Husky Gear

With all of our adventures, we have to ensure our husky pack has what they need. We’re happy to share with you all of their gear and necessities!

For sizing references, Lilo and Infinity (both female) are about 35 pounds with a  plush coat, and stand about 1 foot 9 inches at the shoulders. They are on the smaller side for a husky, but usually wear a medium size.

Outdoors:

One of the best tools for walking a husky would be the Head Halter. Lilo has one in a pink color, size medium.

Huskies are a working breed and pull extremely strongly! A harness will usually make pulling worse as they instinctively pulling against any resistance. The head halter safely redirects this energy by having control over the dog’s head. And where the head goes, the body naturally follows. The head halter is modeled after a horse’s head halter, and if it can control a horse, we’re sure a dog would be no problem. There is a learning curve with the halter though, as most dogs dislike things on their face and will struggle against it. Start by making it a positive experience whenever the halter is on. Lots of treats and praise!

The halter itself has two points of adjustment. One for behind the head and one for the muzzle area. We like that the muzzle area has an adjustment tab because it allows Lilo to open her mouth all the way, take treats and drink water. The lower clip attaches onto their collar so if they slip out of the halter, there is a back up measure in place. The only downside to the head halter is that it looks like a muzzle, but the colors help offset that a little!

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Of the most important things we take on our adventures, we make sure our dogs have ID Tags on at all times!

You never know what could happen. And even though all our pets are microchipped, some people will not even bother to check. An ID tag also has important information on hand for your lost pet. We always make sure to include their name, contact information, and the words “Microchipped” and “Fixed”. It deters people from keeping lost pets for breeding purposes.

These specific tags are nice because they aren’t held by flimsy rings (less risk of falling off) and do not make a ton of noise jangling from collars. They also come in many colors and at a great price!

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Our favorite and most versatile piece of equipment for the pups are their Ruffwear Front Range Harnesses.

 Both pups wear a size small in Pacific Blue and Alpenglow Pink. They are a bit on the pricier side, but well worth it. We have had these harness for 3+ years and they show no signs of wear. When they get muddy, we just rinse them off and throw them in the washing machine. The harness has 4 points of adjustment for a great fit and virtually impossible to escape. There are 2 places to clip the leash (one in the back and one in the front) which comes in handy for those pups that like to pull. There is a patch on the inside to write their name and your contact info, as well as a hideaway ID pocket for more info storage. A great harness that holds up to all our adventures!

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For our runs, we like to use a Hands Free Dog Leash.

We love that one side goes around the body, so our hands are free from holding a leash. The bungee leash reduces a lot of the pulling stress and the two built in handles work for great versatility if you need to get a grip on your dog. It has great durability (we’ve used it for skijoring as well) and nice colors!

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For those of you in dog sports, the X-Back Harness is a great choice!

Many people use this harness for weight pulling, biking, urban mushing, canicross, sledding, and skijoring. The elongated style down the body distributes weight evenly and enables the dog to pull many times their own weight. Keep in mind though, this type of harness is made for pulling and probably isn’t the best for normal walks.

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For those rainy days, we carry along a Packable Rain Poncho. The pups wear an XL size and have the Raspberry and Aqua color.

The ponchos have their own little carrying pouch that can attach to any leash or backpack. The poncho itself is nice and light with no extra frills. It buttons in the front and has a strap under the tummy. There is a collar attachment at the base of the hood. It’s thin and probably would not hold up in a storm, but for California (where we get less rain), it is perfect!

Travel:

For our hikes, we like to lighten our loads by having the pups carry their own belongings. They usually carry light packs like the Outward Hound DayPak.

These are nice because they have many straps for adjustability, a chest piece so the pack doesn’t move out of place, and a handle in case we need to haul them up/around something. You can connect a leash onto the back D ring and the backpack will even function as a body harness. The mesh is also nice and breathable for those hot summer days. The pups will usually carry their own poop bags, a bottle of water, and some treats.

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For long road trips, we like to pack dog food in Vittles Vault Pet Food Travel-Tainer .

This travel-tainer is a plastic container for food, with two bowls (top and bottom pink segments) and a handle to hold everything together. It is a good size and can feed our two dogs for three days (although they are thrifty eaters and do not eat as much as you would think).

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If you’ve ever had a husky in the car, the first thing that comes to mind is… FUR! And lots of it! A great thing to save the seats from the fur as well as the dirt and mud that’s bound to be tracked into your car is a Car Seat Protector.

This one is nice because it’s quilted for comfort, water resistant, has pockets for storage, and can hook onto back and front seats to make a hammock. It can also be adjusted to make a hammock on one side. It’s easy to take out (clips in place) and can be easily washed. The only downside is the black fabric makes white husky hair stand out a lot, but better on the seat cover than our seats!

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When out and about, it’s always a good idea to have a First Aid Kit on hand (for yourself and your pet).

You can find a variety of pet friendly first aid kits online, but always be sure to include the essentials, such as tweezers, gauze, tick remover, cleaning wipes, vet wrap, and your pet’s medications.