memebag

Only one safe way to find out. Buy one, run it until it dies, then buy an identical one and run it just a little less.

lmike6453

I don't want to be cruel to an animal by any means. I meant 15 minutes of outside kind of play minimum. I helped raise a dog once in my lifetime from a shelter with my best friend for a few years and it worked out, but we had plenty of more free time between us as late teenagers.

I would very frequently play with the dog indoors and give it attention, play rough, but playful, tug of war as a workout for both of us. I was planning on doing the same with this one...

thumpism 

If the dog can move from house to yard and back in your absence it would be beneficial. I'd probably recommend hiking instead of biking with the dog, and I'd limit biking to offroad. My pointer mix is a running fool but about five miles on a bike outing is plenty.

Thing is, if you get an energetic breed you will have to run it daily, and you can kiss the thought of 15 minutes good bye. A runner will need an hour, maybe one in the morning and one in the evening. Seriously, if you get a dog that runs it will need to whether you're in the mood or not.

ridelikeaturtle

Please don't get a dog. They're not ornaments. Nine hours alone, and /at least/ 15 mins of play? That's cruel and disgusting.

You should consider a fish. Or a cat.

lmike6453

Would it work to get 2 dogs and make my basement a big playpen of toys and such? That way they aren't alone during the day, and still have their human owner at night.

I read about this a lot, but the flip side of the coin is that 2 dogs is a handful of more responsibility as well as financial.

ridelikeaturtle

Can you bring it to work with you?

BlazingPedals

For that matter, as mentioned earlier about dogs not being designed for running long distances, a human distance runner can run a HORSE to death, too.

lmike6453

The ideal solution I thought of in my head would be to bring the dog with me on my biking commute to work and drop it off for someone / some place to watch. Then pick it up on way home on my bicycle and cycle back.

But no, unfortunately I cannot bring the dog to my workplace directly.

themp

Get a kayak and a small dog(under 25 pounds). Kayaking flat water and class 1/2 rivers is a blast with a dog. The kayak needs to have an open cockpit so the dog can sit between your legs. I have done this with my dog, but would never attempt to bike with her as it would be to demanding. I see an older gentleman on the Greenway that has two large dogs that he uses to pull him on the bike. This seems to work, but he only goes about a mile out and back, if that.

Lazyass

Well, if you get one try to get one from a shelter. Nine hours alone is better than being in one of those. I can't even go to shelters because it's too sad seeing them look at me with those eyes pleading for a new home. I want to take them all.

qcpmsame 

Please do not ride with a fog on a leash, its asking for trouble. A dog could bolt and pull you off of a bike quickly. Unless you are up to working dog training standards a dog will get distracted and take off at something it feels needs its attention and investigation. I have owned setter bird dogs since 1993 and love our current one dearly, but I won’t attempt to ride with her along side me ever. And don’t feel you could release the lead fast enough either.

Bill

lmike6453

Precisely what I was thinking...to give a dog a better life than the shelter...

I have watched videos of people recommending the springer leash. Is this not safe? They said that the spring reduces a lot of tension of dog pulling, and if it pulls too much it can break free. And that the dog will run once it is in "run mode":
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017NM4OE...=1U1OXTJ9TKNG4

qcpmsame 

Then your dog is loose and you are now liable for anything that it could do. I don’t think its a good idea is my only point, you are the one to make the decision and have to accept the outcome.

Bill

ridelikeaturtle

Just another point of data for you: greyhounds (and whippets) are the laziest dogs ever. A neighbor friend of mine has three of them (and one more dog), which are all very good for the agility training she does with them. She works inconsistent odd hours (nights and weekends) and I often check on them when she's working. They are the closest things to cats that I've ever seen in a dog breed. Sometimes you have to coax them to go outside to pee.

Just a thought. By the way, it's great that you've given this so much consideration. I'm sure you'll make a great dog owner.

one4smoke

The ONLY way I would involved my dog with my cycling, would be with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Involved with cycling or not, my recommendation for breed is a Border Collie.

TimothyH

Girlfriends come and go. One moment you are in love and the next moment you are wondering what happened. I would not rely on this.

