Touring - Who has experience bringing a dog?

I am putting together a touring dog trailer and I have to make a key decision, one wheel or two? I really really want to have one wheel for the smaller profile when highway shoulders get narrow. I don't like the idea of having one wheel dragging through the gravel and the other side getting brushed by transport trailers. But on the other hand, I don't know how stable a dog is compared to inert cargo. I am worried that he might just lean to one side and mess up the balance. He is 45 lbs right now.

Rig some training wheels to the single wheel, so it cant tip. While keeping it narrow.

Just a idea.

You know a society has gone terribly wrong when people are towing animals instead of the other way 'round.

You know a society has gone terribly wrong when people are towing animals instead of the other way 'round.

Hehe, my husky drags me at a flying pace on my 'bent trike... for about a mile. Then he just wants to jog along with me on our daily rides. :p

I would have to say though that with a moving weight, I'd lean heavily toward two wheeled transport. Of course, I bought a Burley cargo trailer (2 wheels) even though I plan for my husky to cover the ground on his own four legs. He's strong enough now to do 35+ miles for 2 days in a row before needing a one day break. Planning my first tour for the end of this month and that's mostly because I'm still getting the gear together. :thumb:

I love my dog, but carrying an extra 50 pounds of dog and maybe 20 pounds of trailer would definitely suck all the joy out of a bike tour for me. On the other side of the coin, there is no way my dog would be happy running at my typical riding pace and daily mileage.

She loves to go road or trail running with me so if I were to take her along I would be inclined to either go backpacking or running. I have toyed with the idea of "journey running" carrying my gear in a baby jogger. It seems to me that or backpacking would be the best way to share a tour with my 4 legged buddy.

If you do take a dog bike touring and let it run under it's own power please be alert to it's condition especially in hot weather. Some dogs will run themselves way harder than is really safe for them if you ask them too. Watch for signs of overheating and give them breaks and hydration as needed. Don't overdo the pace or the mileage.

Many years ago, I met two riders in Spokane who were riding across the US west to east. One was carrying all of the gear and the other rider was towing a rottweiler who was around 100lbs. It was a charity ride and everyone seemed pretty happy, including the dog. But I digress...

I would go with a two wheel trailer. Single wheel trailers lean to one side or the other every time you turn the bike and I would think your pet might find this unsettling. Have you seen the Burly dog (or cat or whatever pet you want to tow) trailer?

There was a fellow who rode from Alaska to Colorado with a sled dog. He had a trailer for it to ride and a sprung-lead so it could pull him along when it wanted exercise. (For some reason it always jumped in the trailer during the uphills!) His entertaining journal is on CrazyGuy somewhere. Should be very helpful.

We plan to take our 15-lb Havanese with us when we tour. Right now our top choice for his ride is the Burley Tail Wagon trailer. Since our dog is only 15 lbs we plan to put 40 or so lbs of cargo, laid flat on the trailer floor with his bedding on top of that. The trailer can haul 75 lbs so we should be good. There's the option for a 'critter compartment' which divides the trailer in two, so you might be able to let your dog ride in front (if he can fit comfortably) and store a little bit of cargo in the back (like maybe his supplies).

Buy or make, I think two wheels for a dog trailer is the better choice.