JonBailey

What is the best-designed dog-running/walking equipment available on the market for cyclist who want their pooches to exercise with them?

I need the best set-up for ONE dog or TWO dogs at the same time.

Both rider and dogs should be trained in a regimen and gradually worked into a shape that is safe for both bike riders, dogs and people on the bikeways and streets.

Here are some examples but they might not be the best setups invented:

veganbikes

I would not do that ever, things can go quite wrong quite easily. Plus dogs cannot get water for themselves and may not really be able to keep up. Not even mentioning the fact you couldn't really ride anywhere safely. I would much rather go on a long walk or run with the dog or find a nice big ole' field with a good fence and play catch and things like that.

kap 7

yikes! that looks scary to me. On a side note I ran across a guy jogging on a MUP with his dog unleashed and seemed really well behaved ... so I'd imagine some dogs could be trained to do that , too.

veganbikes

Dogs should not be off leash in public areas no matter how well behaved their caretaker believes they are. I can assure you if they decide hey I want to go check that out, guess what they are going to do it and it might end poorly. You cannot control the rest of the world and what is going to happen and if you cannot keep a handle on the dog anything can happen. Being off leash is fine on your own fenced property or in a fenced dog park but elsewhere it can be dangerous.

Training is all well and good especially if it is done positively and without violence and harm to others. However unless you can speak their language (which you cannot) you need to use a good harness and a leash attached to that harness. Even human children can use a leash sometimes.

kap 7

You make some good points. One thing I failed to consider is that the MUP I've been using lately has extremely light traffic. Also, in many places it's possibly illegal to have a dog off leash. The idea of a dog tethered to a bike in any shape or form still sounds scary to me though.

avole

In a word, no. I have two dogs, and would never consider tethering one to the bike. They are well behaved, and in rural areas happy to run alongside the bike. These are unmade roads, by the way, perhaps a maximum of 3 cars per day. That gives them the freedom to stop, sniff, carry on, in other words do typical doggy things the would upend the innocent cyclist.

Doctor Morbius

There's a guy who lives down the street who regularly takes his 2 dogs for a ride along. He uses a leash and rides very slowly to accommodate them. He's been doing it for a few years.

daoswald

When I got Sandy in 2003, a Golden Retriever with tons of energy I was excited to try letting her run along side as I took a leisurely ride around the neighborhood on my 2001 Cannondale H400 hybrid.

We got half a block down the road when I suddenly found myself flat on the ground. She had decided to stop to sniff a tree and yanked the bike over. We were both stunned. We had a long conversation about it afterward and concluded never to do that again.

YMMV

JonBailey

Years ago, 1997, I used to let my Lab and Dobie run along side of my bike off-leash. I would ride laps around the football field track on my older Schwinn single-speed cruiser. It was safe for the dogs to be off leash away from traffic and I would do this while no sporting events were going on of course. Four laps is one mile so 20 laps is five miles. Knobbies or balloon tires work best on the dirt tracks as they are soft. The athletic track-n-field tracks are flat. No hills or gears needed.

livedarklions

Generally, I can't see this ever being a good idea. In situations that are controlled enough for safe operation with the dog leashed to the bike, you should probably be able to have the dog run around unleashed. In any other situation, you have to be prepared to stop or swerve suddenly in case something comes up, and that's likely to hurt Old Blue. I guess the solution to that is to ride really slow, in which case, why am I not just walking/jogging?

Also, if you're a responsible person who picks up the dog poop, the bike just makes that more difficult.

Teamprovicycle

Thats the only way i run my dogs , i dont have 2 hours to 4 hours a day to walk dogs . i rotate every other day its a 4 mile loop although we should be dong 10 miles . i never had an issue, i fell a few times from my dog dead stopping to take a poop .
your dogs paws will have to get used to the ruff pavement . i have a dog that loves grass running and slows on pavement , and another dog that runs faster on pavement and slows on grass so that can be a factor .
my dogs are wild stallions so i guess im just used to their likeness to tanks , nothing really slows them . hot days maybe thats it, they are always ready for a run as long as they pooped they ususly will be full gass all the way .

One other little detail ive come across is a few dogs i have run will not run at their full motivated potential untill they see a trigger . i have one dog who will dragg ass the entire way . but if she sees another dog or animal , she's flying out in front full stride . so some times i use a lure to hype them up and gets them going full speed .



I have been running dogs with bikes for almost 10 years . i used to use the basic walmart bikes . i was dog joring before i even started being a serious cyclist.
My first dog was the fastest she would pull me with her sled harness looking back at me foaming at the mouth those were some of the best days having a dog powered bicycle . she was a 30 mph dog , for sure a rocket tank .

