Scott takes his dogs’ health and exercise seriously. No matter the weather, they go for a 45 minute walk each morning. Then, in the afternoon, they also go for a bike ride:

Our rides are generally between 15 and 20 km and take an hour or a little more. – Scott

Scott’s dogs are expected to behave properly when walking or cycling.

Dogs are clipped to my belt, one on either side and are very good at keeping in proper position beside me with the leash slack.

We take a different route every morning. In the afternoon we go for our bike ride. Either I have the two dogs both clipped to my belt, or my wife has one and I have one. We generally ride on the trails in the dry weather where Kona-dog gets unclipped. He is still expected to maintain his proper position beside a human while running though.

Penny Lane is still in training… In the wet weather we have a series of paved bike paths we ride and especially enjoy one that follows the seaside. Both dogs are always clipped to a human rider when near traffic and, as with the walk, are expected to keep a slack leash. – Scott

Scott says that diet plays a critical role in Kona’s and Penny Lane’s health and fitness. He feeds his dogs a dehydrated whole food called N.R.G. and uses the Vitality or Raw One blends.

Both of them smell clean and fresh and have neither dandruff nor excessively oily skin. Both are in tip top condition. – Scott

I’ve had a couple of people ask me about Husky fitness before, so it was fortunate that I got to speak with Scott, who has Kona the Husky cross. I asked if Kona tends to be an overall more natural runner than Penny Lane as that is, after all, what Huskies are bred to do. Scott’s answer was very insightful:

I think that both Kona and Penny are equally matched for endurance and speed, Both have a top measured speed of a little better than 50 kmh and they both go on all the same runs. Penny, though, has more fire and really loves to pour in on and run as fast as she can. And while Kona gets like that now and then, he is generally happy lopping along at a nice easy 15 kmh or so. – Scott

I also wondered if the heat has any impact on Kona because of his warmer coat and breed:

Kona has no trouble with the heat. He runs everyday so is acclimatized. We always have water for them and when it’s really hot we soak Kona with the hose before the ride and do routes where there are places he can swim part way along to cool off. Penny hates the cold and wet weather and so wears a coat in all but the warm season. – Scott

So there you have it. Huge thanks to Scott for sharing his information and experiences about cycling with dogs. Check out some photos in the gallery below:

• Fatigue and Heat Exhaustion
• Paws
• Traffic
• Laws
• Harness vs Collar
• Other animals

Fatigue and Heat Exhaustion

Always keep a close eye on your dog while cycling to make sure that it does not become fatigued or get heat exhaustion. Watch closely for the following signs of fatigue and exhaustion:

1. Rapid, heavy panting
2. Dripping mouth
3. Glazed-over eyes
4. Staggering
5. Falling behind your bicycle

If your dog is exhibiting one or more of these symptoms, it is possibly suffering from fatigue and exhaustion. Stop immediately, do anything you can to lower the dog’s body temperature by saturating the dog in cool water (not ice cold), getting your dog out of the sun and into a shady or muddy area, or putting the dog in a nearby lake if there is one. If your dog appears extremely fatigued or does not appear to be improving after stopping and attempting to cool it down, get to a vet as soon as possible. You should know your individual dog well enough to be able to recognize when it has been pushed too far – and you should never allow your dog to get to this stage.

Paws

Check your dog’s paws for injuries or splinters after each cycling session. If your dog suddenly appears to be limping, stop immediately and check the paws. If you do not use dog boots, having your dog trot near the bicycle on grass as opposed to concrete is preferable. For example, I usually cycle on the edge of the sidewalk so that my dog Keeda is trotting on the grass beside me .

Traffic

Do not cycle in high traffic areas if you think that your dog may be spooked by loud noises or vehicles. If you do cycle in an area with a lot of traffic around, be sure that you have enough control over your dog and the bike. Be certain that there is no danger of your dog getting spooked, toppling you over, or running into the road. Keeda and I feel safe in such areas with the Springer dog bike attachment as she is not spooked by fast moving traffic and is unable to take me off of my bike, but we still prefer to keep more to nature bicycle trails rather than freeway bike paths.

