Atavar

I went riding today with my dog, a 75 pound poodle/retriever mix.. he was amazingly well behaved and a great motivator to keep my speed up. We only went a few miles around town but this was so much fun we are going to do some longer rides.

He learned Gee/Haw/Whoa quickly. If he gets this down well I might have to get him a pulling harness and try some bikejouring..

zandoval 

Please be very, VERY careful - Its easy to ruin or kill your dog on a bicycle - You can't tell how much stress they are in keeping up - They will just keep going and going then colapse - I nearly killed my dog on a ride when I was a kid - He just collapsed in the bushes and I rode him home over my shoulder - After that I just would not do it again - There is a guy who rides with a whippet down the street - But only a few minuets at a time then he picks him up and carries him on his rear rack - Bicycles are so callorie effecent its easy to wear out any animal trying to keep up with you - Have Fun - But be extra careful with that wonderfull dog... Oh - And welcome to the Forum...

Seve

Nice dog you have there.

Atavar

Oh, Beauregarde is not bashful about letting me know when he needs a break, and I am still a newb so I need more breaks than he does.. I let him set the pace and I just keep up..

I just grip the lead against the bar so he is not hard fastened to me or the bike.. I figure if he goes after a cat or something I want to disconnect instead of having him pull me sideways.

rex66

My advice is also to be very careful with your dog. I had a wonderful dog that I used to jog with many years ago (I was young and skinny). She could easily trot next to me for 6-8 miles. I didn't know any better and took her for a bike ride and almost killed her. Dogs are so loving and eager to please they'll do anything for their humans. She survived but her paws were blistered and sore. I never knew she was in any trouble until we got to a creek. She walked in and wouldn't come out. It must have been a great relief on her paws. I carried her home about 1/4 mile and then went back for the bike. I realize some breeds are more athletic than others but please be careful. Especially as the weather gets warmer. They tire much faster in the heat as we all do.

cb35

wow the responses to this thread are incredibly polite, a credit to this forum - this practice should be outlawed in all states - you shouldn't be doing this in my opinion - not unless you want to go on a jog along side a car with a rope around your neck and tied to the wheel. Its dangerous for the animal, for you, and for the other motorists, pedestrians, and fellow cyclists

another ******* move I saw the other day - riding a bike holding a full umbrella on a sidewalk

she

This is what you need to be very careful about. Dogs can be unpredictable. Other than that your pooch is adorable,

wiredfoxterror

I see a guy around town riding with his BIG golden retriever - he pulls a custom made trailer/cart which the dog is in when he isn't running alongside.

iforgotmename

I find it hard to believe some of the negative responses here. I ride with my dog all the time, at his pace and he loves it. I can't even do maintainance on my bike without my dog laying next to me wagging his tail. He runs when he wants to and never pulls away or chases anything as we have done this for three years. I highly doubt that the OP is doing something akin to dragging someone alongside a vehicle. Dogs like exercise and NEED to run at times and this is far more productive than just lazily going to the dog park and watching the dog run around.

Have fun Atavar

Atavar

Thanks to all for the advice and constructive criticisms.. If the naysayers were here with me and my dog and they saw the care we take and how much Beau loves going for a run they wouldn't be worried. Beau is not tied to the bike, I just grasp the lead against the grip while I ride. If anything exciting happens I guarantee Beau has plenty of power to pull the lead free.

I probably should have mentioned that I live in a very small town (pop. 1500) with very light traffic and we have no problem commanding a full traffic lane so no pedestrians are put at risk. Our version of a traffic jam is when two cars approach an intersection at the same time.

I have heard many criticisms about how people treat animals, including how evil it is to make hunting dogs assist in hunting. I have gotten lectures about how it is not healthy to "make" dogs eat meat. My dogs are family and get the best of treatment. They are happy and healthy and full of life. I must be doing something right.

she

Can I move there? LOL Sounds peaceful. I had to laugh when I read that its evil to feed dogs meat and they shouldn't be hunting . Where do they think dogs came from, peacocks? No they are wolves......they are hunters and they eat meat. My dog ate a raw diet,because of allergies and that changed me to always feed all my dogs raw meat.

zjrog

That pup isn't a Clyde... Now my 205# English mastiff is absolutely an Athena...

