cycling with dogs - do you do it?

puddy

I am trying to get fit. We also have a collie who probably doesnt really get enough exercise. He is out for about an hour a day in the week, more at weekends but they should get more than 2 hours.

So we have discoverd that he loves running alongside the bikes when we are cycling, but tends to get tired after about 4 miles or so, so we limit it to that. He always has water on the way.

He's also a bit overweight although that is coming off a bit with light food and a bit more exercise (he does agility at the weekends).

But, I was just reading some information that some people think its cruel to take dogs cycling? He is off the lead, its not on the road so he cant get hurt by cars and it certainly relaxes him for the rest of the day and it means that his exercise for the day is about 2 hours as it should be.

Do you think that 4 miles is too much? Im sure I read somewhere that collies have good stamina, he does slow down towards the end, but then so do I!!

On long runs we dont take him but are considering a doggy trailer, although they are about 180 quid for one for his size:eek:

*onlyme*

What about jogging with your dog?

foreign_correspondent

So long as you keep an eye on him for getting over-heated, or getting sore pads, or getting stiff after, and don't over do it before he is fit enough I can't see any problem -I would not go too fast though, and build in several breaks though for him to pant and cool down. it would not be a good idea on a warm day though, dogs do not have a very efficient cooling system.

puddy

*onlyme* wrote: »

What about jogging with your dog?

i am in the catagory of morbidly obese. jogging would highlight the morbid element of that.

hence the cycling, its an exercise that i can do without my ankles and joints hurting too much and that i enjoy. walking is too painful and jogging....well...:rotfl:

foreign_correspondent

I used to cycle a lot with my collie x fox terrier when I was a kid - she loved it, we did miles - generally on main roads with me holding her lead whilst cycling - which in retrospect was probably not particularly safe, but great fun - she never deviated from the direction we were headed luckily - thank god for the benign neglect of 1970's parents!

puddy

luckily we have miles of off road cycle paths here, all along the coast cliffs, was lovely today the sea is really blue

but apart from the danger to the dog, im not fit enough or confident enough to cycle on the roads yet. im still looking for longer stretches of off road cycling to do on my own (or with dog in trailer) to build up my stamina

Kimberley

You can get special leads and adaptions for exercising dogs whilst cycling now.

elfen

Can't see anything wrong, as long as you have a lead on the dog when you need to. Also sounds like you're going the right way by getting him to run then bringing a trailer for hom to have a rest in, so he can join in again if he wants to. Don't forget water and treats for both of you

Frugalista

We regularly bike with our dogs - particularly when conditioning them for a show :cool:. Unfortunately, with Crufts (as an example) being in March we have to go out in all weathers and sometimes even late at night to get a session in. Don't forget to "warm up" first and "cool down" when finished.

We bought attachments for the bikes called "Springer Bicycle Joggers" which make it so much easier - keeping the dog in the correct position, preventing them "cutting across" your path and leaving your hands free to control the bike.

As with any form of exercise, start off slowly and gradually build up the distance (especially as you say he is a little overweight). Make sure the dog is moving at a collected trot and not galloping to keep up with you. A normal, healthy dog should easily be able to do four miles once he is used to it. I know ours love it .

puddy

we dont have problems with him running in front of the bike, he either runs just to the left side at the back wheel, as if he is walking to heel or he's off investigating some plants at the sides or other dogs before coming back again

a couple of times he has run across me, but he knows the command 'move' and then he does!

easilyamused

We used to take our dog mountain biking with us and my god, did he love it. Never seen him happier. I always remember cycling down a bridleway in the Peak District with him well out in front and passing some old lady ramblers with their little fat dog on a lead, and hearing them tutting at us and muttering how cruel we were.
It would be funny if it wasn't so sad, how people have such differing opinions on cruelty isn't it.

Maybe you already do this, but we always used to rest up for a drink (for him and us) and a bit of a sit down to take in the view and give him a rest every so often. The joy with being off road and often on quite technical terrain was that he often didn't have to do much more than trot along to keep pace with us, if that. I think it's important to let them stop and have a sniff and a wee and a rest every so often, but if you're doing that, then I think you're doing a wonderful thing with him.