[mike4625]

Hello I was just curious if there was something that would be recommended for exercising a dog while riding a bike. My dog has a ton of energy so I thought it may be a good idea to ride a bike so that he can run faster than his current walks we go on. Any suggestions?

 

[Chuck94!]

How old is your dog? They should NOT be running on concrete with a bike at all if they are young

 

[David Winners]

I prefer taking walks with a harness and long line. The dog can get a lot more out of the walk. I use a 30' nylon or cotton line.

 

[Chuck94!]

Curious. What kind of harness do you use David? Thank

 

[David Winners]

It depends on the day lol. I have a lot of harnesses. My favorite things to have in a harness for walking are:

1) a ring at the rear so the leash stays out from under the dog.

2) something easy to get on and off.

3) the right length for the dog. I like the leash to attach about 2/3 of the way back from the base of the neck, towards the butt. Too far forward and you have to be on your game to keep the leash out from under the dog. Too far back and it's strange for the dog because even small amounts of pressure will pull their rear around.

My favorite is a harness I got from Vohne Liche Kennels. I haven't found another exactly like it. I have a couple from Elite K9 that I like. One particularly on longer dogs. I can get the models if you are interested.

I own 2 cheap, no name puppy harnesses, a RuffWear with a backpack, and 7-8 tactical harnesses from the usual companies. I don't like how the RuffWear goes on, because it has a strap that goes between the front legs. I prefer just a simple chest strap for a walking harness. Over the head, snap 2 buckles on the chest and belly straps and go. The RuffWear is built really cheap compared to the tactical harnesses, but it was priced accordingly.

I guess I'm spoiled. I have some really nice harnesses with cobra buckles and very high build quality. They were very expensive, but I needed jump ratings and something that would never break during a mission. You can certainly spend far less on a harness and have just as much fun with your dog!

 

[Chuck94!]

It depends on the day lol. I have a lot of harnesses. My favorite things to have in a harness for walking are:

1) a ring at the rear so the leash stays out from under the dog.

2) something easy to get on and off.

3) the right length for the dog. I like the leash to attach about 2/3 of the way back from the base of the neck, towards the butt. Too far forward and you have to be on your game to keep the leash out from under the dog. Too far back and it's strange for the dog because even small amounts of pressure will pull their rear around.

My favorite is a harness I got from Vohne Liche Kennels. I haven't found another exactly like it. I have a couple from Elite K9 that I like. One particularly on longer dogs. I can get the models if you are interested.

I own 2 cheap, no name puppy harnesses, a RuffWear with a backpack, and 7-8 tactical harnesses from the usual companies. I don't like how the RuffWear goes on, because it has a strap that goes between the front legs. I prefer just a simple chest strap for a walking harness. Over the head, snap 2 buckles on the chest and belly straps and go. The RuffWear is built really cheap compared to the tactical harnesses, but it was priced accordingly.

I guess I'm spoiled. I have some really nice harnesses with cobra buckles and very high build quality. They were very expensive, but I needed jump ratings and something that would never break during a mission. You can certainly spend far less on a harness and have just as much fun with your dog!

Thank you! Gonna give Elite K9 a check!

 

[David Winners]

I have and like the Elite Special Operations harness with Cobra buckles which is my favorite other than the VLK harness I have, a Ray Allen Modular harness which is great for long dogs, a Julius rappelling harness which is overkill for a pet owner, and a couple basic patrol harnesses that I don't care for. I really like a chest and belly strap. I find the single strap harnesses shift around too much when using a long line. They are ok for short leash work or just to have a handle on the dog and a place for a velcro sign..

 

[car2ner]

newbie tip. Run on softer surfaces if you can. Running on black top can be tough on dogs. I found that during the learning phase it was easier on all of us if I put the seat of the bicycle all the way down. Both of my feet easily reached the ground so if my dog zigged or zagged I could steady myself quickly.

 

[Jchrest]

I used to bike with Crios a lot, and I found harnesses way easier to use than a collar. Because he could pull much faster than I could peddle, we used a non pull harness. He would run in the grass while I rode on the sidewalk. We did early morning are late nights so there weren’t too many people out to where I had to cross into the street to allow them to pass. Worked well for us, and Crios loved it.

 

[Sabis mom]

I have and like the Elite Special Operations harness with Cobra buckles which is my favorite other than the VLK harness I have, a Ray Allen Modular harness which is great for long dogs, a Julius rappelling harness which is overkill for a pet owner, and a couple basic patrol harnesses that I don't care for. I really like a chest and belly strap. I find the single strap harnesses shift around too much when using a long line. They are ok for short leash work or just to have a handle on the dog and a place for a velcro sign..