Laws

Make sure that you know the laws in your area when it comes to cycling with your dog. In some places it is illegal to cycle on sidewalks and bicyclists have to cycle at the edge of the traffic lane. 1 Fit Mutt does not recommend that anyone cycle on the road with their dog. In some areas it is also illegal to cycle with animals while holding their leash.

Harness vs Collar

It is best to use a harness when cycling with your dog as opposed to a collar. If your dog is pulling your bicycle along with the leash or bike attachment attached to its collar, constant pressure to the dog’s neck can cause pain and damage to the neck. A harness, while a device that encourages pulling, tends to be the safer option when cycling with your dog.

Other Animals

If your dog is the type to chase after other dogs, cats, birds, etc., be careful when cycling as your dog may jerk toward another animal or person very suddenly. This can throw you off your bike and injure both you and your pet. This is where bike attachments come in – they help you stay on track and keep your balance..

Here are some bike attachments that you can use to keep your dog and yourself safer when cycling if leash-holding or off-leash cycling isn’t for you.

• Springer
• BikerDog
• K-9 Bike Jogger

Springer

The Springer dog bike attachment is what Keeda and I use for cycling. It attaches to your bicycle’s seat pole. The device is very ‘springy’, taking away most of the pull of your dog. So if the dog jerks to the side or toward another dog you can easily keep on course. With my dog, who weighs about 20kgs and is medium-sized, I barely feel the pull, but of course this will vary with each dog.

Bikerdog

The BikerDog attaches to the rear triangle of the bike and supposedly reduces the risk of wobble. The BikerDog is built to be easily converted to a leash by removing one pin from the attachment, which is the one area where the Springer fails.

K-9 Bike Jogger

The K-9 Bike Jogger also claims to be able to transform into a leash easily. It is made of stainless steal and is fairly light weight. This attachment, like the Springer, is attached to the seat tube. One thing I didn’t like is that on their site they actually recommend attaching your dog by the collar. Having your dog pulling against the bike with the attachment on its collar can hurt its neck, so one would think that they would recommend a harness.

• Your dog’s breed and size
• Your dog’s fitness level
• The temperature/weather

Your Dog’s Breed and Size

A pug will never be able to run as far or as fast as a border collie. Whereas some dogs (such as herding breeds) tend to need a large amount of exercise other dogs (such as smaller dogs like chihuahuas and dachshunds) will may only need a walk around the block or so to tire themselves out. You always need to be careful not to push your dog too far when cycling and this is especially easy to do when cycling with smaller or overall less energetic breeds. By all means, cycle with your chihuahua – but keep in mind that you may only be able to go for a few minutes before your pooch gets tired and needs to go back home! Go at your dog’s pace and book exercise time and intensity accordingly.

Your Dog’s Fitness Level

You probably won’t be able to cycle for an hour with your dog if the dog is unfit when it comes to strenuous exercise (and cycling can be very strenuous). Going out for 15 or 20 minute intervals at first is a good idea, to gauge how your dog handles trotting alongside your bike. Also, getting your dog checked over by a vet and given the ‘OK’ to cycle is a great idea if you have the means to do so. If you have any suspicions that your dog may have weak joints or if it has had physical problems before take it to a vet before cycling! We at K9 Cyclers are not vets and will not attempt to give you professional medical advice when it comes to your dog.

The Temperature/Weather

Some dogs can go nonstop in any kind of heat; other dogs can barely drag themselves to the park when it’s hot and turn into unstoppable rockets when the weather is cool. Which type of dog is yours? If your dog gets overly fatigued in the heat you may need to wait until the weather has cooled off towards the evening (or early morning) for your scheduled cycling session or book a cycling session for a shorter period of time. ]]> http://www.1fitmutt.com/cycling-with-your-dog-important-points-to-consider/feed/ 0