Transporting a dog by bike?

"David Wean" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience
on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is
large
enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is
such
that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

No experience but a friend who consulted a vet on a similar issue was
advised that dogs - especially running breeds - can literally run themselves
to death. The instinct to run is bred into them and they don't know enough
to stop if they are trying to keep up with the alpha on a bike.

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

I wondered about a cat in a trailer. I wonder if it would freak them out.

--
'Things they do look awful c-c-cold
Talkin''bout my generation
I hope I die before I get old' -Pete Townsend
Born May 1945

1oki ? said:

...
No experience but a friend who consulted a vet on a similar issue was
advised that dogs - especially running breeds - can literally run themselves
to death. The instinct to run is bred into them and they don't know enough
to stop if they are trying to keep up with the alpha on a bike....

One could train the dog to jump into and out the trailer on command. The
dog would ride on the faster paced flat and downhill sections, and could
run on the slower uphill and headwind sections.

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

David Wean said:

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

We tow a Wike dog trailer <http://www.wicycle.com/ldt.htm> behind our
tandem. We've been happy with it. Our dog loved the trailer when it was
sitting on the living-room floor without its wheels. She's still getting
used to the idea of it rolling along behind the bike... :-/

Another option I was considering was to buy a kennel and attach it to a
flat-bed cargo trailer. But after you buy the kennel, the trailer, and the
hardware to attache the two, it isn't much cheaper. Plus, it won't fold
easily.

Quoted message said:

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is large
enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is such
that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

Yep. The Wike dog trailer is basically the same as their kid trailer,
except that they've removed the seats, added a rigid floor, and added a
couple inches of padding on top of the rigid floor. If you wanted to tinker
and were reasonably handy, you could convert a kid trailer fairly easily.
Of course, it would no longer work for carrying kids...

Quoted message said:

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

I'd be dubious, too. It might work for pedestrian-equivalent cycling,
riding on sidewalks and trails at pedestrian speeds. But if I wanted to do
that, I'd just leave the bike at home.
--
Darin McGrew, [email hidden], http://www.rahul.net/mcgrew/

"If a man speaks in a forest and no woman is there to hear him,
is he still wrong?"

"David Wean" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience

on

Quoted message said:

how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is

large

Quoted message said:

enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is

such

Quoted message said:

that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

Well I guess it would depend on the breed, there is a guy down the block
from me who has a Dashhound that rides in a little basket on the bars.

Ken

Quoted message said:

Ken Marcet said:

"David Wean" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and

experience

Quoted message said:

on

Quoted message said:

how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer

is

Quoted message said:

large

Quoted message said:

enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing

area is

Quoted message said:

such

Quoted message said:

that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie

comfortably.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?).

He's heard

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run

alongside or

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can

share?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

Well I guess it would depend on the breed, there is a guy down the

block

Quoted message said:

from me who has a Dashhound that rides in a little basket on the

bars.

Quoted message said:

Ken

Quoted message said:

I was thinking the same thing. If you want to ride with your dog, get
one like Paris Hilton has. They fit in a bag nicely. She has her
little "twinkle belle" or whatever they hell its name is, inside her LV
purse all the time. I have a 100 lb dog that runs beside me, but when I
first came on this newsgroup, everyone discouraged me from riding with
a big dog beside me. So I stopped. I just ride around the backyard with
her by my side. I don't take her outdoors to ride along side of me. My
sons run her at night. On foot. I am glad I took the advice because I
probably would have been dead by now if she had seen a cat while we
were out riding.
"OOOOOO Yummy little critter...let's run wildly through the streets
Mommy, FAST."
All Good Things,
Maggie.
Who just wrote a big fat check for a wedding reception for her daughter
and feels like stinking her head in the oven. THESE ARE THE TIMES TO
JUMP ON THE BIKE AND RIDE.

1oki said:

I wondered about a cat in a trailer. I wonder if it would freak them out.

I take my two cats to the vet in their carriers on my bike trailer. They
do not like it at all, complaining at the top of their voices the whole
way. But it's only half a mile so they survive. Most of the problem is
that they know that when they get stuffed into their carriers they are
going off to the strange man who pokes them with needles and sticks
thermometers up their ass. They are much calmer on the way home after
the torture is over.

Lorenzo L. Love
http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel.
True, and they have many other fine qualities as well."
Missy Dizick

(Sigh. Re-post.)

Maggie said:

Who just wrote a big fat check for a wedding reception for her
daughter and feels like stinking her head in the oven.

^^^^^^^^^

You mean, like, basting it with sauerkraut first or something?

Literal Louie

I had a Dachshund that I towed in a BOB trailer. Absolutely no problems at
all, even when stopped in traffic and intersections. (Of course she was
trained to "stay" until we got to a park or something.) It worked really
great.

The BOB people will tell you not to do this. I am sure because of
liability but for my
small dog, it was perfect...

Bart

"David Wean" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience
on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is
large
enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is
such
that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

Bartow W. Riggs said:

I had a Dachshund that I towed in a BOB trailer. Absolutely no problems at
all, even when stopped in traffic and intersections. (Of course she was
trained to "stay" until we got to a park or something.) It worked really
great.

The BOB people will tell you not to do this. I am sure because of
liability but for my
small dog, it was perfect...

That wouldn't have worked for my Siberian (100 lbs, mutant Siberian
:-). God I miss him! Then again he was over the weight limit for the
BOB.

