A 'Thank You' and a running speed question

vallin

vallin

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 April 2009
Messages
5,016
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Firstly, 'Thank You' to those of you that suggested harnesses, we ended up with the Manmat run harness which (As far as I can tell!) sits much better than her old harness.

30124126_10209203609722162_2701717708891934401_n.jpg


29684261_10209203609962168_2648533358227643502_n.jpg


Secondly, when running with the dog what gait do you expect them to be in? When running with me Daisy trots along quite happily (I run slowly ;) ) but if she's running with the OH she has to move up a gear and I'm not sure how good long periods of canter are for dogs...thoughts appreciated! (my knowledge comes from horses so will be skewed!)

V
 
didn't see your original post but very interested in the harness. I thought at first a run harness was for a husky but obviously not. Can I ask how you are going to run your dog? I am looking to lead my GSD off my bike and am looking for recommendations for a harness.
 
Personally wouldn't worry what gait she's in as long as overall she builds up time spend running in a sensible, progressive way.
 
Love the harness - very smart.

As long has her fitness is good and the time spent running is built up then I wouldn't worry about whether she is trotting or running. I sometimes run with my dogs (slowly) and other times they run beside the quad. I think it does us and our dogs good to do more strenuous exercise regularly.
 
My spaniel canters/scrabbles the whole way (right up in the harness, I am slow...). He only trots when tired after about 4km (I only last out 5). No bother with the pace :) If I was faster he wouldn't use so much energy and keep it up the whole way!
 
Cool, she doesn't pull up into the harness particularly, tends to just trot out in front to start and then trot besides me when she gets a bit tired. Sounds like it won't do her any harm to do a bit of faster work with the OH and slower work with me :)
 
my prob is i take lots of steps but not very big ones.
my sbt doesn`t get out of a trot. when we do 5k our pace is about 9 (allowing for other people in the way/poo stop),
a short run today our pace was 7.2 still in a trot.
 
Paddy if you intend to lead your GSD rather than be pulled, I'd just use a normal flat collar or chain. I bike my dog alongside me on a normal chain. When he has a harness on that's a signal that it's ok to pull/go out in front/haul my ass uphill lol.
 
CorvusCorax said:
Paddy if you intend to lead your GSD rather than be pulled, I'd just use a normal flat collar or chain. I bike my dog alongside me on a normal chain. When he has a harness on that's a signal that it's ok to pull/go out in front/haul my ass uphill lol.
Click to expand...

interesting. I was proposing to lead but then I thought of the hills and him pulling me seems a good idea. LOL.

seriously though by chain do you mean a check/choke chain? I was worried with that if anything went wrong, accident with bike etc, he could get choked. Do you use anything to keep the lead away from the bike? any more tips for a Shepherd and a bike would be gratefully received.

He is only 4.5 months so ATM I am only thinking of 5/10 mins each way to train him to the bike however when he is an adult how far and at what speed is he likely to be able to trot/run along with a bike. (all off road tracks)
 
paddy555 said:
interesting. I was proposing to lead but then I thought of the hills and him pulling me seems a good idea. LOL.

seriously though by chain do you mean a check/choke chain? I was worried with that if anything went wrong, accident with bike etc, he could get choked. Do you use anything to keep the lead away from the bike? any more tips for a Shepherd and a bike would be gratefully received.

He is only 4.5 months so ATM I am only thinking of 5/10 mins each way to train him to the bike however when he is an adult how far and at what speed is he likely to be able to trot/run along with a bike. (all off road tracks)
Click to expand...

Apologies, to explain, I lead mine on a large flat chain on a dead link so it's the same as a flat collar, it can't close, just stronger and water/sand/muck proof which is why I prefer it but flat collar is fine for leading (not pulling).

I trained mine on the ground (no pedalling) rewarding for staying close on a loose line with an associated command.
I didn't start short journeys until I got his x-rays back at 16 months/knew they were ok and we built up to about 10 miles with rest stops. I started winding him down last year due to his age but he got his endurance certificate about 4 years ago.
Add distractions as while the dog will be happy to follow in a sterile environment, add other dogs, livestock etc and the dog is likely to start pulling.

It's great for fitness and suits gaiting breeds, done carefully.

I hold the lead in my hand so I can let it go. I'm no use to anyone in traction. I used to clip the lead around me but have been persuaded to stop that.
 
CorvusCorax said:
Apologies, to explain, I lead mine on a large flat chain on a dead link so it's the same as a flat collar, it can't close, just stronger and water/sand/muck proof which is why I prefer it but flat collar is fine for leading (not pulling).

I trained mine on the ground (no pedalling) rewarding for staying close on a loose line with an associated command.
I didn't start short journeys until I got his x-rays back at 16 months/knew they were ok and we built up to about 10 miles with rest stops. I started winding him down last year due to his age but he got his endurance certificate about 4 years ago.
Add distractions as while the dog will be happy to follow in a sterile environment, add other dogs, livestock etc and the dog is likely to start pulling.

It's great for fitness and suits gaiting breeds, done carefully.

I hold the lead in my hand so I can let it go. I'm no use to anyone in traction. I used to clip the lead around me but have been persuaded to stop that.
Click to expand...

thanks for that. I'm sure progress is going to be extremely slow with all the distractions however all good practice for him to learn.
 
paddy555 said:
didn't see your original post but very interested in the harness. I thought at first a run harness was for a husky but obviously not. Can I ask how you are going to run your dog? I am looking to lead my GSD off my bike and am looking for recommendations for a harness.
Click to expand...

