Cycling , biking or riding with your dog

[Ollies Mom]

Does anyone use riding or cycling or biking to exercise your dog?

I ride daily with my three: 3.5 yo, 10 yo and 11.5 yo

It's great fun and takes less time than walking and is a better quality exercise. My oldest one likes it because he gets to do what the youngest dog does. We don't go as fast or as long, but he happily tells me he is thrilled each time we do it. (He's a verbal boy). He is also in awesome shape and still competes at master's level agility.

I'm looking forward to sharing.

Ollies Mom

[spiffxthexcajun]

I do! I bought a bike attachment this summer for my dog too ^.^ Its great fun, and lets me bike without worrying about him pulling the bike over, or getting run over by it. It's called a 'Springer', and its basically a bent pole with a long coil on it with a short line. The coil keeps the dog from pulling the bike over, and depending on where you place it on your bike, it keeps the dog far enough away from the dog that he doesn't interfer with it, and close enough that you don't block the whole path. Its so much easier than having him on a lead (not fun when he pulls the bike over and then gets freaked out by the bike and wont go anymore >.<)

What kind of biking do you do? Like around your town or on trails?

[Doberroo]

Hi I just started to bike and skateboard with Coda. We have a blast. :D

[Ollies Mom]

My brother bought a springer for his GSD but found that it didn't fit the main stem of his bike (too small diameter). He mounted it instead on the angle bar in front of the pedals which works okay, but he likes to ride off leash now that she is trained.
Most of my riding is on asphalt and bark mulch park trails that are forested. We are lucky as the city where we live had over 40 km of trails that are suitable for riding with a dog. I rarely ride on city streets becasue of this but used to ride in our quiet neighborhood when we lived elsewhere.

I like using the leash only because I can keep Ollie where I can see him without having to crank my head around. When possible (mostly in cooler seasons) when the park is quiter and no enforcement is done, I prefer off leash riding.

Ollie is now slowing down and has a few lipomas (fat lumps) near his armpits which we are watching closely in case they interfere with his movement.
If your dog is less than half your weight, your forward momentum should keep you upright and moving if your dog lunges to the side.

Dorberoo, I used to rollerblade with my daxie mix (this dates me abit). She loved it but didn't know whoa or stop, especially when I needed it most! She did do okay with the bicycle though! Didn't go very far or very fast, but got her exercise!

[Doberroo]

Hi Ollies Mom! I want to try and rollerblade with Coda. But first I need to become a lot stonger at it. Coda also can forget her cames some times when she gets really wound up. lol I am not that young anymore so (turning 30 on Sunday) I don't bounce back up as fast after a fall. Thats why I like the skateboard. I can always jump off. :)

[Ollies Mom]

That's acute picture of your pup. How old is s/he?
My brother had dobies. Wonderful breed! I have heard you have to have a guard dog (terrier type) to protect them from being stolen. It was certainly true of his.
For bicycling it is not recommended that you do continuous execise until their growth plates close-about 18 months for the larger breeds.
My neighbor played disc with his two 6 mo BC and one started limping. The vet told him to quit it until the dogs was older- could have done permanent damage to joints and bones.
He stopped and the dog recovered but man those dogs loved to chase the discs when they were older.

[eilenej1]

I was considering rollerblading, but I don't know how yet :eek: .

Maybe I'll look into that bike attachment, since I do know how to ride a bike. I need consistent exercise, just like Max - and this will allow us to do more together.

[sheplovr]

I bought the bike attachment and love it and so do the dogs. Sometimes if I am lucky I hook up two to go. It gives me and the dogs a day of exercise and fun.

[Leviosa]

I take mine horse riding with me but he is a pup still on the lead.

[Doberroo]

Coda was around 9 weeks when I took that pic. In a town near me their was some doberman puppies stolen from a breeder. All but one was recovered. I don't have to worry about Coda. My room mate has a lab/pit that thinks shes Coda's mom. no ones coming in the house thats not suppose to be. lol Coda is now 1 year and two months. We are just starting to bike a little at a time. Can't bike right now anyways just had way to much snow fall.

[Kaos]

Yikes, don't know how you can horse ride with a dog on a lead, sounds a bit dangerous to me.

I take both my two horse riding with me if we go to the forest or beach. They are always off lead. The dogs absolutely love this, and it is the only time they ever come back worn out.

[MyDogShelby]

Shelby and I enjoy rollerblading...that is one of the best things you can do with your dog, they get great exercise and you have fun just rolling around.
She doesn't need to pull me, and I don't let her, would be too much stress on her neck with just a collar.

If you have a big dog, and you want to be pulled a little, get him/her a harness.

