Saw Something Weird Yesterday

[kfergos]

Riding down a bike trail, I saw a gal laboring uphill coming towards me. She was pulling one of those trailers you stick toddlers in, and I thought, "She sure is working hard. Must be a big kid in there." When I got closer, I glanced into the window and saw -- a tiny little DOG! It was one of those fuzzy lap dogs that could fit in a purse.

Hmm, come to think of it, maybe she could just get a really big bike bag and squeeze the dog in under her saddle...

[Velobambina]

LOL, I thought about doing that with one of my golden retrievers. The smallest is in the 65 lb range....

A couple years ago, I met a fella who rode about with his dog in a doggie backpack. The dog LOVED it. But this was a small terrier.

[sandra]

That's funny because just yesterday I saw a guy pulling one on the trail and it had 3 Dachshunds in it!!! :D DH said as much as we love our dogs, he thought he would leave his at home!

[sundial]

I can't see me pulling a 90 lb german shepherd. :eek:

[CindyVA]

There is a lady that regulary rides the Mt. Vernon Trial on weekends pulling a baby trailer with 3 little fuzzy dogs riding in it.

Not having a dog (and when I did, it was a Chesapeake Bay Retreiver), I don't get it why folks can't leave their dogs at home. As long as she's not holding up traffic, which she doesn't, guess I shouldn't care.

I did think it was odd the first time I saw it!

Cindy

[mimitabby]

There's a guy from around here who pulls a Briard in his kid carrier. Look 'em up, they're bigger than a German Shepherd!

http://www.gotpetsonline.com/pictures-gallery/dog-pictures-breeders-puppies-rescue/briard-pictures-breeders-puppies-rescue/pictures/briard-0003.jpg

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Only in America. :rolleyes:

Personally, I think they should train the dog to peddle the bike and THEY should ride in the little trailer behind. :D

[KnottedYet]

I have a trailer made specifically for dogs. (Croozer Dog)

haven't taken the dog out yet, but haulin' his 70lb heinie would certainly add some oomph to my bike's engine.

(figured the box-on-wheels style trailer would be great for grocery runs)

[LBTC]

There's a lady in our neighbourhood who runs her dog each morning - she rides her mountain bike and this black lab type dog is on his leash that she's holding. She doesn't appear to have the best bike handling skills, and her dog doesn't seem to be very well behaved. I have to put my dogs in the backyard in the morning instead of the front yard so her dog doesn't dart over to bug our dogs - it happened a few times and I thought she was going to crash hard! I'm not convinced that big dogs and bikes mix. We leave our wonderful border collies - 50lb and 70lb each - at home when we ride.

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[shootingstar]

No, bikes and dogs on leash not a great idea. I give them a wide berth...if I can.

Well, apparently my partner who cycles around more often than I during the day (he's semi-retire), sees enough people on bikes carting their dog(s) around. Sometimes the tiny pooches are in knapsack.

[Irulan]

there are dog specific trailers out there for purchase.

[mimitabby]

I tried bike & dog once. We lasted 20 feet. Did not work and it was a very well trained to leash sort of dog. It hurt too. having said that, i understand they've made some cool systems for bikes and dogs (on foot) the lady who looks like she has poor skills sounds pretty good if her dog is unruly. I have no idea how she could stay on the bike!

[salsabike]

http://copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com/2007/09/dog-cargo.html

I really doubt this is only in America. We see folks around here pulling dog trailers and also carrying small dogs in front baskets. I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Zen]

I can't see me pulling a 90 lb german shepherd. :eek:

How about the other way around:D?
Dogs like to ride in cars, why not behind bikes?

[NbyNW]

I'm not a dog person, but I came across this contraption the other day, which makes the doggie trailer seem like overkill, especially if you're talking about a purse dog:

http://www.bikemania.biz/Rixen_Kaul_Shopper_Doggy_Handlebar_Bag_p/rixen_shopperdoggy.htm

[BadgerGirl]

I can't see me pulling a 90 lb german shepherd. :eek:

I with you sundial! My shepherd is pulling his own weight!

[Aggie_Ama]

I saw a guy with his german shepard in a trailer on the MS150 a few years back. Day two is quite hilly and he was pulling him along. The dog on the other hand did not seem excited about the ride.

My spoiled miniature schnauzers do not like being out of the AC longer than it takes to potty, this would be cruel and unusual punishment to the brats. :D

[KnottedYet]

there was a guy pulling his dog in a trailer on DALMAC the year I did it. the dog barked cadence. I imagine hearing that for 5 days would get tiring, but it was cute when he PASSED you every day.

(the dude had some serious legs, I'm telling you!)

[F8th637]

KathiCville rides with her dog in tow. I would love to take my dog (who is a fat 50 lbs) for rides with us so that she can enjoy all the fun places we go to. She is too small to keep up with us on rides and hates to be left out of the fun.

