bike-dog interface?

[Beane]

I have a question for all of you people who are able to bike with your dogs:

Which bike-dog connection system is the best and/or which would you recommend to me? My dog is a 50lb border collie mix who LOVES to lunge at and chase squirrels and bunnies. He can be a bit skittish around the bike, but we have done a couple rides up and down our street and I'm sufficiently confident that he can handle such rides/jogs. Ideally I would be using the device with my single speed mixte, so the device would have to be compatible with that. Pictures of dog & bike below. Thanks for any help!

Indy battling a large stick


Indy requesting to please leave the rainy cyclocross race


Mixte

[sundial]

Are you sure you want to involve your mixte? The reason I ask......you have a med/large breed dog and that mixte may be a little light for a lunger. I know it's do-able, but you would need to really have your dog under control so that you don't take a nasty spill. Elk has an interesting web page discussing what systems she uses and how to train your dog to exercise on the bike.

I have a unique set-up for my german shepherds. I have a stretchy coupler leash that is attached to my trunk rack on my full suspension mtb. I use the Flat Out collar by Ruffwear, but only after they have been trained with a Herm Sprenger quick release pinch collar. I have looked at the systems out there but needed to customize my own for my purposes. My dogs are soft correction, laid back, under voice command and are not considered high drive. They do, however, have prey drive and whenever a squirrel or rabbit is spotted, I have to call out, "Focus".

Depending on where you exercise your dog, you may encounter strays that pop out of nowhere. Be sure you have control of your dog. I have found that simply getting off the bike and standing between the stray and my dog works and we're soon on our way. Keep a water bottle handy in case you need to squirt an excitable stray. And always carry a leash on you in case the collar or system fails and you need to quickly leash the dog.

I hope this helps and let us know how your doggie likes this. Mine absolutely love the little rides we take together.

[fastdogs]

I have both the springer and walkydog. I much prefer the springer- I've had the dogs (I run two at a time) lunge after deer and squirrels on both of these, and I barely felt it with the springer.
My dogs are about 40 lbs; they are my jackrabbit coursing dogs and are sighthounds- they chase anything that moves. The park I run them in has lots of deer, so I needed something that could take the shock of 80 lbs of dog hitting it. The big spring on the springer, and the way it's shaped to keep the pull low, really helps a lot. But the bracket that holds it is fairly large, and there isn't enough room on the seatpost on my hybrid. So I used the springer on my folding bike, and the walkydog on my hybrid.
I also use the bungee coupler made by ruffwear, and one dog who likes to pull is on a harness, the other on a collar because she prefers to just trot alongside. If the dogs see me put either one on my bike, they run over and stand beside the bike.
vickie

[Beane]

Are you sure you want to involve your mixte? The reason I ask......you have a med/large breed dog and that mixte may be a little light for a lunger.

even if I'm pretty heavy?

I'm trying to picture your set up. Are they just on flat collars that are attached to the shock absorbing leash?

So it seems that the critical elements are (1) some kind of bracket/attachment point between lead and bike (2) something to absorb shock and (3) something to keep the dog a bit of distance away from the bike. Does that seem about right?

[elk]

Well... I would humbly suggest you work on the lunging...that's just plain rude!!
Get your little beauty to focus on you whenever temptation arises by carrying treats (her absolute out of this world to die for treats...IOW...a treat that is worth more to her than chasing a bunny..) and asking her to "watch me" BEFORE BEFORE she focuses on lagomorphs and rodents.... and when she locks eyes with you... TREAT! You gotta watch for that moment when the head stiffens, the ears are full mast...and get her before that happens.

I would also teach a "Leave it" ...Pat Miller's book describes a great way...and these work.

Of course NO dog in the world is 100% ---these are dogs after all---not robots, but you'd be surprised how much this will help.

I ride with my 60lb collie on my aluminum Globe....and I use the . SHe's not a lunger but when she would pull to the side or turn around (tempted by the world and all its glory) I would barely feel it. Let's go. I tell her and keep moving.

As long as you keep pedaling she won't pull you off. But I think a little off the bike work on lunging would be a good idea....I walked dog and bike together at first.

[elk]

Oh and DO NOT USE A COLLAR!! Especially if you have a lunger...she could really get hurt.

I use the harness that came with mine.

Let me see if I have a photo...

These show you the attachment in use and Maudie's position as we go.

[sundial]

I'm trying to picture your set up.

I start with this collar.



I snap the spoingy coupler leash to the carabiner. I did have it attached directly to the rack but have since used raquetball tape to protect the rack from scratches and use a carabiner to attach the coupler to the rack.



Here's my trusty assistant, Niki, hooked up to the bike.