I've seen the devices that attach to the bicycle near the rear wheel, so the dog can run along side, I've never tried it and probably never will...it just doesn't seem safe enough to me. I'd rather fall on rollerblades, than on a bike anyday.

I'm good on rollerblades though, so I'm not too worried about falling;) It's fairly easy to regain balance if need be.

But with Shelby, its a piece of cake:)

[MixedBreed]

My Mum's Sheltie loves to chase cars (as most of his breed) so when I really wanted to wear him out I'd take him rollerblading out after cars on a less-busy street. He didn't really pull me, but he could if I was being lazy. He had a blast - never caught any cars, but was always tired and happy!

I could never do that with my dog though, she's way too strong! I'm interested in getting a Springer for my bike when the snow melts - does anybody know if it is designed to withstand constant pulling in the opposite direction, or just the occasional tug? Because with my dog, give her an inch and she'll take a mile...

[SiNNiK]

i bike with Chance whenever we go out for a walk, he can't walk comfortably when we go as slow as i walk, so i get on my bike and roll as fast as he cares to trot.

i really don't like the Springer attachment, seems like a lot of control is lost when you put them on that thing. i use just a 6' leather leash and some verbal commands along with some physical hints of what i want him to do.

if i want him to turn right i start turning and tell him to follow me, while letting him have as much leash as he needs to make the turn. and if i want him to turn left i stick my left foot out kinda in front of him (he's always on my left side) and he starts turning to the left. all of this is of course at a trotting pace for him so it's nice and slow.

with the Springer, i don't see how i could turn without surprising him with a yank if i can't position him right where i want him. and if i needed him to fall in behind me (like on singletrack trails where there's not enough room for him to be by my side), i don't think i could do that with the Springer.

on a down side for the leash though, you have to be able to ride a bike, with one hand. and be able to see trouble coming so you can prepare for it. and your dog has to be under control, completely, you should be able to anticipate what your dog is going to do in certain situations like if you're approached by people or loose dogs.

if you see something about to happen, just lean the bike to the left while applying the brake and put your left foot on the ground, presto, no falling over. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v489/SiNNiK/HappyDog.jpg

[skunkstripe]

I don't but DH bikes. We used to jog together but he has knee problems so now I jog alone with the dogs. I was never very fast and I certainly cannot tire out a dog!
We both bought mountain bikes this past summer and THAT was a great idea. The speed is enough that the dogs get a good workout. Since we are usually in the woods we do not use any kind of leash. On those rare occasions when we are somewhere "civilized" (meaning with sidewalks) then we ride slowly using leashes and I have a funny feeling about it.

[golden&hovawart]

I do a lot of biking,my dogs are mostly off the leash and they love it.

[BorderLabby]

How exciting! I have never biked with my dog yet, but plan to start when the better weather arrives and i can take them both up to our summer house beside the beach.

From what i can tell it sounds like great fun and the dogs seem to love it, so i hope mine enjoy it too! :)

[Caincando1]

I run one of mine with my bike quite often. I too use a lead and verbal comands. I'd like to start riding with two at once and I think I'm going to have to get a springer or two, I just think it will not work to run both of them on leads while I try to ride. Off lead would me no problem, but people would have a fit if I let my dogs run off lead on the bike trails, because it's against the rules. So I guess I'll have to learn to use the springers.

[PomeranianCrazy]

No i just walk my dogs, but I have alot so I sure do need a bike.

[BCNTC]

yup, its how I have kept my BCs in shape for years :)

[KatzNK9]

I'm considering a bike attachment so that I can take Ozzy along with me. I'd be afraid to try it without one of those.

[BCNTC]

lol I run 3 dogs on my bike at once with no special attachments :P

[GreyhoundGirl]

Every now and then I'll bike. She always just runs around in the forest as she normally would, only has to go more forward and less sideways. :p

[Caincando1]

lol I run 3 dogs on my bike at once with no special attachments :P

You're my hero!:D :D :D

[nikimoo]

I run my sibe mishka with a springer attachment at the side of my bike, she runs in a tracking harness, i have taught her commands like , TURNING LEFT --GEE & TURNING RIGHT--HAW. she seems to love running like this. when i give her the turning commands she does it & then dosen't get yanked & jerked around.

[LoveThatPom]

I don't have a bike, but I should consider rollerblading with Giana. She LOVES walks, 3 miles and she's a happy girl, and she's full speed ahead the entire time! When my sister and I were younger, we had a bike basket that we put Gino in because he was afraid of being run over by the bike. He just wanted be with us, he was a lazy little chap, so being fussed over in the basket suited him just fine ;)