This is a great activity Ive recently taken up.  Its an excellent way to boost fitness for you and your dog!  It is however, imperitive you use the correct equipment to ensure safety all round.

The bicycle.

Ive chosen a Mountain Bike, I thought it best as it will cater for on and off road biking, giving a wider range of terrain for you and your dog.  It’s important, if you havent already got a bike, that you make sure its the correct size for you, your local supplier should be able to help you.

The “Walkydog” attachment.

Ive chosen the “walkydog” attachment.  I looked at the “Springer” attachment too, but decided that the Walkydog was best suited to me and my dogs.  This attachment fits very easily to the bike, underneath the saddle on the saddle post.

Once fitted, the pole fits in easily by way of pulling back the end of the pole to clip it into place on the  attached bracket.  The cord in the pole is very strong and caters for all sizes of dog.  There are 3 springs inside the pole, all 3 are required for large dogs, then two for medium and one for small dogs like the Border Terrier.  With reducing the number of springs, the cord is released more, meaning more length for a smaller dog etc..

Get your dog used to walking beside your bike first whist attached to the Walkydog, in most cases they take to it immediately, mine did with no effort at all.  It seems that any pulling to the side is minimised as the springs inside the pole take up any force.  I have not found that I can feel any pulling to the side at all, and I attach two dogs.  The Walkydog ensures that when turning in, and away from your dog they cannot be harmed, the length of the pole ensures they turn with you easily and without danger to you or them.

Build up the distance slowly, and never run your dog at full speed, I do a fast trot or slow canter on uneven ground, but on the roads trotting only for maximum safety.

Your dog should wear a harness if possible.  A walking harness and NOT a cani X or racing harness as these fit the dog differently and are meant for animals running in front of you, for example in Bikejoring. The Walkydog means the dog is at your side or slightly behind you. These padded fleece harnesses are what I use, and seem to be very suitable, please make sure you get the correct size for your dog.  The dog in the photo is wearing a collar for display purposes only.

Finally, a small bike computer is handy to keep track of your distance etc..   I have a basic one which provides, average speed, distance etc.. it also has a stop watch to time your trip.

Enjoy your biking!!

Here are a few examples of biking with your dog.

Borders using the Walkydog.

Another useful site is:

www.biking.com The web’s leading biking resource.