--
Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry [email hidden]
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/ (Text only)
http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog

David Wean said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is large
enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is such
that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

You could do it the way this guy does, but then you'd probably get the same sort
of comments.

http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php?photo=8308&password=&sort=2&cat=594&page=1

Ron

RonSonic said:

You could do it the way this guy does, but then you'd probably get
the same sort of comments.

http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php?photo=8308&password=&sort=2&cat=594&page=1

The "Alien" movie series has officially run out of new ideas.

RonSonic said:

David Wean said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

Over what kind of distance?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer is large
enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area is such
that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie comfortably.

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's heard
about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run alongside or
behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

Thanks,

David Wean, whose cats mostly stay home

I have some experience with the leash thing from when I was about 12-13
and had a dog between 40-50 pounds. The first attempt was with a leash
about 6 feet long and worked for the straight runs when my dog would
pull me. This was dog walking for the lazy at that time. The problems
came when my dog and I had different ideas about direction and she could
pull me down. A longer leash worked better but then I had to worry about
her running off and entangling the leash with a car. I gave up the
bicycle/leash/dog idea after about one week, so anyone that wants to
take a dog with them is probably best with a trailer. If taking a dog on
a long ride is the plan the trailer may be the way to go, pricey or not.
On a personal side note, the dog I had did great when leashed to a sled
with 4 or 5 kids on the iced up roads of Northern Illinois. She always
wanted to be a sled dog.

Quoted message said:

You could do it the way this guy does, but then you'd probably get the same sort
of comments.

http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php?photo=8308&password=&sort=2&cat=594&page=1

Ron

I went there and saw that and it looks like a good way for that size of
dog, as long as you never go down. The dog might take the full hit and
be more than just a little hurt. Dog safety, too.

Bill Baka

David Wean said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and experience on
how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends....

See <http://www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/images/models/greyhound.jpg>. 😉

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

Tom Sherman said:

See <http://www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/images/models/greyhound.jpg>. 😉

Hey, what kind of clown shoes is that guy wearing? I want a pair! (I think
they're kinda handsome actually) Seeing as they have no velcro, I'm
betting they're vintage that got drilled for clipless. :/

Tom Sherman said:

David Wean said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and

experience on

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends....

See <http://www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/images/models/greyhound.jpg>. 😉

--
Tom Sherman - Earth (Downstate Illinois, North of Forgottonia)

That's a bizarre picture, but I won't write what I am thinking, since
it is Easter and I just arrived home from church. I need to stay
sinless for at least an hour. Maybe a half hour.
All Good Things,
Maggie....Already has her ticket to hell.

"Maggie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was thinking the same thing. If you want to ride with your dog, get
one like Paris Hilton has. They fit in a bag nicely. She has her
little "twinkle belle" or whatever they hell its name is, inside her LV
purse all the time. I have a 100 lb dog that runs beside me, but when I
first came on this newsgroup, everyone discouraged me from riding with
a big dog beside me. So I stopped. I just ride around the backyard with
her by my side. I don't take her outdoors to ride along side of me. My
sons run her at night. On foot. I am glad I took the advice because I
probably would have been dead by now if she had seen a cat while we
were out riding.

I was thinking more along the lines of a sled dog complete with harness and
have it run in front. That way when you're going up a hill you could hollar
MUSH and the dog could help. A pack of sled dogs would be even better. If
anyone asks, you can just say that you're doing off season training for the
Iditarod. Of course a cat crossing your path could potentially be very
hazzardous so you'd need some type of quick release.

"Maggie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Maggie.
Who just wrote a big fat check for a wedding reception for

her daughter

Quoted message said:

and feels like stinking her head in the oven. THESE ARE THE

TIMES TO

Quoted message said:

JUMP ON THE BIKE AND RIDE.

What are reception costs running these days? About $8 a head,
including rent, food, unlimited bar and a DJ?

This Iditarod? http://alaskaultrasport.com/

David Wean said:

Hi,

A cycling friend has a new dog, and is looking for advice and

experience on

Quoted message said:

how others use their bikes to transport their canine friends.

He's a strong rider, and also accustomed to riding with all sorts of
trailers.

He borrowed a Burley kid trailer, and found that, while the trailer

is large

Quoted message said:

enough, the configuration with the leg space, seat, and stowing area

is such

Quoted message said:

that there's not really room for the 40 lb dog to sit or lie

comfortably.

Quoted message said:

He's seen a "dog trailer" advertised, but it's pricy (~$400?). He's

heard

Quoted message said:

about some sort of semirigid leash that allows the dog to run

alongside or

Quoted message said:

behind, but is dubious.

Does anyone have any experience (success or failure) they can share?

One of my best biking buddies used to take his dog on lots of rides.
I'm talking about bike club rides (slow to moderate paced ones) up to
30 miles.

His dog, Campy, weighed perhaps 35 pounds. John built his own trailer
to carry him. Very simple: A tubular rectangular frame, a carpeted
wooden platform, some scrap clear plastic to form a windshield (mud
shield?), rudimentary fenders (designed to keep Campy's paws out of the
spokes) and a hitch incorporating a spring for flexibility.

Campy loved it! Whenever John pedaled, Campy would imitate him,
bouncing along on alternating front paws. He'd jump off on command on
the uphills, then remount at the top. And if the bikes were parked, he
was built-in security.

Campy passed away about two years ago. He was a terrific dog, with an
almost telepathic link to John. We all miss him.