Walky Dogged Todayyy!!

[Zeeva]

Originally Posted by Chicagocanine

Yep I'm from Chicago! The weather has been great, I was so tired of the heat we'd been having. We can finally open the windows and turn off the a/c!
For overheating, check for their tongues hanging way out of their mouths, excessive panting, dry nose/mouth, noisy breathing, bright colored gums, drooling, and starting to slow or lag behind the bike a lot.


If you are still working on getting your dogs' stamina up for the biking, you also need to watch to not overdo things too much too quickly. Some dogs will keep running until they drop if you let them so if your dog is like this you may have to keep a closer eye on them for signs that you need to stop them. Other dogs are better about regulating themselves and will start to slow down and stop before that point.
I watch for them starting to lag behind more, for their tongues hanging, or panting in cooler weather, or if you give them a break and they are reluctant to get moving again. It's also a good idea to take breaks and check their paw pads for wear or abrasions, especially if you're biking on a hard surface or pavement and they're not used to running on those types of surfaces. Those breaks are also a good time to give them some water.Of course not TOO much water because you don't want a dog stopping to pee while you're biking (I've had that happen!)

Thanks...I guess I'll have to pay attention because Zeeva gets tired quickly and I want her stamina to build so I push her And Smokey can go on and on so I'll have to watch him too (he's a husky; meant to pull )

will you be here tomorrow? Anyone who is in the Chicagoland area, please read and show your support!

[doggiedad]

if your dog tires quickly don't push her. you don't have push
to build stamina. repetition and build slowly.

Originally Posted by Zeeva

Thanks...I guess I'll have to pay attention because

>>> Zeeva gets tired quickly and I want her stamina to build
so I push her <<<

And Smokey can go on and on so I'll have to watch him too (he's a husky; meant to pull )

will you be here tomorrow? Anyone who is in the Chicagoland area, please read and show your support!

[Blanketback]

I just started biking with my dog too I actually started another thread to see what kind of harness to use. I only went for about a mile because I think my dog might be too young for this (almost 9 mos.) and he's terrible with the heat, so the days I can use it are few and far between. But yesterday was a light rain and only 75, so it was perfect.

I'm biking my dog on the left and going opposite traffic, but I only have small county roads to bike on here.

[Nigel]

Originally Posted by Blanketback

I just started biking with my dog too I actually started another thread to see what kind of harness to use. I only went for about a mile because I think my dog might be too young for this (almost 9 mos.) and he's terrible with the heat, so the days I can use it are few and far between. But yesterday was a light rain and only 75, so it was perfect.

I'm biking my dog on the left and going opposite traffic, but I only have small county roads to bike on here.

9 months is fine, just keep your trips short and perhaps do it in the early morning/late evening to avoid the heat, should be ok. We started ours in the 5-6 mo. age. Vet said to keep the distance short until they are 18 months ( 1 mile or less, but ask what your vet thinks to be sure).

[Chicagocanine]

Originally Posted by Zeeva

will you be here tomorrow? Anyone who is in the Chicagoland area, please read and show your support!

Thanks for linking to that, I totally missed it. Unfortunately I have to work late tomorrow, I will post it on my Facebook page though!

[minerva_deluthe]

How old/large is your dog and how well does she heel? I am wanting to bicycle a bit with mine (not much as she is still young) but she is just learning to heel and I don't want to have an unstable situation on the bicycle.

[Zeeva]

Originally Posted by minerva_deluthe

How old/large is your dog and how well does she heel? I am wanting to bicycle a bit with mine (not much as she is still young) but she is just learning to heel and I don't want to have an unstable situation on the bicycle.

I have a 55 lb 3 year old husky and a 78 lb 2 year old GSD. Neither of them heel (Zeeva used to but I don't trust her any more). I weigh 120 and have ok control if Zeeva sees a squirrel and no problem at all with Smokey...it drives me nuts and it gets difficult if you are light and the dog is heavy but its is not dangerous enough for me to stop...

[Blanketback]

I'm guessing at weights here: my puppy is probably around 80 lbs and I'm umm, twice that? LOL!! The bike attachment goes under the seat, where the weight is, and the cord on the dog had a shock-absorber type design, so even a tug from the dog's end doesn't translate into anything that would tip you over. I've been tugged a couple of times and it barely registered. My puppy's heel is terrible. But that didn't matter because he took right to the biking. He pulled at first (for the first few seconds) but then we kept a nice pace and when the bike stopped, he stopped too. After only 2 sessions he's mastered it and doesn't pull much at all now, just waits patiently for us to move. And is it ever FUN!!

[Nigel]

Originally Posted by minerva_deluthe

How old/large is your dog and how well does she heel? I am wanting to bicycle a bit with mine (not much as she is still young) but she is just learning to heel and I don't want to have an unstable situation on the bicycle.

If you are reasonably comfortable while riding a bike on trails or through your neighborhood, adding a Walky dog or one of the other devices is not a big deal. Most of the devices have a spring that reduces any shock from your dog should they jerk from seeing a squirrel or something. My wife was not an experienced rider, but she started with the walky dog in the snow. She is about 130lbs & 5'5" and Tuke is 97lbs.