Bike dogs

[Stitch]

Last week I did something that I have never done before....I spoke to someone I didn't know about the way they were treating their dog.

It was a 25C day and the family of 4 were out riding their bikes on a shared pathway and 'dad' had their Staffie on a lead running beside his bike.

The dog was overweight, panting heavily and clearly struggling to run beside him but nevertheless it did its best to keep up.

 

It wasn't until I watched the dog going away from me that I realised that it was 'pacing' and at the speed a normal dog would run flat out.

It was very obvious that the dog had a severe hip problem.

 

I just couldn't keep my concern to myself and when I passed the family later on at the kids park I asked if their dog had a medical problem.

Yes they said, it has a hip problem and they had taken it to the vet for that.

I went on to explain to them that the dog was obviously in pain and suggested that it might be happier if they allowed their dog to go slower rather than having to run beside the bike for kilometres.

 

The conversation on both sides was polite.....I am just hoping that it might give them pause to consider how they are treating their dog....obviously in ignorance.

Why is it that many people just don't think about what they are asking their dogs to do??

 

Hopefully this family might think a bit more in the future.

[RuralPug]

Good on you for keeping it polite - that is the very best way to engage strangers and has the best chance of them actually listening to you.

I wonder if their vet had suggested that their dog would be much more comfortable if he lost weight which would mean less stress on the sore joint? So they have gone all out and done a "Biggest Loser" weight reduction exercise program for the poor thing, instead of regular gentle exercise. No doubt the vet would be horrified at the misunderstanding. With the best of intentions, they could have made the problem worse.

[Stitch]

I didn't want to be aggressive as they seemed like a nice family and I can see how exercising the dog whilst the owner is riding a bike on a family outing has some appeal.

My problem is with the owners not being able to read how their dog is coping with the exercise.  Some dog owners just don't comprehend the good from the bad and obviously can't read dog body language.

Perhaps if they imagined making their children RUN behind the bike for kilometres on a hot day with no rest and a sore leg, they might be able to empathise better?

 

 

[karen15]

I call things like that casual cruelty. It's not intentional, but that doesn't stop it being cruel.

 

Most people are totally oblivious to the condition of their animals, they have no idea when they're stressed. I think a much kinder way to reduce weight is reduce food. The dog can still exercise, but at a level appropriate to it's fitness and condition. As it loses weight and gets fitter the intensity and duration of the exercise can increase.

[Stitch]

Totally agree Karen....not sure if they were trying to reduce the dogs weight though... even though it was overweight.

Just know it had some serious hip problems going on that must have been extremely painful for it to resort to gaiting like it did.

I have seen some dogs pace at a slow speed....isn't a desirable movement....but seeing this poor dog being dragged along going full pelt and pacing was just too terrible.

[Yonjuro]

FWIW - Bikejoring is a part of Sled dog racing. There is no training or racing at 18C or above - also keep in mind that our dogs are athletes so with an unfit or overweight dog the risk of overheating is far more dangerous.  In our sport the dog is in front of the bike. 

 

Also paths and roads can shred paws if they are running for a sustained period of time. 

Edited May 21, 2017 by Yonjuro

[roxDoggo]

People are unaware of their behavior towards dogs sometimes. It's so sad to hear the poor little thing was struggling for his breath. I am all for exercising with or furballs. I find it more convenient when it comes to daily time management, and it's also a great bonding technique, but people should adjust to their dog's physical state. When I adopted Brando, my lab, he was quite overweight. I trained with him at took it day by day till he lost some weight. Now we run together. I put on my fav tights, and take hit chew toy with us every day...

 

Remember to love them and care for them - they only got us. 

#doggopower !

[sandgrubber]

Exercise is a fraught questions.  My old girl, just shy of 14, clearly has some pain on walks, and she breathes heavy.  But she's better at the end of the walk than at the beginning.  Same with me.  The doctor tells me it's good to walk through the pain. The vets' advice differs from vet to vet. 

