Bringing a four leg companion
 

So has anyone brought a dog with them on a tour? Is this too much for any given dog? I am planning on spending a significant amount of time on the road touring by myself next year and would like to bring a dog to keep me company. Is this a bad idea?

i wouldn't say it's a bad idea but there'd be lots of things you'd have to think about first.

you'd have to build the dog up before the tour so it'd be fit enough to handle it, and even then, be aware of how fast you're travelling and how many miles you're covering per day.

i'm reading a book, 'Across the Great Canadian Wilderness' at the moment. it's about two guys who trek across Canada. they take a dog with them. i'm not sure if it survives yet but it's already had some pretty tough experiences, and they're only in Saskatchewan! (going from West to East).

Do you plan on your dog running along or will you carry it in a trailer? How big is the dog?

Personally I wouldn't do it, but that is me. If I wanted to take my dog along I'd carry my stuff in a baby jogger and do it journey run style rather than as a bike tour. My dog is a great trail running partner, but stays home when I bike tour.

I have heard of folks carrying a dog in a trailer on the flats and downhills and letting it run up the hills.

If you do have the dog running keep a close eye on it for signs of overheating (tongue hanging out of the side of the mouth is the most common sign) and give it plenty of water and rest stops as needed.

you should PM Airwick about touring with the doggies.

http://www.springeramerica.com/ has a device to connect your bike and dog "safely." Has anyone used or seen one of these? I am interested in taking my dog with me on short 3 mile round trips(to the dog park and back) as I am sick of driving my car there. I searched the forums and I found this thread figured it kinda fit. THANKS!

I just read this journal, the couple took their small dog in a trailer. Pampered it pretty well, they did say it made finding a hotel nearly impossible though.

I work outdoors the all day long and I always take my 2 dogs with me. The two beasts are very active running/walking distances well above 25 km/day. One of my main concerns is to provide water to my 4 legged friends on a regular basis. During the Summer, daily temperatures are always above 35ºC and beside water to drink, I constantly wet (about once an hour) the dogs' fur to relief eat stress. Since I work in agriculture irrigated fields, I always have a tap nearby.

While bicycle touring I do not carry a tap of water with me, so, I think a major limiting factor to take a dog with you is to carry extra drinking water just to keep the animal comfortable. Beside water to drink one needs to take into consideration many small aspects the animal needs, like dog running on the safe side of the road, lodging with a dog, boarder crossing between countries with an animal, shopping supplies not just with a load bicycle but with a dog, Vet emergency, etc, etc.

By the way, the dog I would like to carry with me in the next tour weighs 27 kg!

I have a Siberian Husky and have every intention of taking him with me on tours. He loves to go with me on all my rides be it a short 14 miler to his longest ever of 45 miles. I have every intention of taking him with me when I manage a successful tour.

The questions here do bear thinking about if you want to take a dog on tour. My experiences with dogs and cycling:

My dog runs with me when I ride and will run with me when I tour. I'm content with a day's average mileage to be around 30 to 35 miles. With conditioning, Loke can do that for several days in a row easily. We've done it this year though not touring. A few times this season, I went out for rides between 30 and 35 miles for two and three days in a row and Loke refused to be left behind. This was with around 2 months of increasingly longer rides to condition him up to it.

Though I am a slow mover even on my own, he does slow me. He can (and has) hit speeds of 23 mph for short bursts. He does longer stretches (but under 2 miles) at speeds of 15 to 17 mph. His cruising speed is around 8 mph, though a few times, he has surprised me with 9 mph average cruising speed. Of course, if I tried to drag him in a trailer loaded with camping and touring gear, I shudder to think how slow my speed would drop. :p

I'm prepared to carry several pounds of dog food and try at all times to have at least eight liters of water at the beginning of each day and refill around lunch. I carry home-made dog shoes to protect his feet and an extra first aid kit even on our short runs.

