Originally Posted by
donheff
You should read up on this topic. I have heard numerous times that most dog breeds are not adapted to long runs and should not be taken jogging or bike riding. You may be stressing your dog's joints unless it is one of the breeds that can tolerate the activity.
Originally Posted by
mapeiboy
=
+1 . I do not believe any dog breed can run for miles without seriously hurt themselves . Afghan hound and Grey hound can run at a very fast speed but not for long .
Dogs don't sweat like humans. They get rid of heat by sweating through their pads and primarily by panting. There are lots of instances of dog deaths from overheating through exercise. Almost all dog breeds are built to sprint and then sniff around, sprint and then sniff around etc... They are not built for long distance continuous running. I would not do this without consulting with a vet first. The questions to ask are (1) is this ok to do? and (2) if it is ok, how do I condition my dog so that they can safely do this?
Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Mom uses an electronic collar (audible & shock) when taking her dog with her on the horse. She considers it to be an "electronic leash".
Apparently he is extremely well behaved when he has the collar on. And he still likes it because he knows he can have fun.
What it will do is get his attention away from the rabbit or squirrel.
Originally Posted by
CliffordK
Hmmm, is it like a Persian Cat?
Anyway, try the shock collar. Once the dog figures it out, the beep is usually plenty to get their attention.
Jogging with the dog would be nice, but for some of the faster dog species, they could probably run you into the ground and then some.
Having successfully trained a number of dogs with electronic collars, I can tell you that this will not work unless you train the dog and train yourself. Done right and it's possible your dog will never need to be on a leash (like mine). Done wrong and you can destroy the dog's spirit and confidence while accomplishing nothing positive in their behavior.
It's not like you have an electronic remote for the dog or something. Electronic collars are serious training tools. You can also completely wreck a dog using a shock collar if they don't understand the stimulation or if you improperly apply it. As with training a dog with a leash, it's not so much about training the dog as it is training the owner/handler. They are for communication with the dog, not for punishment. If you dog is not properly trained on a collar and it sees a rabbit that it wants to chase and you have not trained it not to chase it, you're going to get pulled off your bike no matter what AND you'll probably wind up giving the dog a very painful shocking that it won't understand because you didn't understand how to use the collar - nobody wins in that scenario. Electronic collars won't work unless you're both trained in how to use them.
So basically, this is a bad idea for all the reasons above. There are plenty of ways for the cyclist and the dog to get seriously hurt with the bike that would not have happened if the whole thing wasn't attempted.
Go find out from afghan trainers how to properly exercise your dog. This isn't a new issue for afghans.
J.