Thoughts & Experiences on Dogs and Touring?
 

Does anyone have any experience touring with a dog?

I am wondering if anyone has had any success with this, and if so, what made it work?

Thanks!

Not touring really, but lots of 30 to 60 mile one day rides. Be patient, don't try to rush the dog too much, let him get out when needed. For a dog, especially a small one, be mindfull of the heat and when you are riding in the sun, small mammals (including small kids) ,do not have as much surface area as an adult human to get rid of the heat. Throw on a layer or two of fur and it's like riding with a heavy sweater. I carry extra water to wet down my small dog. I also let him go swimming, and then start to ride when he is still a little damp on a hot day. A trailer or basket must have flow through ventilation, from front to back. Try not to totally block his air flow.

Bring something like paper towels for cleaning up if he is sick onto your bike or trailer.

When I am reading up on the dog subject it is more likely to be a re-read of Rob Ruark's Take Enough Gun. For those with your admirable intent though, I would recomend crazyguyonabike.com. The bike touring blog site. There are several blogs there by folks who have done what you intend, just do a search. Seems to me, that one of thepopular threads was a guy who took Jack Russels. You might search this site for references to JRs before striking off.

For example:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...og&context=all

I travel with my service dog Rosie a 7lb Yorkie. Did a 500 mile tour with my previous 17lb terrier on the Nanchez Trace. We are touring east coast Ga to NC in April.

Blah... I love dogs, but not when biking. Had a few bad experiences when biking the TransAm but was never hurt and eventually got good at dealing with them. Purchased some spray about 3/4ths through the trip but never used it.

Anyways, the mistakes I made was being afraid and not confronting the dog head on. My advice is that when you hear a dog coming at you (they'll always bark before approaching) just look at and yell at it strongly. Most just want to chase you and have some fun. If yelling at it does not work, just take your frame pump and raise it like you are going to hit the dog, most will cower since they've probably been hit like that before. After a while it kind of gets fun messing with them, like speeding at them or egging them on.

I just finished a book about a guy and his dog touring across Russia, Alaska and Canada... in winter. I guess it's possible. :D

What book is that Erick?? I would love to read it!

Sure, how else am I suppose to get up those steep hills. Dog rides in the trailer until we get to a big, steep hill. Out she comes with the harness and away she pulls. Ok, that is only wishful thinking.

I have thought about touring with my dog, but she is 50lbs, so I would need a trailer. I was thinking about doing some practice runs, maybe start at 30-40 mile day trips. Then maybe an overnighter. Have her running besides me at times and resting at other times. I don't think I could do a long tour though, since besides her, I would need to carry her food also. That would be a lot of extra weight to carry.

This is it: book. It's in French and I doubt there's a English translation. His story is amazing, not just the trip but because he was handicapped as a kid and fought just to live. The book is too short!

I haven't toured but have taken my dog to the dog park all the time and did one overnight trip so far with him. Problem is that he is 50lbs and I don't have a real touring bike yet so my lack of low gears was tough when I had a head wind coming home.

I got a used Burley kid trailer and fashioned a flat platform for him to ride on. Wife sewed up a thin pad that is light weight and gives him something soft to lay on and not slippery so he doesn't slide around. I do keep him on a leash in the trailer just in case. It is just long enough to keep him in the trailer but he can stand and sit and lay as needed. Him shifting his weight around all the time looking around was fun.

Luckily I live in Dallas and it is flat and it was only 20 miles to the lake where we went camping so it was not so bad. I wouldn't do any extended tour with him as he's just too heavy I think. Fun for a weekend though.

Thanks for that link Erick - too bad the book is in French. If it was Spanish I could handle it, but I don't speak any French at all. Darn! We will be taking off in less than four months to tour with our (small) dog, so I would love to read about someone who did an extended tour with a dog!

We did an interview a few months back with a couple who were travelling with their dog all over the Italian alps! He was about 13kg if I remember right.

http://travellingtwo.com/384

You can see Hunter on the back of Marco's bike, in a plastic milk crate!

http://travellingtwo.com/gallery2/d/...4/dsc_3554.jpg