If you do plan to have your dog run with you, consider what breed you have. My husky does fine, but I'm not convinced a Rottie could do what Loke does. Loke also gets checked by the vet at the beginning and end of each riding season. His breed is made to cover miles, but I want to make sure that he doesn't suffer stress fractures or joint problems. PTB help me if he ever does, because he gets cranky if he doesn't get his cycle fixes. Winter is bad enough. I would hate to think what he would be like if he couldn't go running with my bike permenantly. :eek: My husband and I probably wouldn't have any shoes left. :notamused:

Main things to maybe consider.
1) Breed?
2) Willing to carry the extra food and water and maybe drag your dog?
3) How fast/far do you want to go daily which will have a bearing on if you carry the dog or if it runs with?
4) If dog is running with are you willing to put in the time to condition it? Unlike you, he can't coast down hill, those legs have to keep moving. :p
5) Is your dog nervous? :twitchy: How is he going to hold up to hours of traffic whizzing by at close proximity?
6) Are you okay with the extra stops a dog will have you making?

I love taking Loke with me on rides. He's good company and just gives me a warm fuzzy when we're going along and he gives me one of those husky grins as we race down a hill like. It's the greatest thing in the world to him, even better than getting meat left overs from our dinner. It's worth stopping to offer water and check feet every 2 to 5 miles or letting him have a break to sniff around.

I don't think taking a dog for long rides is for every rider or dog, but when it works, it really works. :thumb:

I'd love to bring my dog along ... he's a 90lb Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab/Pitbull mix and would probably eat any sort of trailer I put him in.

I did see a serious cyclist out for a casual cruise with a backpack made for small dogs the other day. The dog looked pretty content.

When I read the title of this thread, I was thinking along the lines of a small/medium dog in a container on the bike rack - or a trailer. But not a dog running alongside. Wow, I guess it makes sense they can cover those distances, but it seems like that mode would require all kinds of safety considerations (for you and the dog).

Mine has shoes/boots for running in the winter but he's just not bred for long distance. He can do 30-50yd sprints back to back all day long and with conditioning he can hang on for about 4.5-5mi at a good fast pace but any longer and he just flops over and refuses to move.

I'd suggest that you check with your vet before you tried to take a dog on a "run beside me" tour. I'd ask his/her opinion on whether your dog could handle it physically, what precautions to take, how much food/water would be needed and get some advice on dealing with health issues (dehydration, torn pads, patching a wound, etc.)

I used to field trial and train bird dogs (English Pointers & English Setters) from horseback and the dogs were superbly conditioned athletes. A one hour trial (nearly non-stop running) was a lot- though the National Championships were three hours. Still, these were highly conditioned dogs with a handler, scout and gallery on horseback to watch over them. We still managed to have dogs get lost and killed on the roads.

I would worry a lot about a dog getting into trouble on a public road. Maybe different on a "Rails-to-Trails" or bike path environment, but even that has public road crossings, other riders, other dogs, etc. I'd have trouble enjoying the scenery and the ride experience if I had a beloved pet along- wouldn't be able to take my eyes off him.

You know that the right breed could handle the physical challenge (See: Iditarod") so with the proper training, I'd say OK. But those dogs are highly trained, built to take the conditions and the course is in highly remote areas, free of traffic.

While the idea has some romantic merit, I think the risks and challenges would make me say "not such a good idea". But hey, I'm a professional worrier.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/boyanddog

i met this guy in missoula, MT. the dog was no ordinary dog, I saw it go up trees after squirrels. it was of his sled dogs, certainly not a house pet.

That is great. Where is the dog's aerodynamic helmet? I can only imagine both of them tucking down a hill. :lol:

We are definitely taking our dog with us when we tour. He's 15-lbs and a very easy-going traveler. Our plan is to have him ride along in a trailer. Currently our top choice is the DoggyRide Novel trailer, though there are several other options out there like the Burley Tail Wagon.

Keep in mind that having a dog may also limit the places you, yourself, can go. Also, you must be prepared for detours or delays should the dog be injured or get sick.

There are several folks who have successfully and enjoyably toured with their dogs. With that said, only you can determine whether your dog - and you - will enjoy the trip.