My tips would be as follows .

Get your dog peed and pooped right be fore you go out .

Dont feed your dog during the day or at least on run days .

Try to pick a distance and do the distance with no stops , water will just cramp the dog up and makes it harder to work .

dont you use a teather device just a 6 foot leash will work fine and hold it in your left hand or what ever side is your front brakes so your free hand can break the rear . or set your brakes up for what ever side you feel comfy on .

Hold the leash so it can break away , i use a cross bike now so i can hold the leash loose and on the drop .

put blinky lights on their collars or harnesses .

Know your dog can heel even if it gets prey triggered you will be able to keep the dog off your wheels and under controll .

Consider a used indoor trainer and tread mill so you can basically pratice all the time .

If it hot you can wet your dog with water get them a nice soak it helps cool them .

Dont be afraid of panting the harder they pant the better their body is working and cooling . be worried if its 80 plus and they dont pant , something might be wrong , but foam and drool are a good thing .

Look into some protien suppliments like satin balls , dyne calorie booster , or these bullymax treats , feed after a work out .

Know your route so you can stay on a quiet street or a wide street with a bike lane , maybe a mup? ( gasps )

Walmart anti pull harness make the best pull harnesses.

Good luck with your bike joring ....

BirdsBikeBinocs

I wonder what Judge Judy will say about that when it's put before her.??

Frankly, I see no benefit to the dog or the rider. I love dogs and have had a few through the years. A walk for the dog is just that. And with many dogs, a walk is required, every day. I walk them in rain, snow, sleet, slush and mud. A dog walk is about freedom. Freedom for the dog. So, when I walk a dog where I can see possible trouble, they're on leash, normally a 20 to 30 foot leash. It's a loose leash(meaning length)(freedom for the dog, remember). I can reign them in if I need to. Other times, completely off leash. Let them roam. It's all about the dog, not me. Freedom for the dog. They like freedom as much as we do.

Now, walking a dog on a bike. You're kidding, right.??

avole

He'll need more than luck with your advice ! No dog, just as no human, is 100% reliable 100% of the time in 100% of situations. Mine are fine up to a point, but if one sees a deer, fox, rabbit, hare or boar it is off like a rocket. The other is scared of traffic and heads off in the opposite direction, were it not for the lead.

On a bike, lead in hand ? That is a recipe for disaster, do you not see that?

If your dog hasn't been neutered or speyed, then don't even give another thought to the matter.

KraneXL

This cannot be overstated. Its not just good advice, but the law as well. I inform every dog owner I see with his dog off the leash of the law and they are quite rude, including my neighbor. However, the last time I saw him with his dog it was on a leash.

As for biking with your dog, that too can be illegal in may locations so I suggest you check the local laws first.

Teamprovicycle

your personal experience with , it not mine hopefully not his/hers , my advice comes from years of solid work with over 10 dogs some as young as 3 months following their big siblings learning healthy solid habits .

Teamprovicycle

its faster , easier , cover more distance, better work out , healthier animal , more freedom , better trained and composed dog , ect......

ridelikeaturtle

As my dog gets older (she's 8 now), I'm considering a dog-specific trailer so I can bring her with us on the local greenway (a converted railway). It'd allow us to go quite a long distance, carrying water and food and whatever else we'd need on a cycle.

veganbikes

True that, in most places it is law and of course like in any situation when someone is doing wrong and you call them out on it, they will get rude and nasty. It is a total shame people cannot just admit they are human and do wrong and correct that wrong. I have got no problem is someone wants to harm themselves or do something that effects only themselves and nobody else unless they are consenting but when you start doing things that can and do effect others without their consent you have problems. I think people should always ask themselves before doing something, will this effect others and if so do I have their consent to do it? If you start doing that maybe just maybe we can all get along just a touch better.

I had a neighbor that was always walking one dog off leash because he had some issues he claimed and nearly every time he walked the dog off leash there was a problem and loads of barking that would always disturb me even late at night. He said "well if you have a problem why don't you come and walk them". I replied "sure I would be happy to help, I cannot do it all the time but am happy to help when I can, let's exchange info". I forgot what he said after that but it wasn't great here is my number it was rather nasty even though I actually offered to help and was being sincere about it. Ah well you try and do good and it sometimes just plain backfires.

Witterings

Personally I wouldn't use any of the systems like the ones in the videos that attached to the bike ... if the dog needed to suddenly stop it'd wrench their lead / collar which could hurt them and could easily pull you off the bike as well.

