Some of Our Favorite Things: Backpack Training and Dog Video Camera

 To lead up to a big announcement later in the week, the pooches wanted to talk about some of their favorite things. The two things we get asked about the most are Mr. B's backpack and camera.
I had never even known that someone would make something like a backpack for dogs, but as crazy as it sounds, it has many purposes.
Backpack Workout & Training:

This was the main reason we bought the backpack in the first place. When we first adopted Mr. B he was crazy "Bulldozer Mr. B". The sights and sounds of the city where so exciting, instead of going for a run, Mr. B would go for a gallop. But once that backpack was on, his entire attitude changed. He had a job. He was focused. And our walks changed.
The backpack is also great because if we add extra weight it gives him a better workout. We don't have to walk as far, and we still get a happy, calm dog at home.

Running City Errands:

 The backpack also lets us incorporate our pooches in our daily life as we run our errands. For some reason it seems almost painful to walk a few blocks to the bakery, but with Mr. B at our side grabbing our groceries has become fun. We even wrote about how we have begun eating local as the pooches are able to carry their own dog groceries, goods from the Farmer's Markets, butcher, baker and wine store.
Note: We never leave our dogs unattended outside and either run errands as a family, or I call ahead and the owners are happy to bring things outside to us.

Making our Pooches Approachable:

 We love taking our pooches around the city, and it's extra rewarding when people ask to meet our dogs and gain a new perspective on pitbulls. The backpack makes our dogs that much more approachable. Our SociaBull pooch friend Lola has started wearing the backpack and her mom noticed how they meet so many more people as a backpack-toting pooch.


Mr. B's Camera:

At the same time, people are also so curious about Mr. B's camera. We are kind of obsessed with experimenting with all kinds of cameras, so what better camera to add into the mix than one for our pooch?
While he used to have the Dog Eye View Camera, the battery quickly fizzled and since it isn't replaceable, we would have had to buy a whole new camera. So Mr. B upgraded to the GoPro HD Hero 960.
This camera has a waterproof case, so it can go the extreme, and it takes 5 megapixel photos, so these pictures are high definition.We hook the camera up to his collar, and it's set to take photos every 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 seconds, and we always think it's so funny to see things from his view. Like this awkward family photo:

The best part...it is also a video camera! We've had a lot of fun seeing things how Mr. B sees it, especially seeing Mr. B in this skateboarding video and his perspective from this SociaBulls walk.
Plus, the camera is kind of cool to use if you're involved in extreme sports. If your pooch lets you borrow it.
We have seen some of our other dog friends use backpacks, and we'd love to hear how your packs work for you. And does anyone else out there have a dog camera?