I have never even considered taking her on leash by bike... I don't think I'd survive!

she

Oh I love that doggie, When I worked at a Vet once he had 2 of them there. They were up for adoption. My landlady would have killed me if I took them. But they were sooo sweet really. They ate A LOT. Your girl has the biggest paws!!!! And your right...don't take her for a ride. LOL

Herbie53

a guy in the neighborhood uses one of these, he and his dog seem to really enjoy the ride.

https://www.thedogoutdoors.com/dog-bike-leash.html

sancle1

[IMG]LUCA[/IMG]I ride my beater bike with my 80# pitbull anywhere from 3 to 6 miles and he really like it, gets home super tired. But be careful never wrap the leash around your hand. If he hits the brakes your going to go down, and hard.

Atavar

Sure c'mon up, life is better here. I moved from Az where a guy had to run 100mph 24x7 just to keep up. Even though we are in the 49th ranked bike friendly state our city of 1500 people has ten miles of dedicated bike trail all the way from the Dairy Queen out to the lake. 7 Churches and 7 bars, mild hills and very bicycle friendly. Housing is cheap, most of you could put a house here on your Visa. The downside is 67 mi. to the LBS, so I pay shipping on every part and farkle I buy for the bikes. Oh yeah, and be prepared to get studded snow tires.

aenlaasu

My husky runs with me on all my rides. I take GREAT care with him. I pay close attention to his breathing and feet, let him set the pace and offer water frequently. We've been doing it for over 4 years without incident and have covered thousands of miles.

marmot

There's nothing dangerous about this -- to the dog, to you, or anyone else -- if you do it sensibly and take appropriate routes. Just let the dog set the pace (a dog's natural gait is a comfortable trot) and stop every few minutes and let him rest if he wants to. Remember, he's working a lot harder than you are. Start with short outings to condition his body and especially his paws. Carry water and offer it to him on rest stops. Use a very short leash and keep him close. My catahoula-shepherd mix loves his daily bike run. In three years, nothing bad has happened on any of our outings.

cyanemi

I agree. they will go until they drop.

Haff

Just started with my black lab this year. Gone out 5 times so far, and he loves it. I have a trike, so the stability problem is lessened, and I pay close attention to how he is doing. We stop often and he is always the one to set the pace. The last time we went out we added a mile to the route and he ended up walking the last half mile. He wasnt hurt or scared, he was just tired, which was a great result. Three hours later I took the trike out for maintenance and he got all excited. Once the summer gets into full swing I'll have to keep an eye on the pavement temperature and his paws, but other then that full speed ahead.

Atavar

Paws are definitely something to keep watching. Paw pads are not designed for running on pavement or loose rock. Check your dog's feet after a long run and look for wear to the pads or injuries between the pads from debris.

If cracks or sores develop consider boots, or tuffpaws and consult your veterinarian. OTOH pavement does a good job of trimming nails.

Most dogs will be fine, but some dogs have tougher feet than others. YMMV.

she

My 1st dog didn't. She would wait until I picked her up. Maybe it has to do with size. A small dog easy to pick up knows YOU WILL pick up if tired, big dog oh well....

MLKATO

Nice dog! I've always liked the idea,but I wouldn't do it with my current dog. Mine is a Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix that weighs 120 lbs. She likes slow walks and a wild rompus around the yard. I've heard the ultimate biking dog is a Rhodiesian Ridgeback. Those dogs were bred for long distance running and endurence.

cohophysh

Get these
https://www.dogbooties.com/
and this
https://www.thedogoutdoors.com/walkyd...FQE2gwodYQ8bUw

Erwin8r

I hear ya'... but I'm pretty sure my dog would kille ME in an endurance contest--bike or no bike! LOL!

Roxy is an American Bulldog, and she loves to run... Although well behaved, she really has more energy than I have time to deplete. Maybe walking her on the bike would work great for both of us.