Best Way To Bike With A Dog
 

We have a 10 month old poodle pup, about 45 pounds, and wonder if it’s feasable to include him in our bike rides. What do you think is the best way to take a dog along: utility bike (what kind?), trike, dog trailer, converted kid trailer? Looking for some thoughts from people with experience hauling dogs this size. We tried this with our last dog in a kid trailer, but it was not a successful experiment.

Not sure what to make of this but if you must, dog trailer.

For a puppy that big, a dog trailer. I've used a kid's trailer but for older, calmer dogs.

I do have a delta trike that I plan on trying with my dogs but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Nashbar kid/dog trailer personal experience
 

I recently bought the Nasbar kid trailer and love it. Great quality. Always seems to be on sale for $129. Our puppy is about the same age, but smaller -- a terrier mix, about 20 pounds. She loves riding in it. The kid harness straps can easily hook to a dog harness to keep the dog from crawling out. This trailer is good for two kids with a total capacity of 100 pounds. https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/nashbar-kid-karriage-ii-bike-trailer-na-kk2-base
Get a puppy accustomed to nearly anything when they're young, but don't wait too long or you'll be trying to teach an old dog new tricks, and we all know how that goes.

Get a kickbike. People in Europe use them all the time!

Trailer, for sure. A kids type will work, but one designed for pets (flat floor) will be better. As stated above, it's better to start exposing your pup to new experiences earlier rather than later. If the furbaby isn't thrilled with the idea of riding in a trailer, start slowly, like just getting in and out without moving. Then after learning it's safe inside, you can roll the trailer (by hand) across the yard a bit. Eventually, make slow progress until being towed behind the bike is no big deal.

-Kedosto

Please don't report me to the ASPCA :innocent:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1623/...1219c51e_z.jpg

Dog looks comfy. Makes me wonder though, would forward facing baby carriers work for baby sized dogs?

Edit: For clarification, by baby carrier I mean those backpack looking things you strap to your chest.

A bike trailer is best. Most people I've seen use a child's trailer, simply because they are the most available.

What went wrong/didn't work out with the child trailer?

I think a box bike would be great for dogs, but would be a very expensive option and not great for long rides.

My little dog (20lbs) rides in a burley tail wagon trailer and loves it. My Golden has trouble fitting in the trailer since he is taller. If I was going to pull him often I think I would modify a trailer like in this article, to fit his crate.

https://www.xtracycle.com/blog/hound-haulin-on-a-long-tail-cargo-bike/

Dog pulling you would be best, I'd say.. but that is probably the wrong breed , poodle, to expect that..

Exactly. Any dog I'll own from now on will have to earn its keep.

Virtually every municipality has leash laws so cycling while your dog is tethered to a leash is not the wisest thing you can do. Some cities have dog parks where a leash is optional but these are rare.

However, even if you live in a rural area you should still make sure that its a breed that can handle the pace. A better idea would be to run/jog with the dog where you have a much greater control than having him running lose or pull you into a crowd.

There are many energetic breeds to choose from that love to run especially in the sporting and working groups.

It was too unstable. He would move around back there and the trailer would rock. Once I went around a turn just as he shifted his weight, and the trailer tipped over.

Poodles ran the Iditarod 4 times. Thought about training him to pull me on skis, but pulling a bike sounds too dangerous for both of us.

" On King, On you Huskies" .. Sgt Preston of the Yukon.. http://www.westernclippings.com/imag...eston_king.jpg

I've had some good luck with https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for our small dogs (40-65lbs). We used to have a 200lbs Newf who was way too large for such things ... but he really wasn't built for long distance/speed. But would have been great at hauling.

dog bike trailer
 

its the best to buy a dog bike trailer appropriate size for your dog and go together for adventures.
This site will guide you exactly how to choose the best one

Maybe if you put a box you'd take them to the Vet in , on a trailer frame like the Carry-Freedom Y frame..

when you do have to take them to the Vet, they will be thinking its another fun trip , instead of a Vet Trip..

The best way to ride with your dog is a dog bike trailer. Since you will cover long distances your dog can not cope with it.

And the best is that you get to enjoy nature exercise and spent time with your dog at the same time.

This guide will help you how to train your dog to ride with you.

This one will help you choose the best trailer out there.

Good luck

It depends on the dog and also where you ride. There is no easy answer to this. Just google and read and see what others do and then decide what works for your dog at this stage of its life. I built the dogbike for my dog and he would jump in and out of it without me leaving the bike Just stopped and strapped him in. You soon learn how much your dog can run and when he need to rest. My dog would bark once if he was bored and wanted to run. I alsoo used trailers as he got older, among others also a Carry Freedom Y trailer small with an open box strapped on.

https://flic.kr/p/Gjd4Mt

That has to be done in moderation only - dogs don't have the same ability to cool themselves. Because of that, apart from dog sledding in freezing temperatures a fit human can maintain a run longer than a dog, and that's even without using their opposable thumbs to invent wheels.

The issue is not muscle, it's shedding heat. Panting is not as effective as sweating, and a fur coat is a lot warmer than spandex.

It's precisely because dogs are strong, and fast (at short distances) that their more severe thermal limitation can be dangerously overlooked.

The only situation where a dog can actually outdo a fit human on foot for distance is in freezing temperatures where that stops being an issue.

Dogs could pull just about any sort of small vehicle; the fact that the only ones they pulled to economic significance are sleds is not a coincidence.

Going all day at a slow pace is true, but your other numbers are dangerously wrong. That top speed can only be maintained for a few minutes / miles - in actual usage running down prey, another wolf would take over so that the first could cool down.

And no, a little water every hour of chasing after your bike is not going to cut it.

That kind of obstinate ignorance is how dogs get hurt.

How heavy is your dog now? If you can find a Globe Live 2 or Live 3, that makes a pretty excellent dog bike. The max listed weight is 20kg, which is almost exactly 45 pounds, but I've seen the Globe's rack stand up to dork-abuse.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3617/...3fb9c3741d.jpg

Specialized bought Globe and promptly discontinued the Live series, but you can still find them if you're patient. I just found one for my gf in her size.

Globe Live 2 has a traditional chain drive with IGH and U-brakes. I've added road bars and a few other upgrades.
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...n-1200x900.jpg
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...2-1200x900.jpg

The Live 3 has a Gates belt drive with IGH, hydraulic brakes, and Velo Orange offers these porteur bars, which are IMO more suited than the upright beach-cruiser bars.
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...y-1200x900.jpg
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...2-1200x900.jpg
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...2-1200x900.jpg

My dog has done 60 mile rides with me, and we have no problems averaging 20+mph on flats. She weighs about 20 pounds, so hills can slow us down some. It's pretty sweet being her stoker.
http://www.calamarichris.com/wp-cont...p-1200x900.jpg
(The bars are 52cm, and the leverage comes in handy when she suddenly spots a squirrel or another dog.)