[jesvetmed]

Every afternoon on the trail by my house, a neighbor rides his bike and has his Great Dane next to him the entire way -- the dane is BARELY trotting and is equal in height to the bike. Funny to see -- I've watched the Dane grow up out on the trail, and the poor man obviously can't exercise him enough any other way. He is SO well behaved -- heals exactly next to him all the way. He's on leash but likely doesn't need it.

So NOT like my dog! I did try once -- 10 yards, straight back home with a skinned knee. Never again!:eek:

[GLC1968]

We have one dog who requires extra exercise, so we used to take her for runs around the block...us on a bike, her on a leash. It worked really well except when it was trash day and she got scared of all the recycling bins. I had to walk her home that night or she would have killed us both trying to avoid those scary bins! :eek:

When I was in an LBS last weekend, I was admiring all the baskets they had for the front of bikes. I picked up one in particular that was unusual as I couldn't figure out how it would work. The guy came up to me and pointed out that it was actually a wire mesh top to a basket so that you could safely take your small dog or cat for a ride. I just about snorted when I pictured either of our 70+ lb dogs in a bike basket! Then I immediately thought of the woman in the wizard of Oz taking off with Toto in her basket!

[madscot13]

I always felt so bad that i would go biking for hours while my dogs sat at home and got fat. taking them out on a leash would be bad for several reasons:
1. dogs are poorly trained walkers, our 15 pound alpha male feels that he needs to pee every 10 feet and he does not drink that much water. the little lady has to wait for him
2. The little lady is afraid of everything
3. Including the bike but both of them are ascared of the big rolly metal contraption
4. they are too lazy for more than two miles walking. would I make them run till their deaths?
5. I don't want the three of us to die. If anything happens to them our mother will kill me.

[salsabike]

As a matter of odd coincidence, here's someone who plans to do this in a BIG way--

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2004344991_pacificportrait13.html

[kjay]

It kind of bothers me to see little dogs in baskets, etc. If there were an accident, the dog could really get hurt. :-)

[fatbottomedgurl]

I got irritated when I went around a woman pushing a stroller in the bike-lane so she could talk with her friend on the side walk. There was a DOG in the stroller.

I know there are ways to take your dog for a walk/ride, with a "Springer" attachment for example. Urban dog mushing is getting popular too.

Check out the video of the dog-powered skooter and recumbant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuOq94fCBYw&feature=related

[F8th637]

I actually saw a woman yesterday in Washington DC on the National Mall that had her CAT in one of those cage-type baskets. Couldn't leave the cat at home?

[GLC1968]

It kind of bothers me to see little dogs in baskets, etc. If there were an accident, the dog could really get hurt. :-)

Yep, that was my thought, too!

That photo of the rottie with the bent looks like one hell of a theft deterrent system! :p

[oxysback]

I got irritated when I went around a woman pushing a stroller in the bike-lane so she could talk with her friend on the side walk. There was a DOG in the stroller.


Giving the woman the benefit of the doubt...the dog could have been elderly or had some kind of physical ailment/paralysis, etc. No reason for the dog to be stuck inside if that's the case. :)

[Blueberry]

Giving the woman the benefit of the doubt...the dog could have been elderly or had some kind of physical ailment/paralysis, etc. No reason for the dog to be stuck inside if that's the case. :)

This is a good point. I carried my Cricket around many times after he went into congestive heart failure and the vet banned walks. He LOVED being outside.

CA

[Bad JuJu]

I got irritated when I went around a woman pushing a stroller in the bike-lane so she could talk with her friend on the side walk. There was a DOG in the stroller.
I can understand that that would be irritating, but I'd be just as irritated if she had a child in the stroller--either way, she's obstructing the bike lane.

[fatbottomedgurl]

Yeah, actually I am MORE upset see babies in strollers in bike lanes. It is very dangerous, the bike lane is dangerous enough for bikes. The point I was making was I had to exit the lane, into the car lane, to go around her. I am selfish I admit.

BTW If a little doggie can't enjoy cycling for fear of injury, then why do we? Why do we put kids on bikes, or trailers, or seats? Quality of life means more than freedom from chance of disaster. A doggie with an owner willing to share the ride is much better off than one left home everyday. Just my 2cents.

[crazycanuck]

Don't thwack me but...When i see women with prams & esp double prams on the bike path I normally call them evil names..:eek: in my head. One of these days i'll get the courage to actually yell it out..

*ahem*

[Blueberry]

Don't thwack me but...When i see women with prams & esp double prams on the bike path I normally call them evil names..:eek: in my head. One of these days i'll get the courage to actually yell it out..

*ahem*

pram? Don't know what that is?? (Google wasn't any help, unless you want to talk about computers...)

Stroller? Or Trailer?

[Aint Doody]

On Cycle Zydeco this fellow had a milk crate strapped to the back of his road bike with the sweetest dog in it who rode all 4 days. He had a pillow in the bottom of it for her to sit on. She was very well behaved and had way more personality than the man did! Her name was Pecan. KB, did you see her?