Walky Dog

[VJB]

After reading up on past topics about the Walky Dog bike attachment here, I was having visions and fantasies about me trying to bike ride with Heidi.

I am wondering what is preferred.... usual collar, or, would I be better of investing in a harness of some sort....like this one or could anyone suggest a suitable harness which does not rub?

There are lots of hills around my home, so I would probably drive and look for flat surfaces and/or ovals, rather than on footpaths at first. Plus to gain some confidence in the whole process.

Which brings me to my next question about legality... there were mixed responses in past threads. Anyone know if it is legal or illegal? I am in Sydney.

[wolfgirl]

I run both my dogs on Walkydogs, one on each side of the bike, great investment as it got us started for our ET training a couple of years ago.

I find them great as we ride mainly areas where there are lots of rabbits and my GSD boy if I happen to miss spotting a rabbit and get his focus can be a lunger when he sees something exciting running away, Walkydog has saved me a few times.

I am not sure of the legalities as I drive mine out to places to take them riding, around our area there are too many loose dogs for my liking and I don't take chances with mine being attached to the bike when a dog comes charging.

I use a harness or a leather collar, I started with them in harness first and now they most times use a flat collar but they have been riding for over 2 years, the harness I use is a sports one and very light weight and doesn't rub

[aussielover]

As a kid I used take my aussie shepherd when i went for a bike ride. We used a harness for her but just held onto the lead or looped it around the bike handle (not very safe i know). We rode on the footpath for a short time but mainly on actual bike paths.

I'm not sure if its legal. I wouldn't want my dog running on the road, I find riding my bike on sydney roads by myself bad enough with all the aggro drivers!

It is illegal to ride on the footpath for adults, so i;m guessing riding with your dog would also be illegal. Not sure about on those shared walking/bike paths I assume thats is ok?

[VJB]

Thanks guys. Yes, I would also tend to go to areas where it is less busy, and I don't have the distraction of 'dog up ahead'. I do have bush tracks around here (but I'm a wimp and I'm scared to go in there by myself) Plus I need to get my 'bike fitness level' up, so flat ovals etc may be the best option to start with. The whole family have bikes, and would enjoy our bike outings more if we could have the advantage of bringing Heidi with us.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I use a Blackdog Y-front tracking harness with the walkydog, it inhibits pulling a little, I'm not sure if it would rub on a short coated dog, mine is long coated.

[Gayle.]

I found it very easy to teach Benson to run next to the bike and not pull, just using a flat collar and leash. My friend bought a Walky Dog attachment, but found a collar and leash a lot easier.

Stick to bike paths and stay off public roads and you'll be within the law. In some states, it's illegal to run the dog next to a bike, but only on public roads. Benson and I trained for our ET on the local school oval, the bike paths around the town and the old rail trails.

[swain]

Hi, i've just bought a walkydog and was wondering how far to ride with my 39kg lab? He's not overly fit so would need to probably build up his fitness. Any suggestions?

Thanx!

[Tassie]

I just got a new bike (to replace the K Mart special I used for Kirra and Fergus's ET), and today was the first time Rory (almost 2 year old BC) got to gait with the bike. I'm happy to say he was brilliant - a little silly at first - we started off on a friend's flat driveway on a 5 acre block , with him off the lead, then tried with him on lead.

Then the friends and I drove with 3 BCs to a park where we could ride on the road through the park - only did the 1 lap, and fairly slowly as it was Rory's first time and the girl BCs hadn't run with the bike for a while. The few cars on that road go slowly, and we actually stop with the dogs while they go past.

I did use their tracking harnesses (as I did in the ET), although I think they would have been fine on flat collars - I just wanted to spread the load more evenly for Rory in case he went silly, but I just held the lead in my hand.

Rory took to it like a duck to water - gaited beautifully on a loose lead and didn't get in front of the bike - I just had to explain to him that stopping for a marking wee was not part of the deal .

Now I need to just make sure that he's still good when I add Kirra into the mix - friend's husband rode with her today

In Tasmania, it is illegal to ride with a dog on a public road, so we need to find things like forest paths, or shared footpaths which are signed for bikes and pedestrians.

[ruthless]

I run Chopper off the bike with a walky dog when I'm feeling less lazy than I have felt recently! He wears a Rogz harness as he pulls like a demon and he sounded awful on a flat collar. We never went for longer than 30 mins and never had trouble with rubbing.

I cycle on the footpath but make sure I'm overly considerate to pedestrians so no one complains. I've been kicked off the bike in Centennial Park before by the rangers after the lycra wankers dobbed me in.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

It's an Australian Road Rule (adopted by all states in exchange for road funding

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle must not lead an animal, including by tethering the animal to the motor vehicle ...

(unless some other rule overrides this).

A bicycle counts as a vehicle

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/cons...rr210/s301.html

so you can't do it on an Australian road or "road related area".

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/sa/cons...arr210/s13.html

13—What is a road-related area

(1) A "road-related area is any of the following:

(a) an area that divides a road;

(b) a footpath or nature strip adjacent to a road;

© an area that is not a road and that is open to the public and designated for use by cyclists or animals;

(d) an area that is not a road and that is open to or used by the public for driving, riding or parking vehicles.

NSW has the same rules as SA

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/viewtop/...179+2008+fn+0+N

I do know in SA that there is some sort of sled dog club that involves hooking sled dogs to carts and barrelling around private? tracks. If there was such a thing in NSW - you could go there.

In the meantime - I think as long as you don't scary any other track users and you stay away from cars - nobody is going to enforce the rule. If you hurt yourself and want to make an insurance claim - do not mention leading or attaching the dog from or to the bicycle.

[fainty_girl]

I have a Walky Dog but I quickly lost motivation to use it and the bike .

I used a harness on each of my dogs when using it though. I found that my cattle dog Jessie was too slow so it was hard pedalling for her because she was lagging behind. It was great for my kelpie X Tilly though, she is super energetic so it suited her perfectly.

[Esky the husky]

Th local sports oval has a road the whole way around it.

Its about 85% dirt 15% bitumen. We just do laps around that.

It's great because I can ride on the far side of the road and Esky can run on the grass instead.

[kamuzz]

I started out with a Walky Dog but now have a Springer and I find the Springer better.

[VJB]

I started out with a Walky Dog but now have a Springer and I find the Springer better.

Why is the springer better? I've been having a great time with Heidi so far, and she has taken to the whole experience very easily. I have a ezydog harness which fits perfectly, and we have had no rubbing. Exercising her this last week has been easy on the bike, because I at least have a helmet on which help keep me from freaking out when I get swooped by Magpies.

Hubby has also had a few rides with her. She gets excited when she notices us getting the bikes out. Happy to put harness on, and even sides herself up against the bike...... so I presume she is enjoying herself. I was worried that she would get too puffed out.... but this has not been the case. She is not puffing at all. Maybe we could go faster, as I keep it at a walk or trot pace. I've not had her is a full gallop as such yet.. .. not on the roads anyway... I might be a bit more game at the local oval to give this a try.

We have been going out for anything from 10 to 30 minutes. I have the kids on school hol's and they have been coming with me. This always means a pit-stop at the ice cream shop half way around. So she is rested at various places along the way. I prefer to get off at some point and give her a sniff around (as all dogs enjoy the sniff experience), and/or toilet or have a drink. She has not needed a drink so far.... I don't think I'm going fast enough, or far enough. It's early days, so I've just been getting used to it so far. Either that, or Heidi is far fitter than I thought, and now I'm going to make her fitter!