And here she is--ready to go. Note I have her on the right side of the bike, away from traffic. The coupler is a longish coupler and I can adjust the length by looping it through the carabiner to keep her closer to my side.

I developed this system through trial and error. For instance, I tried different harnesses but the dogs just didn't do as well in them. I tried hooking them up to the bike with different hardware and finally settled on this. It works quite well, the dogs are at a safe distance away from the bike should we take a tumble, and the springy coupler absorbs the shock when they pull. I rarely have issues with the bike using this system, even when they tried to dart after a rabbit. My dogs are 85 and 72 lb german shepherds.

[sundial]

Wanted to add: I did work with my dogs for awhile using a harness. I have now chosen to use this collar although some trainers would discourage this use. I think it depends on the dog and what tool is appropriate.

[fastdogs]

that's a cool setup. Do you have problems with her crossing behind the bike? Do you work one dog or two with it set up like that? I'm trying to see the support for the rack- is it attached to the seatpost at all?
I also keep mine on the right side- that way I can get them onto the grass as much as possible too. I also use a martingale style collar when Iuse a collar. If they like to pull, I let them- it enhances their workout, so they wear a padded ski joring harness. The dog that doesn't like to pull just wears the martingale collar. They generally stay in their places and ignore other people and dogs. They only lunge if they see rabbits, squirrels, or deer. Once they find out they are not going to get to chase it, they settle back down.

[Beane]

I ride with my 60lb collie on my aluminum Globe....and I use the . SHe's not a lunger but when she would pull to the side or turn around (tempted by the world and all its glory) I would barely feel it. Let's go. I tell her and keep moving.

elk: which device do you use? the biker dog?

sundial: thanks for the pics. has your dog ever run in toward the bike? one problem i've had on the short rides with a leash is that all of a sudden he decides to get closer to the bike or even try to come around the front (probably from have a longish lead in my hand rather than something short attached at the back). that's why i'm wondering if it works to not have some sort of rigid arm keeping the dog a safe distance from the bike.

[KnottedYet]

I've worked a lot with my dog on commands while running, and he seems to have learned pretty well what to do when we go out for a run.

He knows not to cross in front of me, not to slow down, not to head off in his own direction, and to listen to me for what is coming up next.

I would imagine verbal commands while with a bike would work the same. Like Elk said, a treat bag of something YUMMY and VALUABLE is great to have with you, so you are more interesting than anything else on your run/ride. (we have many cats in our apartment complex... competition for Stinky Dog's attention can be fierce sometimes!)

[sundial]

Do you have problems with her crossing behind the bike? Do you work one dog or two with it set up like that? I'm trying to see the support for the rack- is it attached to the seatpost at all?

No, Niki and Kali actually keep a respectable distance from the bike. They both run alongside me and have never crowded me or tried to go behind the bike. They are very focused when I run them. I run only one dog at a time because they both run at a different pace. Kali is a larger built gsd and I have to go a little slower for her. The rack is an Axiom full suspension mtb rack.

one problem i've had on the short rides with a leash is that all of a sudden he decides to get closer to the bike or even try to come around the front (probably from have a longish lead in my hand rather than something short attached at the back).

Yes, that is a concern--getting a leash tangled in a spoke--and that's why the products on the market are created to keep leashes out and away from moving parts. I took this into consideration when the girls and I practiced with different hardware and the current system I use I've not had any incidents with entanglement. I would caution you about using a standard length leash while cycling. You have little to no control of the dog's movement and the dog could get in front of the bike and cause you both to get hurt.

that's why i'm wondering if it works to not have some sort of rigid arm keeping the dog a safe distance from the bike.

Kali was actually spooked by the rigid arm so that's why I had to modify my system.

[elk]

i think its called the biker dog...simple little frame attaches to bike; a rubber rod attaches short lead to dog to frame.

I like that it puts her a little behind....and I use it on the left because it's away from the chain andit is the side on which my dogs always walk with me...

If you look at my squidoo page...I talk about some of these attachments. I actually have 2 I would sell.
One attaches to the seatpost and a hollow tube with a spring in it attaches the dog.
The other is a steel tube that also attaches at he seat stays and puts the dog behind the bike.e

[mayanorange]

Oooooh yet another thing I can do with the Cass-dog! That walkydog one that attaches to the seat post looks scary tho- I can just see 80lbs of mtn dog spooking and yanking the seat right out from under me!

[Beane]

OK, first real session went well. I put him in his skijoring harness (no, we haven't ever skijored... i'm still learning to XC ski) and bought one of these: wacky walk'r. I attached it to the lower section of the rear rack on my commuter with a carabiner and started out just walking with the bike between me and him. once he got over the initial discomfort with the whole idea, i started riding and voila! it worked! He only stopped once to <try to> pee but didn't try to chase any bunnies or squirrels.