Bike Riding w/Dogs

[Becky]

I have an older shiba inu and he's a little pudgy around the edges  I want to ease him into coming with me on short bike rides down my dirt road. Those that ride with your dogs ON LEASH, how did you start that training? Thanks.

[jackmaster]

I would start with walking him on a leash and then running g beside him and then a short bike ride, a dog and his leash can spell disaster in a hurry , especially to the person riding

[Becky]

I would start with walking him on a leash and then running g beside him and then a short bike ride, a dog and his leash can spell disaster in a hurry , especially to the person riding

Lol well I mean he's good on leash and he's well mannered. I don't run.... he would though hence trying the bike to work him out a little better than just walking.

That's what I'm worried about is how people do it? I see them, but never watch closely what they're doing when they're holding the leash haha. I guess I could peddle around the grass or something so if I crash and burn I'll just get some grass stains and not a road rash.

[quadrafire]

The leash on a handlebar can spell disaster. I have seen it happen, broken shoulders etc. No matter how well trained, they may decide to stop and pee or just sniff something then you are arse over tea kettle.

Here is what I would get if I was gonna "bike" my dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=UUkdYH9cJ1HjEe62NvDQBlWw&v=ye9x5N0LUGM

[Becky]

The leash on a handlebar can spell disaster. I have seen it happen, broken shoulders etc. No matter how well trained, they may decide to stop and pee or just sniff something then you are arse over tea kettle.

Here is what I would get if I was gonna "bike" my dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=UUkdYH9cJ1HjEe62NvDQBlWw&v=ye9x5N0LUGM

Hey quadrafire thanks! That's exactly what I was hoping someone would show me I just wasn't finding anything myself.

[baker5150]

My wife rides with our GSP all the time.  Hes very well trained on the leash but still has his moments,  she just holds the leash as loosely as possible so if he does stop or take off the loop pulls out of her hand. 

The worst is when you go left and the dog goes right around the phone poll.  Not good.

[splashcaster]

I purchased a bike leash called the "walky dog" a few years ago on Amazon and it works great. It attaches to the bike on the seatpost and allows for a spring adjustment inside to account for different sized dogs so you don't choke a short dog or let a tall dog have enough leash to get caught in the bike.

I've used it with several dogs, including a pit bull, and it was strong enough to feel let them pull as hard as they want and you still are in control because you have both hands on the brakes/handlebar. Plus, once you get to where you are riding, it unattachs to the bike quickly and you have a leash. I get stopped and asked about it all the time when I ride around town with my dog.

[MarkyMark]

I have a walky dog as well. They work great. My dog got older and arthritic so I don't use it anymore.

[Fl0und3rz]

I've seen a guy using one of the seat post mounted ones, he said that it worked well for him and his mid-sized dog, and he was happy with it.

[Lunchbox1981]

How does you dog do off leash?  Will it heel when told?  If so after the first initial few rides with a leash try the heel method with no leash.  I ride with my Vizsla very often they require lots of exercise.  Just like with anything else with a little training the dog will get it.

The most important piece of advise is.  If you ride with clip-ins don't use them until the dog is trained.  When the dog stops and you can't unhook fast enough you are going down.  It is a helpless feeling when you know you are going down and there is nothing you can do about it.

Good luck and have Smossy videotape it for all of us just in case.

[Houndhunter]

Works like a charm, can get interesting tho

[swanny]

Riding with a dog on a leash scares me personally. It's to easy for the dog to take off after it's nose either pulling you off, or ripping at their own neck should they stop while you are pedaling. I get why people do it, but it's scary to see. Why don't you just throw a ball for him if you want him to do more than walk? Or maybe take him for longer walks? Or lastly, just go ride an abandoned or gated forest road so you don't have to worry about the leash.

[Becky]

Riding with a dog on a leash scares me personally. It's to easy for the dog to take off after it's nose either pulling you off, or ripping at their own neck should they stop while you are pedaling. I get why people do it, but it's scary to see. Why don't you just throw a ball for him if you want him to do more than walk? Or maybe take him for longer walks? Or lastly, just go ride an abandoned or gated forest road so you don't have to worry about the leash.

We picked up bikes to go mountain biking and I want my dog to be apart of it instead of staying home. I don't want to not be able to include him. As for now, that's what we've been doing is taking him down a gated forest road and let him run off leash... but even then if something were to happen to him because he's running free it'd kill me. I want control over him in open woods, he's pretty well behaved off leash but not enough to stop him if he sees a coyote or other animal he wants to go get familiar with. Or even worse, the thought of some terrified person whose walking the trail thinks he's a vicious dog/or wild dog and shoots him. At least when he has a leash on he listens very well and heels... plus lets be honest, I'm not marathon riding, I go very slow over the rocky trails trust me  I've stopped on a dime plenty of times.

Thanks for the walky dog suggestion you guys, the other one I looked up was more than what I even paid for my bike so I didn't get it... but this one is a nicer price

Hahaha Houndhunter, we thought about doing that! No lie, we almost picked one of those up off Craigslist  stick him in the basket. He'd be so sad though.