I did though used to use a flexi lead as she'd always run in close and if she slowed down or stopped you'd feel the flexi lead pulling out and had plenty enough time to adjust your speed accordingly or totally stop if needs be before the lead got to fully extended.

I'd only do it though for getting from one part to another where it was necessary for her to be on a lead rather than for prolonged rides and would let her off lead as soon as it was in a safe area to do so and let her run alongside me.

I'm in the UK and I think walking dogs off lead has different rules over here and the sort of places we'd so this was on bridle / cycle paths in the forest ... although we live in an unmade up lane with virtually zero traffic so would often take her out for her morning run off lead and me on the bike knowing that because of the holes in the road I'd hear and see a car if there was one coming way before they were anywhere near us and would have plenty of time to stop and grab her collar if needed.

BirdsBikeBinocs

If you say so. I stand by my words.

North Coast Joe

I have a life long background in working with hounds and horses, so this practice may not be for every dog owner here. Chances are, if you've been a naysayer in this post, you shouldn't try it with your animal.


Use a harness, don't hook up to the collar. I use sled dog harness' that fit the animal well. My attachment point is designed and built here at home after years of trial and error. It is hinged to allow the hound freedom enough to negotiate varying terrain, has bungee incorporated into the lead to allow small variances in pull tension without disturbing the balance of either party. The attachment also feature a quick release that could be used to release the hound with a short lead still attached should something terrible occur.


The bike is also set up to do it safely, an MTB with disc brakes, low gearing, fenders to deflect errant tails or limbs, saddle bags in back to do the same and cushion any interaction between hound and bike. I've found that even an occasional bolt after game crossing in front of us, or sudden stops, is not of enough force to lose my, or her balance. My fat ass and those discs give me enough leverage to control that 100lb.+ hound under the conditions we've encountered in years of doing it. No bad crashes yet (knock wood).


Where you do it is just as important as how you do it. We're big fans of double track and single track trails through our large park system (single track can get narrow for the rig in some instances). Occasionally we'll do the turf of a local park when the trails are too wet. I would NEVER consider doing it on the roads, though we do have to use or cross some pavement to link trails together. The hounds have been well heeled in rare traffic interaction, but have extensive training BEFORE ever getting harnessed to the bike.


Every hound has been enthusiastic and eager to carry a pace that can't be maintained on foot for the 2-5 mile jaunt. They like to GO! Properly prepared, we'll exceed 14mph on clear trail sections. A trot, which is their natural hunting gait, can vary from 3-7 mph and they can do that longer than I can. We only run 1-2x weekly, other days the hounds are walked more traditionally, or just free to roam our fenced yard.


If one sees the car and bike leave home without them, they are SO disappointed...whining and baying to be included. Oh, there's always water in the saddle bags or back at the car as the run usually takes <1 hour. Treats, too!


I have some video that I tried to attach, but it's in a format unsupported by BF. I really don't care enough to pursue it. I've been here a long time & I don't post much do to the know it all members that post absolute nonsense as gospel. Don't know hounds, dogs or horses? Stay in your lane, nobody suggested running dogs off lead as a viable option. Picking up after the hounds involves dismounting and bagging it up in 1 or 2 minutes...not a hassle, just your responsibility. Teach me about bikes, not hounds.

Witterings

Can't help but feel a bit sorry for the dogs that suffered the error's.

avole

My heart goes out to those that suffered the trials. Hate to think what the sentences were. Dogs are intelligent, quick-witted creatures as we all know, but their grasp of criminal law is limited.

livedarklions

Awww, you were doing so well until that unfortunate last paragraph!

I took your point to be that it is viable for some riders under some circumstances, and you laid out the things that make it practical for you. As you note, a lot of people don't have the same physical attributes, experience with dogs and riding situations you do, so that's a point we hadn't necessarily thought about. You've also put a lot of thought into the set-up of your bikes and are able to easily dismount and mount to pick up poop. That's a bit of work that needs to be emphasized to people who might think that this is a really easy alternative to walking the dog.

You've made me qualify my opinion--I still think it's a pretty dumb thing to do in a typical urban environment, but if you have the types of paths available to you that you describe, I can see how it could make sense. Really wasn't necessary to get so bitter-sounding in the last paragraph, you were making an excellent point without it. Also, your post is full of good info about how to do it responsibly, but now more people will focus on "defending" themselves.

avole

I have to say I'd be much happier taking a horse and a dog rather than a bike and a dog in strictly rural areas. Both dogs and horses brought up in the same environments have a far better understanding of each other than visiting dogs ever can. Used to take our dog and horses on long trips into the bush, no leash required.

I still wouldn't take two dogs on leashes with a bike.