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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

The Devil Dog's bike lead has arrived...

28 replies

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 12:45

I'm still not entirely sure why I bought it, tbh. When I have said I cycle with him before, what I meant was we take a nice, slow, gentle ride around the park, on flat ground.

I got all exicted when I realised there was a cycle path directly from my house, up to the country park and back again. And whoever linked that You Tube of Bike Joring with their dogs got me all excited too.

Our country park is called Xhill. It's called hill for a reason. To be fair, it's more of a small mountain than a hill. I struggle to walk it some days.

But now I have spent over £50 on bike/dog equipment so I am going to damn well give it a go. I need to loose weight for my holiday. I have the stuff, The Devil Dog is always willing to chase bikes.

OP posts:

DogsBestFriend · 14/07/2011 12:51

You're bloody mad! :o

I gave up cycling when I lived in the NE... all those mountains hills!

Hey, good luck to ya girl - I used to cycle (in the South!) with my late Staffie cross but can't see my current boys doing anything other than having me arse over tit!

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 13:15

I'm definitely feeling bloody mad atm. It seemed like a good idea when I was placing the order

OP posts:

hephaestus · 14/07/2011 16:09

"And whoever linked that You Tube of Bike Joring with their dogs got me all excited too."

Sorry.

I wouldn't like to imagine how much I've spent or how many injuries I've sustained doing dryland mushing over the last few years, but the look on newdog's face when he realised that I was actively encouraging him to pull as hard and fast as he could was priceless.

Now if only I can convince him of the opposite when he's on a collar, we might be getting somewhere...

DragonAlley · 14/07/2011 16:12

This is completely unrelated to your post but, as an aside, a Cocker Spaniel is strong enough to pull an adult female on a scooter up a hill. Not that I tried tying Dill to a scooter at all. Oh no no no no no.

Back to your OP. So, your country park is a hill you say...?

diddl · 14/07/2011 17:00

How did you get on, OP-am thinking of getting one.

PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling · 14/07/2011 17:03

Ok, how ?exactly? does one go about this? And is it total insanity to try doing it with a dog that still pulls on the lead sometimes usually?
DH has been wanting to try taking doodle out with the mountain bike for ages, but I haven't let him because he wasn't yet a year. Reckon he's old enough for a short ride or two now... but the mind boggles. Tips, preferably in the form of annotated diagrams, required!

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 17:07

The lead I have is for large dogs who pull, but can also be used on smaller pullers and has a spring to absorb shocks from sudden pulls.

I haven't been yet, I am going when DH gets in.

We are having a Lurcher boy caused emergency atm and need a paint brush urgently before DH comes home from work. We have sent dd1 out begging around the neighbours

This is the lead I bought

OP posts:

PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling · 14/07/2011 17:08

"a Lurcher boy caused emergency atm and need a paint brush urgently"

Once you've solved it, come back and tell us!

RedwingWinter · 14/07/2011 18:09

Well I hope you find a paintbrush quick because I am impatient to hear how it goes with the new lead and the bike!

diddl · 14/07/2011 18:12

Does it fix just under the seat?

If so, was it easy to do & would it be easy to take off & put onto another bike?

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 18:53

Yes, it just fits under the seat, with some bolts, so it should be fairly easy to remove.

Lurcher boy has ate our dining room door. I was hoping to paint over it before DH got home and he probably wouldn't have noticed, but he came in early. He is not happy.

OP posts:

hephaestus · 14/07/2011 19:00

I personally dislike the kind that fit on the side of the bike but that's because I'm lazy and have the dogs actually pull me along.

A bikejoring antennae is used if you want the dog to run up front and actively pull you along, it's just used to keep the line clear of the wheel, and then you'd use a line with a damper (bungee) built in like so and attach to a suitable harness. The harness is crucial, it must have a well fitted neck/chest section - see above links for harnesses too. Not an x-back though, the point of attachment on a bike is too high for those.

