The Walky-dog is improvement on the Springer in many areas - I snapped some photos this weekend of it in action.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5541.jpg -my hubby and "Smiley" starting off down the driveway

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5542.jpg -the attachment can be used with a collar but I used a good fitting pulling harness(this one is the Long Distance harness made by ManMat and sold by Howling Dog(www.howlingdogalaska.com) - it is a good harness to use as it accomodates an off centre pull and is a very well designed harness with appropriate padding.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5544.jpg
the Walky-dog attaches very easily to the seatpost of the bicycle and doesn't interfere with pedaling.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5546.jpg
the mounting bracket is very unobtrusive without the walky-dog installed.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5548.jpg
a pic of the attachment end of the walky dog, it is easy to detach but mounts very securely.

and when you are done you end up with a happy dog... http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_5553.jpg

and a tired dog!
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/sewtech/100_4752.jpg

I like this product because it allows more freedom of footing for the dog
-used with a harness the dog can be in a more forward position than the Springer
-it does not have a bouncy action though it does have internal springs that damp shock
-when you dismount the bike there is enough room for you to walk on the right hand side of the bike and the dog is in a heel position.
it is lighter and more unobtrusive than the Springer
-doesn't unbalance the rider when the dog pulls (Smiley is an 85-90 lb GSD/Husky X and one of my wheel dogs on my dog team - he pulls hard)

I highly recommend this product to help condition train dogs , as with all pulling sports please ensure you are wearing protective measures for the rider(helmet, gloves, appropriate footwear) and that the dog is fitted with an appropriate harness and care is taken in the selection of running surface and the condition of the dogs feet and level of fitness.

Lynn!
A beautiful use of photo's to show us a new product, thanks much!!


Hey, just a question though.....what are those piles of white stuff in your yard? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

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Hey, just a question though.....what are those piles of white stuff in your yard? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

That's some very white sand, wow, it's beautiful!

oops - forgot to mention I bought it at http://www.sitstay.com
Will and Mike - I have 10 acres of "beachfront" to sell to you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />......

Lynn, I have a question.

Is there an issue with the legs hitting the horizontal post while cycling?

The reason I ask is we used to ride a tandem (not the flat land kind your rent at the beach with upright seats; this was with standard racing style road gear)

One issue we had was having to install a pretty long stem for the rear handlebars because my husband's skinny man legs would hit the rear handle bars. In a tandem the rear handlebar stem is attached to the front seat post and extends backwards.

The device looks intriguing.

I would also be interested in finding if anyone has used a motorized scooter (the kind you stand on, but many have seats like this one --)

http://store.yahoo.com/yhst-14938104255359/x-500.html

I see some limitations here and not so sure how it is on hills, certainly not as versatile as a bike but ..... with the seat installed you could use the same device. I thought you could put it on the front stem but an afterthought is that that probably rotates to turn the wheels (but you probably lean into the turns......)

Loved the pictures by the way and love it when people invent neat things. It was clear to me that the inventor has used a quick release brass garden hose connection in the past looking at the mounting design.

I would be interested in hearing about anyone who may have been dragged off a bike when the dog desides to take off. Maybe this does not happened. I dont know and would like to hear about how stable this is.

Hi Nancy - the directions say to have the attachment mounting rotated about 20 degrees to the rear and I don't think I have mine rotated back that far - I didn't have any trouble with my legs hitting it - it is pretty adjustable that way. I have mine a little more forward as my dogs are more "pullers" than "heelers" and I wanted them a little more forward. I think you could mount it pretty easily on anything with a seatpost. I am getting a lot of use out of the gizmo and the dogs I use it with go NUTS when they see me pick it up!

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I would be interested in hearing about anyone who may have been dragged off a bike when the dog desides to take off. Maybe this does not happened. I dont know and would like to hear about how stable this is.

Are you thinking along the lines that this has a higher point of attachment to the bike than the Springer and lateral motion of the dog is going to have more leverage to pull the bike over sideways?

I found it to be more stable than the "Springer" which I found had a very bouncy, twangy and unpredicatable action with a hard pulling dog. I think any kind of bicycle attachment is meant for a reasonably un-technical groomed trail and best suited to low traffic routes. I also found the "Walky-dog" allowed me to have the dog positioned farther forward - I like to be able to watch the dog and see what he is thinking about. We tested the jump to the side thing(deer) and I kept my seat fine - there is a internal spring damper. I wouldn't use it with an untrained dog that doesn't know an "ahead" or "trail" or "on-by" "easy" and "wait" commands.
I also wouldn't use it if you don't have reasonable cycling skills and I think it would work best with a mountain or touring bike or any other bike with more relaxed angles and handling(and decent brakes) - mine is a cheapy mountain bike I use for dog-stuff only and is stable but heavy. You do have to keep your wits about you when you are using it but that goes for any other conveyance that you hook your dog to, as any dog propelled sport has some risk of bodily injury. The dog I am using with is a nice boy and an awesome sled dog, but not the sharpest tool in the shed and mightily distracted by critters so I figure he is a good test of staying upright. Regular protective equipment(helmet, biking gloves,good solid footweat) goes without saying also.
P.S. - toeclips and clipless pedals are a bad idea, also <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />