Any pram suggestions for dog walkers?

[ClaireVictoria]

Anyone got any advice for a natural non-shopper/bargain hunter that walked out of a pram shop deciding that nuclear physics would be easier to research.

We love walking our dog and rarely car-it to the city centre but amble along by foot instead.

Even in Chester it is all cobbles and wobbles so we need a robust pram.

Thanks XC

not sure about robust prams but just wanted to recommend that you get one with a bar handle (rather than 2 separate handles) so you can push it with one hand and have the dog in the other! Hope someone else comes along with a pram suggestion.

I think the best thing for dog walking is to get a decent sling. You will be able to go anywhere that way! I recommend a stretchy wrap for a newborn and/or something like the Ergo for when they get bigger. (Ergo can be used from birth but is a bit tricky until they can sit up, stretchy wrap you pre-tie so very easy as you just pop the baby in) - good slings can be expensive, but still cheaper than an all terrain pushchair.

Mountain Buggy Terrain - you can only buy second hand now, but it's the most fabulous off road buggy (you can also fit a carry cot). It's seen us over many miles of walking in deep mud, grass, hills and beaches.

Easy Walker also do a model with a fixed front wheel and the child's weight over the back axle - not easy to find here though I think.

If you do look for a second hand Terrain - try to find one with a hammock seat which reclines with zips rather than the strap recline. The hammock absorbs far more jolts and bumps than the rigid back. The downside is they say that the rigid back is suitable from birth and the hammock isn't. But the carrycot option fixes that.

I have a jane slalom pro 3 wheeler- it's been brillient, coped with most things really well!

I have the jane powertrack and walk a big dog with it. It's been fab, both on road and off.

I was undecided between the Jane and the MB Urban - but the MB fitted in the car slightly more easily. And, as heth said, you need to be looking for a pram/buggy with a single bar handle across the back as this is easily useable with just one hand pushing.

Although we had the urban, it got taken on lots of dog walks, through foot high grass, mud, water and mud up to axles etc and we never once had a problem. I think that the brake on the Jane would have become clogged up with what we went through.

We had the strap back adjustment - which we had no problem with and you could adjust the angle which was nice.

We rarely needed to fix the front wheel for really rough terrain - the moveable wheel coped most of the time, but it was very easy to switch anyway. The urban also coped really well for the occasional shopping trips etc - extremely manoeuvrable.

It was our only buggy from nb to 2.4yrs at which time ds decided that his balance bike was preferable.

Don't have a dog, but do like country walks. Heartily recommend the Out'n'About Nipper 360. Lousy if you want to get on a bus, go into clothes shops etc (as quite wide - would use Maclaren for that), but fantastic on all surfaces - including beaches!! DD loves it

Oh, and the wheels come off really easily, meaning it folds up pretty small for the car

Phil & Ted far better than the Jane Slalom for walking, ime (I have both). The wheels on the Jane are pretty poor, and soon clog up with mud. Also the brake mechanism fell apart on ours - just couldn't cope with being used on rough, bumpy ground.

The fabric quality of the P&T isn't that great (and the raincover is useless) but it is fab for walking.

But, it is big. I have used mine in Chester (bit bumpy on the cobbles ), and there was no way I could lug it up onto the walls or the rows.

Also recommend getting a longer dog lead than you might otherwise use because you have to hold it up at handle height which doesn't give the dog much room for manoevre.

(MB fine for getting up steps on your own, and easy to lift over stiles with 2 people - amazingly light to push around - not quite so light to put in the boot)

I have found I am able to walk my three large dogs with any sor tof pushchair really, (currently have a three wheeled Mamas and Papas I got second hand from a friend and just a cheapy buggy from Argos) but for the new baby we are going for the M&P pram combi thingy (forget the name, ultimo?!) for road walking and then a Phil and Teds for the beach/off roading. Obviously haven't tried them yuet, but don't anticipate any problems.

I find normal leads fine for walking, and all of my dogs have just plain, flat collars. I usually hold the leads in my hand and then also hold the pushchair handle/s with both hands too. Dogs don't have much room to sniff around, but I prefer that on lead walking means walking to heel and not sniffing anyway, off lead is for that. If your dog is used to lead walking, you should be fine whatever.

P & T definitely

A sling is not a good option with a dog. Picking up poo with a baby tied to your front is not advisable as their arms have a habit of reaching out at the wrong times. Yuck!

I've had a couple of Urban Detours which have been fab for dog walking over rough ground with 2 labradors. They are light enough to push with one hand and hold big retractable leads with the other hand. Heavy and muddy to put in the car though.

As they just spend their time covered in mud and dog hair I tend to pick them up on Ebay for about £50.

Another vote for Mountain Buggy here. We have an old urban model which I bought second hand from ebay with carrycot, foot muff and raincover for 120 quid.
It is sooo light to push and copes with any kind of terrain...long grass, mud and even 10 miles of sand.
I have borrowed a friends phil and teds and it just doesn't compare.
Bugaboo Cameleon is marketed for copng with off roading but it doesn't really as the small wheels get clogged up with mud.
Sling has never worked for me unless there is someone else to pick up the poo. It just seems wrong to dangle the baby so close to the stink!
Mountain buggy all the way!

i would highly reccomend the Mountain Buggy or Out and About nipper.
i have used both to walk my huskies miles and they are the most comfortable to handle one handed when neededed and having a hand brake i can use one handed is invaluable to.

My dogs pull by nature and the mountain was better when LO was small as it was slightly heavier but the lightness of the nipper was fine once LO was bigger. Both mine had fixed wheels and i don't think i could have coped with a swivel front wheel but like i said i had to counteract my dogs pulling.

Ds is only 2mo but so far we've been fine with a sling (moby). I'm hoping to get an Ergo for later on.

Ah good point about the poo! Although with a moby type you can tuck their arms in, and once they are 6 months or so you can put them on your back. Just another option

Jane Powertrack (now called the Slalom) has been brilliant and has stood up to five years of long dog walks/thrown about by baggage handlers/bumped over cobbles and up and down curbs etc. We attached the Surfer board for when we had two to transport as well which was very convenient.

Very strong and robust but light (to lift) and push and easy to push with only one hand, easily goes though sand and mud with ease. Small turning circle.

I can highly recommend it!

Not cheap, but look around and compare prices online. We bought the lie-flat car seat (Matrix) at the same time for roughly £440 delivered (five years ago) if you are looking for second hand you'll need to factor in about another £45 to send it back for a full service and safety check which would be money well spent IMO.

P&T is great as a double and I loved mine.

But I wouldn't get it as a single.

Thanks for all your advice - it is really useful. I now feel that I can research on the internet as you have narrowed the field down.

Big hugs and kisses.

XCV