Biking with an Afghan hound
 

We have a 4 year old Afghan hound that can run 40mph in sprint mode. We take him for walks but it's not really exercise for him and sometimes the dog park has nasty dogs so we turn around and head home.Our yard isn't large enough for him to run. Today I decided to see how it would go if he ran beside me while I was riding my bike. He's pretty good at staying with me but if he were to see a rabbit, all bets are off. I ride one handed with the other handing holding his leash. I keep the leash coiled up so if he were to suddenly dart I could let out some slack before I got yanked off. We did this twice today and it worked great but my wife is not thrilled about it and thinks I'll get hurt. Does anyone else ride with their dogs on a leash beside them? If so, any tips or techniques you'd like to share?

I wouldn't walk a dog while riding my bike. If yours spots a rabbit and tries to give chase, he could easily pull you off the bike. I think your wife has the right idea.

Where's your sense of adventure?.. Just kidding, It's certainly not the safest thing to do but the dog really enjoys it and so far he stays right beside me trotting along happy as a clam.

50+ persons should not participate in activities that include falling as a regular outcome :)

Key words: "so far..."

Hey, it's your life. Do what makes you happy.

Not a problem as far as your safety is concerned, that's your decision as a mature adult. If you're out in the wilds then it's probably fine, but if other cyclists or walkers use the same trails or roads then it's dangerous for others and a dumb thing to do.

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.

Its not safe for you or other riders; don't do it.

Charlie

I know it's risky. We go on a half mi. loop at approx. 6mph. He is trotting at that speed and not running. It's a residential neighborhood with no children and all dogs are on leashes. Speed limit for cars is 25mph and there is virtually no traffic other than home owners of which there may be 30, most all are retired. I get to ride my bike a little, Sumner the afghan hound gets to stretch his legs a little.. So far it's a win/win but I realize "so far" is the key phrase. I'm more than happy to admit my mistakes so if something bad happens I'll post about it. I have been warned here and by my wife but still plan to continue since the dog and I both really enjoy it. BTW, I do appreciate the advice given but I am a stubborn old man. The only reason my wife is letting me continue this experiment is because she sees Caesar Milan do it on his TV show. I put my seat post way down and keep a lot of leash in my hand so if the dog does see a small animal and darts, I can stop quickly with both feet on the ground while still on the seat and brace for the yank on the leash. BTW there are just two streets in our development that both end with cul de sacs so there is no through traffic. We have not seen any other home owners riding bikes or jogging but I scored a victory in getting one neighbor to get his bikes out of the attic so he and his wife can join us on MUP rides that we transport the bikes to. The dog doesn't go on the MUP's

I suspect that has more to do with the type of surface than the activity itself. While our younger son is away at college and internship, his 9-year-old Australian cattle dog lives with us. My wife lets her run off leash on the grass at the local dog park, and I run her on leash on the nearby dirt trail paralleling the railroad tracks, but I do not run her hard on sidewalks or even asphalt roads. With a herding breed I would not be too concerned about distance itself -- our son has taken her camping and on long hikes to is favorite rock climbing sites. ACDs are pretty tough and durable.

Honestly? I would not trust any dog I ever had. And if you're doing that on a bike path, I'd recommend against it. I've seen a lot of nasty bike crashes caused by dogs.

OP: Were you looking for approval and/or endorsement of your idea? If not, respectfully speaking, I'm not sure of the point of this thread. After asking the question, you got a number of answers, mostly disapproving of your plan, and then you said "I have been warned here and by my wife but still plan to continue since the dog and I both really enjoy it."

That's up to you, of course, and I wish you (and the dog) lots of luck and many fine times together. I hope nothing goes wrong...

+1



We used to have a border collie mix (Sam the Dog), who just assumed he was put on this earth to run. His favorite times were when we used to vacation on the Long Beach (WA) peninsula, and he would get to go on long runs in the morning, during the day, and at night. Usually my wife would get up, take him out onto the beach to start her run, then maybe half an hour later our friend would start his run, and of course Sam's herding instinct would kick in and he would run back and forth between then to try to round them up. About half an hour to an hour after that I'd be up and going for my stroll, and of course, as soon add he saw me, Sam took off to try to bring me into the flock. This went on for at least 2 hours every morning, and was repeated (not quite as long) during the afternoon and evening walks. I'm pretty sure Sam covered at least 15 miles a day while we were up there.



When he was a pup, my wife (then g/f) got the bright idea to tire him out by running him morning and night. Didn't work, he just built up more endurance (faster than my wife did).

I miss Sam the Dog :(.

I run my lab\border collie mix, who weighs 95 lbs. on a good day, next to me on leash. He loves it, his name is Henri. If he sees me putting on my gear, he gets excited. He is the most focused dog I have ever had the joy to have as a companion. In fact, if he doesn't get regular walk\runs on the bike, he gets bored. Boredom is not good for a smart dog. I realize I am taking a chance, but honestly, he loves it enough for me to risk it. He is 5 years old now.

Your dog . . . do what you want.

I have a 70 something neighbor that has a trike and a German Shepard sized mutt. The two of them can be seen going by my house then several miles down the road in a regular basis.

The dog went after a cat over a year ago and dragged the man off the bike and partially into a busy road. The dog now wears a Halti when out cycling. Not one bad incident since the Halti. In the beginning it took a few months for the dog to get the hang of where to trot along side the bike without pulling on the lead or getting into the path of the bike. I have been told that six mile jaunts are not out of the question. Even in our summer heat.

"the point" of this thread was simply to ask if others were doing it(apparently they are) and if so, would they share tips or techniques however I do appreciate your concern for my safety and the dogs

I can appreciate wanting to do it, but there's just no way it won't in a crash in relatively short order. And then you'll have to deal with your wife. She won't forgot that one for a long, long time.

Although most of the replies have been negative, I really enjoyed your post. Question; how long of a lead do you use?

Well we've gone on five approx. 2mi. rides now and all have gone well, so much so that my wife is now approving of it but of course that could change in an instant if we have a mishap. Due to the relatively calm neighborhood and lack of traffic it's not as bad as it sounds. The dog has stayed focused and stays a bikes length behind and to the left side of me the whole time.

Best of luck. May the force be with you!

Thanks DIgital Gee.. BTW, the more cow bell skit is my all time favorite on SNL. :).. You guys should start a pool to see how long it will be before I crash. I probably will eventually have a problem but hopefully it's a low speed, low side get off.. I will NOT sprint with the dog, he could outrun me in the flats easily. We go at trotting speed for him. With 95% of the responders saying it's a bad idea I am planning for the worst but hoping for the best.

Just make sure you get pics when you crash. :lol:

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.

I've been thinking about getting a greyhound and teaching it to run in the ditches.

Our afghan hound reminds us of a greyhound. Very similar bone structure and speed but the Afghan has long hair and running in the ditches would mean hours of grooming after the run/ride. There are lots of retired racing Greyhound available for adoption. Neat idea... I hope I don't get a bad rap here for starting and continuing this thread. We love our dog and if he can safely go with when I ride my new bike (which I also love) we both benefit. Of course these are just local neighborhood rides that don't put us near traffic or other hazards.