter Overnight Hike May 20, 2004 |
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| Sequoia & Aspen May 2004 |
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| AND for WPDX title must have: Option 1: GSMD must pack a minimum of 100 miles. All miles in addition to miles covered in previous packing titles. Carry 20% of body weight. Option 2:GSMD must pack 80 miles. All miles in addition to miles covered in previous packing titles. Carry 30% of body weight. Each trip must be a minimum of 10 miles per day. Only two primitive hikes will count towards WPDX title |
| Below from Pre-2005 which were in effect when Sequoia & Aspen earned their NWPD & WPD titles. |
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| Sedona *1st leg of NWPD Title 11/24/2007 * 2nd leg of NWPD Title 1/3/2008 |
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| Strider, Ruby, Franklin, Sedona, Lillie, Doc, Shasha Hike Nov 24, 2007 |
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| Sedona & Lillie 11/24/07 |
| Sedona & Lillie 11/24/07 |
| Sedona 11/24/07 |
| Sedona 11/24/07 |
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What kind of pack is best for my dog? Just as with humans, each Swissy can have a different body style - so there is no universal "fit". I have tried the Mountain Smith III pack, but found the panniers were mounted too far forward and low. Resulting with interference banging against my dogs elbows (Sedona at the time 26.5 inches 105 pounds). His sister Lillie (same height/weight) had the same pack and the front cinch caused her to have rub wounds. Now his VERY large brother Monte (28 inches 127 pounds) uses this pack with no discomfort. Monte has a taller, longer legged body style. Currently we have a Wolf Pack Banzai size LARGE. The Medium fit Sedona, the panniers were not big enough to carry 20% load. What I like about the wolf pack: the chest strap and cinch are made with wider webbing. There is only a rear cinch, which allows for greater freedom of movement in the front end and no risk of rubbing behind the elbows. This replaced our 1st packs, Pooch Pack by Lazy Pet. They were simple no frills pack, that had plenty of room for Sequoia to carry 30% and earn the WPD title. Lillie had an Outward Hound pack. Her owners liked the fit and extra mesh pockets, but found the overall construction was lacking and it didn't hold up well with some of the major stitches giving out after only two GSMDCA pack hikes and the training leading up to those hikes. |
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| Monte |
| Monte |
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| Aspen & Sequoia April 13, 2003 |
| Amber & Monte |
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