Bicycle dog leash???

[Avg_Joe]

I am by no means dismissing your experience, @J.R. and was merely trying to emphasize that a dog's instincts can be unpredictable when tethered.

Regardless of breed, as I'm sure you know, dogs behave differently when tethered vs able to run free. When tethered, you're limiting their mobility esp when it comes to fight vs flight. Your dog may or may not run into you if it feels threatened. Your dog may try to stop. This is not a breed thing at all, and it's not commentary on training. It's simpler, more basic: your dog will have limited range/mobility, think through the potential risks of your environment. If you're 100% comfortable and confident, enjoy!

Do not discount how powerful dogs are as well, and how your dog could pull you down. I was doing this on an analog bike and even the few rides with my civilized dog at slow speeds (7-8mph) were challenging. I can only imagine the effect at higher speeds.

One other consideration: imagine if you crashed. Would you be putting your dog at additional risk during the crash (e.g. falling on your dog) or afterwards?

My offer to send you the walky-dog stands, happy to do so. No obligation, no money, give it a try and if it works for you, enjoy. If it doesn't, pass it along to someone else.

 

[PDoz]

JR , you clearly have a lot of experience with training. Do you have the skills with riding to cope with OTHER dogs whilst yours is on a leash whilst riding ?

As a child, I used my bike to deliver papers. There was a doberman which was trained to be an agressive guard dog - it'd come bounding across the yard, spraying saliva and demonstrating those shinny teeth .....but ALWAYS stop on the property margin. After a few weeks, I learnt to ignore the show and just deliver that paper. A year later It didn't stop., and got a few bites in at my ankles before I was able to use the back wheel as defense ( back then , I could kick the back wheel around and do a complete pivot on the front wheel , so flicking it sideways into that mongrels nose was enough to have it focus on the bike instead of my ankles )

I've watched skilled mountain bike riders with dogs - they'll occasionally bunny hop to avoid impact. I'm not good enough to do that whilst another dog is chasing mine AND tied to the bike.

I think I'll stick to training the dog to ride with me at home and hopefully get her good enough that she can join me on the trails eventually. I wish there was someone around here with your experience at training!

 

[J.R.]

JR , you clearly have a lot of experience with training. Do you have the skills with riding to cope with OTHER dogs whilst yours is on a leash whilst riding ?

As a child, I used my bike to deliver papers. There was a doberman which was trained to be an agressive guard dog - it'd come bounding across the yard, spraying saliva and demonstrating those shinny teeth .....but ALWAYS stop on the property margin. After a few weeks, I learnt to ignore the show and just deliver that paper. A year later It didn't stop., and got a few bites in at my ankles before I was able to use the back wheel as defense ( back then , I c ould kick the back wheel around and do a complete pivot on the front wheel , so flicking it sideways into that mongrels nose was enough to have it focus on the bike instead of my ankles )

I've watched skilled mountain bike riders with dogs - they'll occasionally bunny hop to avoid impact. I'm not good enough to do that whilst another dog is chasing mine AND tied to the bike.

I think I'll stick to training the dog to ride with me at home and hopefully get her good enough that she can join me on the trails eventually. I wish there was someone around here with your experience at training!

Riding with my dog is what I've been doing for a little more than 2 years. She's good. There are dirt roads, farm tracks I regularly ride that I often want her with me, so I just started looking into the tether idea. My heals aren't dug into the idea, I am just in the thinking stage of an idea. Of all the dogs I have ever owned, the Border Collie is the most intelligent and physically gifted of them all. I have had more favored companions, but capable? She will likely live to be 16 and she's now 2. Still a baby. Is she a Chaser? Maybe.

 

[Kayakguy]

My dog, a springer spaniel, played a joke on me one time. As I was starting my day, she trotted from the direction of the bedroom, passed behind me, crossed the room, turned and laid down with her paws outstretched. She was watching me like a hawk, and was obviously very excited, but holding it in. It looked like she might have something between her paws, and when I went to have a look, she relinquished my watch, which she'd grabbed off my nightstand. She jumped up laughing (you do realize dogs can laugh, don't you?) as if to say, "Ha ha, I played a joke on dad!" She was obviously very pleased with herself. I miss her still.

I never tried biking with her, but I had an Irish setter years ago who could pull like an ox. He could pull me up a hill, tethered by only his choke chain, paying no attention whatever to the discomfort. His high pain threshold contrasted with his intelligence--dumb as a post. Had a female too. If I tossed the frisbee for him, he'd dash off searching for it in vain, ranging all over the place. The female would watch where the frisbee had landed, and would conclude, "That dummy's obviously not going to find it" and would go pick it up and bring it to me.

Another way in which she showed her smarts: we had a little 8x8 greenhouse. They would play chase around it, the female chasing the male. Suddenly, she'd stop, turn around, and wait to intercept him when he came around the corner. Seems like a little abstract reasoning going on there. By the way, an observation: we are often scolded for anthropomorphizing animals when we attribute emotions to them. But the way I prefer to think of it is that we have emotions because we are animals.

 

[lexfurther]

Friend did the leash to handlebar thing until dog crossed the front wheel in pursuit of a squirrel that jumped onto the path. Broken collarbone and two shoulder surgeries. I saw the shorter version to the rear hub just the other day for the first time, and in the context of Greg’s story it scared the hell out of me. One of these things that is fine until it isn’t. YMMV

That's really bad. Was thinking about riding with the dog but that changed my mind

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

One of these things that is fine until it isn’t.

Sums up my experience. Ca. age 45, I took up riding with a border collie and Belgian shepherd on leashes in my left hand. Around 100-110 lbs of dog at the other end.

A good time was had by all for weeks. Then both dogs spotted the same squirrel off to the left and went for it. The resulting jerk on my left arm didn't even make me fall. It just blew out my left rotator cuff.

Still weak with limited range of motion 30 years later.

 

[Chargeride]

ebike backup doggie

 

[RRCV]

It does not end well

Following a cyclist yesterday morning, hot day, 40 deg c, a dog at the end lead, lead held in the the cyclists left hand, lead is 8-10ft long.

Dog is running on the left hand side of the cyclist.

Cyclist is riding on a gravel path, there is grass on either side of the path. The dog is keeping to the grass, quite well behaved and obviously enjoying the exercise.

We are approaching a road crossing, no traffic, concrete gutter on either side of the road, gravel turns into concrete gutter, then bitumen, then another concrete gutter, then back to gravel.

Rider and dog clear first gutter, most of the bitumen, and some of the next concrete gutter.

Dog appears to dislike running on hot bitumen, make a sudden leap to the left, aiming for the grass.

We are all travelling around 20kmh. Cyclist is pulled suddenly sideways, and backwards at the same time. Cyclist hits the bitumen, back first, followed by their head. Sickening thud, then another.

Dog is ok.

Cyclist is obviously shaken, claims to be ok, thanks me for my concern and offers of help. The cyclist is missing skin in various places, helmet broken, minor damage to bicycle and clothing.

 

[Chargeride]

My concern during our ride was how close the dogs head got to the rear spokes as it bounded along oblivious to the consequences..

Im doing a mental visulisation of the dog getting sucked in and jammed into the rear stays , a 150lb mans momentum, my concerns were ignored on the basis of it never happening.

Doesnt stop me wincing everytime it gets within inches, ears flapping against the tire.