I still have Sabs patrol harness but it doesn't fit punk, which is a shame because it's quite different then the patrol harnesses I was just looking at. Glad someone brought up harnesses because I really want one for hiking and I dislike the cheapy one I grabbed at the pet store.
OP do pay attention to fit. My current dog is apparently an odd shape so things that say they fit German Shepherds do not work on her. I tried a couple of regular harnesses on her that looked like they fit but slopped and slid around as she moved making the leash go to awkward angles.

 

[Aly]

Practice slowly in a safe, soft area before going full blast! That a dog that's otherwise good walking on a leash beside you doesn't automatically generalize to running beside you-on-a-bike. Had a friend who sustained two nasty breaks (in the same leg no less) when he first took his yearling out for a bike run. (No, they hadn't practiced first). It was a while before friend was recovered enough to even walk the dog without crutches. Just sayin'...

Also, there are companies that make steel poles that attach to the bike to teach the dog to stay a safe distance away and that discourage crossovers (for want of a better term). You might want to start with those and then transition to the recommended harnesses.

 

[Saco]

Yes- look into the Springer dog walker, and pair it with a the distance harness from Howling Dog Alaska. Works great! Run on dirt or grass if possible. No dogs under 12-18 months should go very far- I keep it under 3 miles for a well conditioned young pup age from 10 mos to 18 mos (this can vary depending on the size and build of the dog, for big guys I wait until 18 mos)- adults can easily do 12 plus.

 

[atomic]

I love harnesses! They are more forgiving to the dog IMO and when you need a boost, invaluable. I use a fleece lined harness from Clean Run that is my favorite, it is so soft and has great ergonomics in fit. Tightly stitched and quality, I paid around $50 with shipping and they come in all kinds of fun colors.

 

[cvamoca]

Practice slowly in a safe, soft area before going full blast! That a dog that's otherwise good walking on a leash beside you doesn't automatically generalize to running beside you-on-a-bike. Had a friend who sustained two nasty breaks (in the same leg no less) when he first took his yearling out for a bike run. (No, they hadn't practiced first). It was a while before friend was recovered enough to even walk the dog without crutches. Just sayin'...

Also, there are companies that make steel poles that attach to the bike to teach the dog to stay a safe distance away and that discourage crossovers (for want of a better term). You might want to start with those and then transition to the recommended harnesses.

I had the worst bike crash due to crossover! I expected Ellie to behave like she did when we rode the horses, off to the side or well out in front. Well, that didn't happen.



Ellie unexpectedly cut RIGHT in front of me when I was attempting to bike--I swerved and tried to ditch, ending up slamming into the ground with a dog on top monstrous bike seat sized and shaped bruise on my inner thigh. Lesson learned, I don't attempt to bike anymore.

 

[Kris10]

Bike Tow Leash.
Max already knew the commands for right, left, and most importantly, halt. I would let him set the pace of course and rode on the edge of the sidewalk so he could trot/run mostly on grass.

 

[Jax08]

I use a Walky Dog bike attachment with a fursaver. To train, I put a prong and a short leash that wouldn't get tangled in the tire if dropped.

I'm not so sure about the whole "tiring" out thing. Mine just ran 5 miles, played in the creek and was still bringing me his toy to throw while I tried to watch TV. The more you exercise them, the more energy they have.


Don't forget to mentally exercise them. Making them think releases far more energy than running.

 

[atomic]

The more you exercise; the fitter they get. And then expect that and more.

You can do house games (or as I call them, treasure hunts) but honestly the best way to tire the dogs is to take them somewhere new or somewhere they haven’t been in awhile. It tires them out so much in just sniffing. And bones!

 

[Dunkirk]

I bought the Walky Dog Plus. I had a problem with Nitro being tall and me being average height (for a girl). Nitro is 27 1/2 inches tall, I'm 5'4 3/4". When the bike seat was positioned so the Walky Dog was high enough not to poke Nitro, my feet couldn't touch the ground when I was sitting on the bike.

 

[Jenny720]

I love the dog walky Michelle mentioned. I use a fur saver and also a leash. If the kids ride I have a prong collar and also a leash for added control. Both work well. No issues. Great invention sad I missed that boat. The more fit they get the more they want - this breed only gets more fit versus tired.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sabis mom]

Check local laws. I know at least 2 cities in Canada where it is illegal to attach a dog to a bike.