I'm not a dog person but if I was I'd have Lily.

Doctor Morbius

Not even a cat. I have cats and they require a lot more attention than most people would think.

europa

Don't overlook small to medium dogs. My last dog used to travel behind the bike in a kiddy trailer. Sure, he wasn't getting any exercise doing that (he was a lazy sod anyway) but it enriched his life by being out in the smells and with his people - just stick to bike paths, there's nothing enjoyable for a dog on a road among all the fumes. I'd hook up the trailer (to a normal bike, no special fittings), ride for half an hour to a dog park, then give him half and hour running around... well, sniffing around (told you he was lazy) then ride back again. Rather than leave from home, I'd drive to an appropriate drop off point to give us the above 'workout' and to visit different places.

If all you're going to do is give him 15 mins a day, buy a poster, get it framed and hang it on the wall. That's nothing. You'd be a lot better off taking him for at least a half hour walk every day after getting home from work - that'd do both of you a lot of good.

Steer clear of bigger dogs. All they'll give you is a higher food bill and a higher clean up job. Your lifestyle doesn't lend itself to a dog of any sort. Even a chihuahua is as much a dog as a rottweiler if raised to be one.

This is a serious suggestion. Buy one or two of the more human orientated cats. My preference is the Siamese which are extremely dog like in their relationship with humans and their ability to play with humans. Other breeds work well too. You may be lucky enough to snag this in a moggy but you don't know it's history or the genetics that define its character (my moggy is friendly enough, but just wants you to stay 'over there'). Most breeds will have a local rescue group run by responsible breeders, responsible breeders will also make effort to place any of their cats that loses its home. Your lifestyle DOES lend itself to a cat, preferably two because of the amount of time you're out of the house. Your 'doggy play room' will also make an excellent cat play room. Think it over. In your situation, it is much much easier to have happy cats rather than run the risk of creating a problem dog.

JReade

I have a 50 pound German Shorthaired Pointer. We've taken her mountain biking, and she is considerably faster than my wife and I. Not even a chance. 7-10 miles and she's tired. I'd never take her on road rides, or even TRY to do some rail trail, alongside me. MTB is better for her speed, since I can't climb as fast as her, so she gets to walk up the hills, or run ahead and wait.

That said, she is a high energy dog, and we take her to the park every day for an hour minimum. She requires a lot of attention.

tomato coupe

An average runner could not run an average horse "to death", nor could a trained endurance runner run an endurance horse to death. The record for horses traveling a 100 mile course is under 6 hours -- the human record for that distance is more than double that.

2manybikes

It's good that you are doing research and asking questions now before you decide what to do. Good job.

_ForceD_

I just hope that you're getting the dog primarily as a companion, and not just as a component to your cycling pleasure. You need to be as dedicated to the dog as you want it to be to you. Other military folks can probably attest to this. When I was in the Navy I had friends with dogs who transfered to Hawaii. Hawaii has (or at least had) a six month quarantine for pets. The people would get off work and go spend their evenings at the kennel with their dog. On weekends they'd be with the for 6-8 hours each day.

Dan

a1penguin

Dogs are pack animals. Being alone most of the time is not great for pack animals. I have four cats, all indoor, and they spend so much time sleeping that long work days isn't that big a deal. And when they get old (my oldest just turned 20!) getting up and going from one sleep location to another is all the exercise they need.

I am not sure your lifestyle is a good match for dog.

Oh, and I spend at least $2k a year for meds, fluids, blood tests for the oldest cat.

europa

My sister recently more than doubled that on a four year old Burmese. They now call him the six million dollar cat.

Yeah. Pets can be expensive and we tend to forget about that when buying them. My Siamese had a kidney scare earlier this year (and he's not a year old yet) - bang, there was $400 out of the week's budget.

astrodust

A dog with long legs and snout, lean, and a short coat. Keep in mind as a dog gets older it slows down.

I have a English setter who loves to RUN. I tried walks and even running but could not keep up with her. I got a bike attachment that allows me to keep my hands on the bike while she stays leashed to the bike and runs beside me. She can run at about 12 to 14 mph for a couple of miles before she is done.