no, I'm not training my GSD to ride a bicycle!

I have begun taking my 17 month old GSD to a huge parking lot in the local state park. I ride my bicycle and, with a relatively short lead, she runs along side me. We have only done this a couple of times but she seems to "get into the zone" and work with me quite well.

I want to train her to run along side me while I ride my bicycle on some (double track) dirt roads/trails. Do you have any advice for me and my dog w.r.t. using the bike as an exercise tool?

Please share your experience with bicycles and dogs.

cheers,

==Mark==

I think it can be pretty dangerous for the cyclist and the dog. I tried, unsuccessfully, to train Chow mix dog to run with a bike, since she is a big time runner or at least was when she was younger!

Nowadays, they sell equipment specifically for biking with dogs. I think that would be the best way to go. If he's trained well, and will listen to your commands and not go running after a squirrel, stop to pee/mark on a dime or try to greet people and dogs when you're out on a full bore run, I'd say go for it. Just exercise good judgment and know your dog's physical capabilities. Dogs can and have run themselves literally to death trying to please their owners.

There's a sport that involves dogs pulling specially made scooters or sulkies. I am seriously thinking of getting into it, since I've got a very rambunctious GSD/Pit Bull/??? mix who loves to run and can't get enough exercise through normal walks. It looks like a lot of fun.

http://www.dogscooter.com/

The AD test for shepherds is normally done with a bike.

Here is a thread on doing that.
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=125&Number=173896


Another way to bike with your dog,

http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU042220.jpg?size=67&uid={bc4a40ed-e3d3-4697-b79e-a673c266dd22}

Just watch it if you're going in and out of a lot of water while returning to pavement or crushed limestone. It can soften the pads and wear them them down at a much faster rate.

On a particularly hot day, I kept stopping and letting my dog wade in a river to drink. The next day he was kind of doing the "hot foot" thing while walking.

I have to start getting Danke ready for her AD.
Thus far, we've been running together, since I can handle anything under 6 miles.

Later this summer we'll be adding the bike, so I'm glad this topic came up.


Has anyone here done the AD?
How hard was it on the dog?

Now this is hilarious. I bet my dogs would love this, too. As much as they are wild and full of energy at time, they also can be lazy butts. Not to mention that the big guy thinks he's a poodle or something and tries to curl up on my lap.

 Quote: charlie snyder

Another way to bike with your dog,

http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU042220.jpg?size=67&uid={bc4a40ed-e3d3-4697-b79e-a673c266dd22}

That being said, I think biking is a good way to exercise dogs who like to run. I actually had more trouble with other people on the trails than anything else. I was afraid my dog was going to get run over by other bicyclists, who were often oblivious to me and my dog. I had a scare where I got dumped. I was holding the leash, a bicyclist overtook us, I turned to avoid her hitting my dog & my dog didn't get "the memo". Down I went. Luckily, no serious injuries. I'd definitely recommend a helmet and possibly knee/elbow pads. Falling off a bike hurts like hell!

Alyssa, check out the link that Charlie provided above (the first link; the second one should only be attempted by an extremely fit trainer)

Alyssa, Luc runs distances further than the AD and he's fine....in fact he's often bouncing around at the end of the run.

As long as distance (and speed, if necessary) is increased in an appropriate manner and the dog has a good base of running, there should be no problems.

I want to do this as well, not for the AD but just to wear out my crazy dog.
But I must admit I am scared to death of being on a bike with him pulling me. I'm not fabulous on a bike, and I am prone to accidents..LOL I am a clutz.

I found some attachments for bikes that are look like an upside down U that strap them in from the top so they are less able to veer from side to side. It looked safer, but wouldn't help with anyone wanting to do this for the title.

I can't find the link now...shoot.

Because we have three dogs, I usually have to bike with two, one on each side. Now we wont be doing the AD, but it is good exercise. I started off by training them one at a time with the bike. First, I put them on whatever side they were going to be on, and always that side, and we just went around the the neighborhood walking with the bike in between us. Note: when we work with the bike there is a whole different set of commands because things happen much faster on the bike. We use lets go to start, easy when we are slowing down, over to move away from the bike, come or here to come towards the bike, etc. This way if I know were making a right hand turn up ahead, I can let my dog know ahead of time so I don't run him over. Anyway, after I know each dog knew their commands on the bike I we started going longer distances to get the dog use to the sounds of the bike, for example, the first time I put on the breaks and they squeaked, my dog jumped about three feet away from me. Also when I started, I had two leashes on the dog, one on the flat collar and one on the prong, that way if the dog decided to go the other way after, say, a dog, I had more control. We now do alot of state parks and it is good the dogs can come with us.