I would speak to Emily Thomas at K9 Trailtime - let her know what you want to do with your dog, send her photos and measurements and she will help you find a harness that fits. Check the K9 Trailtime blog for lots of advice on harness fitting and bikejoring.
 
broughsuperior said:
I would speak to Emily Thomas at K9 Trailtime - let her know what you want to do with your dog, send her photos and measurements and she will help you find a harness that fits. Check the K9 Trailtime blog for lots of advice on harness fitting and bikejoring.
Click to expand...

thank you
 
WorkingGSD said:
A friend runs hers GSD with her bike (I would love to but our terrain is just too rough and hilly!) and she uses a "springer" attachment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m1CuLZVorQ
Click to expand...

that's a really neat bit of gear. Never heard of one before. thanks Do you know if she uses a harness or a collar? I had never thought of them pulling in a harness before.

We are lucky, our roads are rubbish, no money to repair any of them but off road cycle tracks and no expense is spared.

PS simple solution for you is to get rid of those shepherds and get 4 huskies, a mountain bike and the springer. In your sheep country they would go even faster! LOL
 
The idea of putting a big strong dog on a springer attachment fills me with the fear - if it lunges, game over, bike and human are going with it. IMO the preferable options would be...

- CC's control exercise, dog pacing at side with collar and lead, lead dropped if anything goes pear shaped
- Bikejor style, with antenna to keep the line off the wheel, dog in harness, pulling hard up front

I know which I think is more fun ;) but both require a commitment to training and fitness to be done safely, dog and human need to know their jobs well.
 
paddy555 said:
that's a really neat bit of gear. Never heard of one before. thanks Do you know if she uses a harness or a collar? I had never thought of them pulling in a harness before.

We are lucky, our roads are rubbish, no money to repair any of them but off road cycle tracks and no expense is spared.

PS simple solution for you is to get rid of those shepherds and get 4 huskies, a mountain bike and the springer. In your sheep country they would go even faster! LOL
Click to expand...

ha ha !

She uses a harness and has had no issues at all with using it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just asked her about any issues with a dog lunging and she said this

"The trick is to keep pedalling no matter what the dog is doing then you are ok, but it is a balance between not losing control and not hurting the do. Most of the time it's just a slight wobble. We do it a couple of times a week and neither of us has gotten hurt and I've only lost my balance that one time when I stopped for her safety in 4 years of doing it. I would always hold a lead in my hand attached to a collar so I can correct/guide etc and the springer to a harness, not just on the springer like the videos show - I think that's not safe unless the dog is very docile!".

So sounds pretty safe to me but I suppose biking with dogs whichever manner you use will never be totally risk free.
 
blackcob said:
- Bikejor style, with antenna to keep the line off the wheel, dog in harness, pulling hard up front

.
Click to expand...

is that the method in your picture? I have never seen it done after several years on cycle tracks and seeing lots of dogs with bikes. i would find it frightening with the dog so far away and with so much potential for accidents. Even if the dog behaved I would worry about walkers with their often out of control dogs etc. We have had a couple of very serious near misses with stray dogs running straight across in front of our wheels. I think that method would be great on empty forest tracks more like a sled dog but not on tracks where you are weaving between people, bikes, barriers, gates and dogs.

I would like my dog at heel something like the white shepherd on the springer video. Whether that is better with an attachment just to hold the lead away from the bike or a springer type device I haven't worked out yet. Obviously have to be a lead until he is trained.
I am also aiming to lead my dog off my horse where he will have to walk to heel.
 
I would just like to caution that to the best of my knowledge, bikejor is not covered under normal pet and 3rd party liability insurance and I think you have to have some kind of permit/landowners permission to do it and so it can't be done just 'anywhere'. some insurers also don't cover competitive canicross.


I biked many miles with my beardie off a collar straight to handlebars-apart from getting stuck in mud and subsequently keeling over one time, we survived-once he knew the job we had no problems at all, he just trotted along side. I did think of getting the side mount (wouldnt scare me with a collie, wouldnt use one with a husky!) but never got round to it-the trick is to keep going, most dogs get over the initial excitement/energy pretty quickly. you have to fitten up pads too-very easy to get carried away and tracks/roads are warmer than air temps.
 
Last edited:
Being honest I wouldn't want to cycle with a dog, by any method, anywhere you're likely to encounter that many other people and dogs. Too much potential for other people's cock-ups. And I'd rather keep them up front away from the wheels. :p

MoC is right about permit/insurance etc. but it's a huge grey area - attaching the dog at the front or at the side and calling it bikejor or not doesn't change the nature of the thing. I highly recommend joining a club, even if it's more specifically a canicross club, someone will still have contacts for kit, permits, insurance, training etc.
 
Echo the above good advice from BC.

As for pace, i wouldn't worry too much, but try to encourage her to stay in front & keep the line tight. One of our dogs is a big long striding Doberman x GSD & he trots while doing canicross (hubby wouldn't keep up otherwise!) but we expect him to canter when doing bikejor. My racing rig team simply won't break into trot - they know they should hold pace at a canter, & we'll do up to 5miles this way ... but they are very fit. Dogs use about 4 times as much energy working in harness as opposed to running about, so you need to build up distance with her. If your girl tires & trots at your side, you could stop & give her a rest (& maybe a quick drink from a bottle), then set off again, to make sure she learns in front is where you want her to be. Getting her running with a local group will encourage her & keep you right too. Most have different levels of members so don't worry if you're not ultra speedy. Above all, enjoy! :-)

P.S Harness looks great & will last forever!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top