Hey there...

I'm just wondering if there's anyone on here that has tried "dog powered" scootering?

I have a GSD/Pit Bull mix that weighs about 80 lbs. He LOVES to run and tends to be on the chubby side, so I'd like something that will get him running and "interacting" with me at the same time. I also have a Chow mix about 45 lbs who is older, but still likes running.

I weight about 140 lbs or so and stand 5'6". I don't want to spend a ton of money on a scooter, but I also don't want to buy something that's going to break after a few uses. I'm looking to mostly do urban trail scootering.

I'd also like to know if anyone knows if dog scooters legal on bike trails? I've never seen anybody doing it around here, but there's quite a few people who bike with dogs.

I am seriously thinking of trying one of these, I was going to do biking, but I am not so good on a bike and the combination of me and him and a bike just seems like not such a good idea

http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com/Home_Page.html

I really like that they have no way to swerve or bolt after a cat or a squirrel, and that with a scooter it would be much easier to get my feet on the ground if need be.

Here's another site.

http://www.dogscooter.com/breeds.htm

I am looking at those metal side attachment things and wondering how hard it would be for someone to make one if they had access to a metal shop and welders.

Thought about this for my dog but wow that is expensive!

My dog LOVES his scooter. (And my neighbors think I’m crazy )

I have the Diggler Dirt Dawg with tall handlebars. It was initially more than I wanted to spend, but it has been well worth the money. I tried one of those Razor scooters and nearly killed myself. My dog only weighs 38 pounds, but he has a hell of a lot of torque. I would definitely suggest a large scooter and a towline with a bungee.

I like my dog being out in front of me. It has really helped with my directionals in agility. That being said, there are significant hazards associated with this style in an urban setting. I am very careful and always pull over and grab my dog for traffic to pass. I also like the out-in-front set-up because I can watch my dog. He has cut his feet before and if he was running beside me I would not have been able to see the little spots of blood and slightly off gait.

The scooter is one of the best dog purchases I’ve ever made. I have a very high-energy dog and the scooter enables me to run him out in a reasonable amount of time. My options are: scooter 20ish minutes, or walk for more than an hour.

I would strongly suggest a helmet. Random ice and seeds/nuts can slide the scooter out from under you in a heartbeat. I have also had a few close encounters with agressive dogs while scootering. There are few instances where a Jack Russel Terrier would knock someone hard on their butt, and I’m pretty sure hitting one with a scooter going 15mph would do it. The lab would also have been very painful if I had not managed to swerve in time.

This is a good link too; these are very helpful people:

http://alpineoutfitters.net/Secure/Scripts/default.asp

Stacey

 Quote: Jennifer Lee

I am looking at those metal side attachment things and wondering how hard it would be for someone to make one if they had access to a metal shop and welders.

Probably not hard, the tweaking/fine details would take a little time. The prototype testing may be painful.

Find a farmer (they always have machine shops) in the off-season (winter) with plenty of scrap metal and you can get it done for cheap...(or for certain favors if you happen to be married to the farmer :grin We re-did my pony cart yesterday. The modifications worked well until I found a glitch during the test drive (slightly painful for me as well as somewhat exciting for me and the pony).

For all the work that has gone into developing the scooter side attachement and harness $250 really is a fair price.

By the time we tried to make one we would probably spend much more on materials and trial and error than the original cost of the item!

and to actually have a tired dog would be well worth it

I actually have been looking at a Diggler Dirt Dawg. Not too bad as far as price goes. I'm tall enough (now there's a laugh...for ONCE) to require the higher handlebars. I guess add in a harness & the pulling gear and the investment is about $300. Not too bad. :-) I think the sport is really cool. I can imagine zipping down the trails here in Milwaukee and people making the "crazy" motion around their ears!

I've tried to start this same dog on biking before, but it's always scared me since I fell years ago. The PB in him just WANTS to pull, I can feel it, and I think my Chow girl could be the ambassador for urban scootin'. She's that cute. No one can resist the Growlie.