As an aside, there's recently been a good deal of grumbling in the racing circuit about people starting out in bikejoring, scootering etc. who train inappropriately and are putting at risk the expensive, hard-to-obtain permits that racing folk have to obtain. Please, please do not bike with your dog on footpaths or public parks and on Forestry Commission land and similar be sure to check ahead of time if you require a permit. There's lots of information available from places like SHCGB and Canix UK.

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 19:02

My dog is tiny Heph and I, am, er, well, not tiny [putting it mildly]. I very much doubt he'd be able to pull me along, besides which if he could he would pull me after the nearest rabbit

OP posts:

hephaestus · 14/07/2011 19:05

Rabbits and squirrels do happen. I wear a very big crash helmet.

I'll let you off if your dog is truly tiny but I've seen many a staffie and cocker spaniel running up front, just in case anyone else is reading this and thinking theirs is too small! :)

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 19:07

He's a fox terrier x, so not that tiny, but he is small. We'll try this way first and then maybe advance. I think I need the exercise more than him tbh.

OP posts:

GrimmaTheNome · 14/07/2011 19:12

Hm.... I always feel sorry for our dog when we go for a bike ride rather than a walk and he can't come. But I somehow don't think it'd work with a dachshund!

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 20:21

Grimma DH is fitting it to his mahoosive mountain bike and the lead is touching the floor on its longest length, so it will fit any size dog, I think.

OP posts:

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 14/07/2011 20:56

DH has nicked my fookin' bike lead and my dog . He doesn't even like my dog the twat!

OP posts:

RedwingWinter · 14/07/2011 21:25

Gah, not fair!

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 15/07/2011 00:39

Well I got out with him on the bike for about ten minutes. Dh had already knackered him out whizzing around the park twice, so I could only go slow with him, but it was very good. I didn't feel him pulling at all, unlike with the jogging lead. In fact it was that good I didn't even notice he had done a Houdini on me and somehow escaped his harness untill I rode past him pissing up a tree

Now if I you have ever read about the Devil Dog, you will know that despite my best efforts and every possible treat imagined his recall is worse than terrible around distractions and he is not allowed off his longline. There he was pissing up the tree, there was another dog just over the bridge, there was a group of small children further up the path, I had no treats, no squeaky toys, no balls, Nothing, nada, zilch. I prepared myself for spending the next hour chasing him around the park on the bike. At least this I had the bike, last time I had to try and run. I am not as fast as a Fox Terrier, or as agile.

But he came back. He actually came back. I called his name once, just once and he trotted back and allowed me to fix him to the bike again. I am still recovering from the shock and had to go to my sisters for Vodka to help me get over it

OP posts:

RandomMess · 15/07/2011 00:42

diddl · 15/07/2011 08:18

"In fact it was that good I didn't even notice he had done a Houdini on me and somehow escaped his harness untill I rode past him pissing up a tree"

Ooh look-a dog just like mine!!

Original poster

DooinMeCleanin · 15/07/2011 09:29

I think this will be something I am not going to be able to get out of, unlike all the other bits of well meaningingly purchased exercise equipment. I innocently walked past the bike harness this morning and he was straight there, tail wagging like mad looking at me with those eyes. We have just got back from a quick whizz around the park, DH needs the bike for work so I couldn't go for longer.

OP posts:

PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling · 15/07/2011 12:01

"please do not bike with your dog on footpaths or public parks and on Forestry Commission land"

You really can't do this on Forestry Commission land without a permit? What's the logic - given that I can ride my bike, and walk my dog, and presumably - if I had a dog with better recall - ride my bike with dog running alongside (have seen people doing this)?

hephaestus · 15/07/2011 16:37

You've misquoted me slightly - I said that on FC land you need to check ahead of time whether you need a permit or not. If you're on a bridleway, BOAT or other public byway on the FC land (but not a footpath) there shouldn't be an issue.

Those training multiple dogs and using an actual rig/quad/sled will generally require a permit on FC and similar land (and will need adequate liability insurance to get one), one person on a bike with one dog generally not.

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