If I try to leave the old girl behind, she show's distress bordering on panic.  I suspect that being left behind is more painful than walking on her old bones.  When she truly can't manage, I think it's a downward spiral, and it's time to give her her wings.

Bottom line: Don't rush to judge.  Physical pain may be less important than retaining and increasing mobility.

[Boronia]

1 hour ago, sandgrubber said:

Exercise is a fraught questions.  My old girl, just shy of 14, clearly has some pain on walks, and she breathes heavy.  But she's better at the end of the walk than at the beginning.  Same with me.  The doctor tells me it's good to walk through the pain. The vets' advice differs from vet to vet. 

If I try to leave the old girl behind, she show's distress bordering on panic.  I suspect that being left behind is more painful than walking on her old bones.  When she truly can't manage, I think it's a downward spiral, and it's time to give her her wings.

Bottom line: Don't rush to judge.  Physical pain may be less important than retaining and increasing mobility.

Sandgrubber; when my old Westie, Penny became just too old for walks with the other dogs I pulled her along in her trolley until we were a few hundred yards from home on the return leg, I then lifted her out and she walked the rest of the way home, she thought it great fun as she queened it over the other's and really enjoyed her trolley ride and her walk home

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Boronia

[asal]

Have noticed an awful lot of dog pace naturally, across all breeds, don't even walk, pace at walking and running speeds

[sandgrubber]

5 hours ago, Boronia said:

Sandgrubber; when my old Westie, Penny became just too old for walks with the other dogs I pulled her along in her trolley until we were a few hundred yards from home on the return leg, I then lifted her out and she walked the rest of the way home, she thought it great fun as she queened it over the other's and really enjoyed her trolley ride and her walk home

 

Quote

 

I wish that we're a real option for me.  My own hip Xrays show moderate to severe arthritis.  My old girl had 2:1 hip scores way back when.  I work through pain to do the daily walk.  I don't think I can manage pulling 27 kg of Labrador, especially as our sidewalks are hit and miss and roads are narrow.  It can get complicated with both old dog and old person.

Edited June 27, 2018 by sandgrubber
Typo

[PANDI-GIRL]

What do you mean , the dog was pacing,  does that mean a sore leg or foot in the dog 

[asal]

1 hour ago, PANDI-GIRL said:

What do you mean , the dog was pacing,  does that mean a sore leg or foot in the dog 

Many dogs, cats n horses pace instead of walking and trotting. 

Camels pace as do many donkeys and just to make it more confusing, they can amble, so four beat gait, of hind, offfore, near hind, near fore. The ambler is incredibly smooth to ride, the literally glide. 

Many walking race winners are actually ambling not walking because it's far easier to go faster ambling, a good ambler and pacer (both feet on the same side hit the ground together) go as fast as a canter and gallop

Many people do not even realise the difference 

There was an Arabian stallion won championships in the 1960's ie between 1966/1970's he never trotted he ambled, few realised it, it's genetic, a DNA marker has now been identified in horses so can show now if the carry what is now called the gaitkeeper gene, two copies they will never trot 

Edited June 27, 2018 by asal

[sandgrubber]

19 hours ago, asal said:

Many dogs, cats n horses pace instead of walking and trotting. 

Camels pace as do many donkeys and just to make it more confusing, they can amble, so four beat gait, of hind, offfore, near hind, near fore. The ambler is incredibly smooth to ride, the literally glide. 

Many walking race winners are actually ambling not walking because it's far easier to go faster ambling, a good ambler and pacer (both feet on the same side hit the ground together) go as fast as a canter and gallop

Many people do not even realise the difference 

There was an Arabian stallion won championships in the 1960's ie between 1966/1970's he never trotted he ambled, few realised it, it's genetic, a DNA marker has now been identified in horses so can show now if the carry what is now called the gaitkeeper gene, two copies they will never trot 

So the observation of "pacing" in the OP may indicate a good observer, but not a health problem?

[asal]

11 hours ago, sandgrubber said:

So the observation of "pacing" in the OP may indicate a good observer, but not a health problem?

exactly