# Biking with Dogs



## Daedalas (Nov 12, 2009)

Good Afternoon All

Charlie is our 12kg Patterdale Terrier. Running alsongside my bike for a couple of milles for exercise along gentle bike tracks is easy going for him: but we're going to womble around France and envisage biking 5 miles out and 5 back; frankly that is too much at biking pace. So I need a way of 'transporting' him for such excursions.

At present I'm thinking:
- Make a box or buy a basket to fix somehow to the front of my bike
- Make a tow-along 'dollie' on an paid of old bike wheels to tow ... collapsibility and MH portability problems?
- Buy a tow-along 'dollie' for a child and adapt to suit - collapsibility & portability again?

With the wealth of knowledge and experience of MHF members I'm sure some members will have solved this problem or have seen others with a good solution. 

Please can I ask for your views: all suggestions and ideas are most welcome.

BTW Charlie has already got his passport and he is ever ready to GO!


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I have a dog trailer for sale, offer around £100.

Its very strong, packs up small enough to be carried on a bike rack and is unused. Comes with a waterproof cover and can be used as a kennel on site

See this post http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-75689.html


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

You could always buy a purpose built trailer. Have a look here http://www.animalsource.co.uk/dog-bike-trailer-1720-p.asp. Halfords also do them.


----------



## LisaB (Apr 24, 2009)

we use a doggy trailer Boris is 12kg Miniature Schnauzer and he loves it! Folds flat too.


----------



## Ozzyjohn (Sep 3, 2007)

Trailers available to buy in many guises - quite few are described as folding for easy storage. None of them seem particularly cheap - but they may give you ideas for a home construction project if you are that way inclined.

Link to Trailers

Regards,
John


----------



## orange22 (Mar 7, 2009)

Look on ebay . We bought one of the red and black ones for our ten year old dog who can't keep up any more.
Price on ebay at least half of normal price


----------



## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

As a child I found that the familly labrador (Dante) was good for about 3 miles at a trot before slowing to a walk when towing me on my pushbike.
The important details were adequate lead length and ensuring that he did not cross ones path resulting in locking of the front wheel and myself airborn over the handlebars sometimes landing on top of the startled canine who would then lick me better.

Does that help?


C.


----------



## MikeCo (Jan 26, 2008)

We tried the childs trailer with the dog in but she was not too happy, also it took up an awful lot of room in the van.
On holiday in France last year she had a bad leg and could not walk far so we went to the supermarket, looked at the bike accessories and bought a basket that fits onto the rear pannier. Our dog is a Cairn/Norfolk terrier and weighs around 11kg, she fits into the basket just right and appears to enjoy it.
The basket is on my wifes bike and I ride at the back so I can keep an eye on her.
We do fasten her in with a harness and a bungie and we have done 15 mile trips with no problem.

Mike


----------



## eribiste (May 1, 2005)

Just for Pets have these for sale. I'm thinking about getting one myself for our Westie.

http://www.justforpets.uk.com/shop/?/5/dog_products/51/training_and_travel/569/dogs_on_tour_trailer


----------



## CliffyP (Dec 19, 2008)

Iv'e stopped our dogs from riding bikes as it was far to dangerous, they could not get into the handsignals and kept falling off, also the Postman was a bloody pest running after them.

We find it better to walk with them :wink:


----------



## Daedalas (Nov 12, 2009)

*Biking with Charlie-dog*

Good Morning All

Many thanks for such helpful replies;

I've PM'd Spacerunner
Sadly Periobo your link doesn't work but we'll look in Halfords
We found your experiences very helpful: LisB and Boris experience; Mike Co's of the pannier basket; OzzyJohn's trailer link; Orange22's pointer to Ebay - cracking prices we note there; and eribiste's excellent link.

I think I did the over-the-handlebars before you Clive Mott: going like crazy downhill through the Fountains Abbey deerpark just after WWII, my friends labrador cut across my bows and took the front wheel with him ... sideways. Bit of a nasty spill but happily nothing broken and close to home for a young lad anyway!

But I really must tell CliffP that Charilie-dog has the most fantastic sense of balance ... genuinely he really he does! He walks across cattle grids as easily as you or I and he walks on his hind legs like a real circus clown not least to just check if there's anything going near the edge of the kitchen worktops.

However when I started him on grand daughter's tiny bike he had a lot of difficulty getting used to those front wheel pedals -they are very tricky for a dog and I couldn't come up with a solution. But the killer was his backside wasn't the right shape for the seat which made things difficult for the poor chap. But you should have seen him handle the freewheeling down hill bit - by standing on the seat and the handlebars ... and boasting like mad by demanding more "sausages" Esther Rantzen style.

Hey ho - roll on Spring - back to Spain and more windmills <vbg>


----------



## CliffyP (Dec 19, 2008)

*Re: Biking with Charlie-dog*



Daedalas said:


> Good Morning All
> 
> Many thanks for such helpful replies;
> 
> ...


Hi
Blocks and stabilizers, did it for us. The danger was signaling, they cant get their legs out sidewards. Lets face it they are just the wrong shape to ride a bike  
Now a skate board :roll: , that could work


----------



## 128187 (Sep 23, 2009)

A rucksac seems to be ok for my dog - he follows me everywhere!


----------



## 91502 (May 1, 2005)

We have a trailer for our two big dogs, it's good but hard work and bulky to transport. How about one of these crates bolted down to a rear carrier, useful for shopping too.


----------



## bobstar (Dec 10, 2009)

*dogs on bikes*

We have 3 Yorkies all small, the largest is smaller than yours, we can carry them for miles in bike panniers, I usually carry 1 each side on my bikes front panniers and Ann has Molly either in her backpack or rear pannier. They all love it they get to see the road ahead never try to jump out and are comfortable sat on a towel just to set the hieght right. Sorry we have no photos of this arrangement but there must be loads out there as everyone finds it ammusing to see them and take some snaps. Bob and Ann Presley


----------

