Biking With Your Dogs
Well, I've recently fixed up my mountain bike and realized that my dogs have an absolute 0 in their bike manners. I've taken them for a couple rides and Russell is (predictably) more eager to learn than London is but as eager as Russell is, he's also really crazy about the "GO FASTER" aspect so I'm a bit nervous when we go on the streets to get to where I want to bike. London usually stays at a steady pace nearby, but gets distracted easily and I have to stop and wait or entice him to keep going. We've taken a lot of trips to the woods and practiced just by going around the block a couple times during dinner hour while no one is outside.
I guess I just want to know if anyone else has taught their dog "bike manners' and has any helpful hints on how to train. We're progressing, as slowly as it may be, but I'd hate to think I'm doing it the WRONG way. I've seen those hitches (called 'Springers'?) that are made to harness dogs to the bike safely, but I'm not sure how they work/how well they work and I don't really like the idea of attaching the dogs to the bike if I'm not going through the city.
Russell is also very suspicious of the bike when I'm not on it. He's pretty sure it could kill us all. We're working on that bit.
I guess I just want to know if anyone else has taught their dog "bike manners' and has any helpful hints on how to train. We're progressing, as slowly as it may be, but I'd hate to think I'm doing it the WRONG way. I've seen those hitches (called 'Springers'?) that are made to harness dogs to the bike safely, but I'm not sure how they work/how well they work and I don't really like the idea of attaching the dogs to the bike if I'm not going through the city.
Russell is also very suspicious of the bike when I'm not on it. He's pretty sure it could kill us all. We're working on that bit.
Comments
I am an avid mountain biker, but because I have two Shibas... the pups stay home when I am out on the bike. They are NOT off leash dogs, and I am not brave enough to leash them anywhere near a moving bike. That prey drive is am amazing thing... I am accident prone enough as it is, I do not need them pulling me over as they attempt to behead a squirrel... Haha.
I know a lot of the guys at MTBR take their dogs out on trails. There used to be a thread or two about how they trained their dogs, but I was not able to find them. Check out their forum and maybe ask them about how they worked with their dogs for trail etiquette.
http://forums.mtbr.com/index.php ( @brada1878 , is it okay to link to another forum here... If not, let me know and I will delete it.)
However, I would be very reluctant to attach a dog to my bike. Not only what if the dog decides to bolt (sees some interesting prey), but what if dog and rider are attacked by another dog???
@crispy--I belong to a "casual bikers meetup". If you want me to I can ask folks if anyone has any experiences/recommendations about training dogs the appropriate "bike manners", etc.
There is also a discussion thread on the Shiba side about transporting Shibas in bicycle baskets.
@sunyata - haha, "braveness" is a good way to put it, I guess. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm confident they'll pick it up and I have confidence in my dogs' desire to stay with me.
Russell and London LOVE to dart off into the woods after a rabbit or a squirrel. I kind of just let them go and they meet back up with me later on the trail. Neither of them are ever out of sight for too long. They have a very high prey drive, but I trust them to come back when they've lost interest in whatever it is they've run off after (or when I'm too far away for them to be comfortable). If they're out of sight (or I can no longer hear them) for too long, I'll call them back. Thankfully, they have excellent recall. I've never had a shiba though... one of my old coworkers does and she'd only ever let him off the lead if other dogs were around. He'd stick to the other dogs like glue... but we did have to run after him a few times while we were on the trails.
I haven't biked with dogs off leash. I imagine training dogs to run beside the bike would be similar to teaching dogs to heel; you could probably teach them the correct position by walk the bike and teaching them that heel applies to bike rides as well as walks (assuming they know heel - if they don't, teach them that). I would train one at a time, and then together.
Here are some things I found on the internet when I was reading about dog biking:
"Biking With Your Dog"
"Biking With Your Dog Part II"
http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2011/04/dogs-life.html
I will post a question on our Casual Biker's Meetup Message Board and see what response I get.
@Sukoshi's Mom - that really IS the cutest thing ever! That dog looks like it's so relaxed, haha!
"I would not suggest attaching the leash to your handlebars. If the dog darts in any direction he/she will pull your handlebars and you will loose control of the bike. I have seen short poles that attach to the bike frame. Like this one. I have not used one but it looks OK.
I normally just have my dog run along side me just like if we were going for a walk. I have the leash in my left hand and my left hand is just resting on the bars. No part of the leash is hanging (so it cannot catch and pull the bars if the dog darts). I keep my dog on a fairly short leash so she cannot cross in front of the bike and take me out. I am totally reliant on my ability to control my bike with my right hand (braking and steering). I am comfortable with this and have been doing it since I was a kid.
I think the pole attachment is a great idea, especially if you are not comfortable pulling/controlling your dog with one hand and controlling your bike with the other."
Post # 1. Even a slow bike is too fast for most dogs to sustain. Then there's the situation that happened to my friend after I installed the spring gadget on her bike. The dog (a 70# black lab) decided to take off sideways and dragged her across the neighbor's lawn.
Post #2. That is a valid point. If your dog is not very obedient (read as hard to control) while walking, you will only be asking for trouble when attempting to ride a bike with your dog.
As far as speed, I normally ride 9-11 mph and my dog keeps up just fine for the two mile loop thru my area. She is pretty tired when we are done, but that is the point of taking her for a walk. Exercise.
Post#3. I've ridden with my dog (Australian Cattle dog) many times, and he is an obedient walker. I can hold the leash in my left ring and pinky fingers and still have both hands on the bars, and am able to drop the leash very quickly if needed. My dog can keep up at about 10 - 12 mph for about 10 minutes - then he begins to lag behind and I have to encourage him to keep up. So, plan on riding slower that you might on your own. I see riding as an extension of walking your dog - if your dog "walks" you, riding with them might not be a good idea.
I've seen my neighbor do this with his dog. I'm considering training mine to do the same. My neighbor holds the leash in his left hand and his dog obediently runs alongside. He only goes one mile.
The only reason I would even consider doing this with my dog is because she is incredibly obedient and loves to run and swim. I think she could handle the exercise, as long as we built up to it. Like people, dogs shouldn't be expected to suddently undergo a 3 to 5 mile run without any training leading up to it.
Be sure to keep your dog hydrated and be on the lookout for signs of heat exhaustion.
London did pull (well, he's made for pulling) once or twice and I could feel him pulling, but he never pulled so much the bike got knocked out of motion. They're both very well behaved normally and they like the rides. I get a little worried about London because he's not used to fast paces, so I'm easing him into longer rides.
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