Dog walking bike attachments and boots

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silverbreeze

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Ok.. two questions in one here. Firstly; has anyone had any experience with those attachments that you put onto your bike seat so that your dog can trot along next to you?

Secondly; I take my dog off road mountain biking with me and he loves it but he can get sore pads from time to time. He is a young fit springer before anyone tells me I am being mean and I tire well before he does! I have looked at those protective boots that you can get for them but don't want to spend loads of money if they are rubbish! has anyone got any experience of these products?
 
I would never attach a dog to a bicycle just in case the dog spooked. Not even my well behaved Collie who can walk to heel without a lead as though he's attached to a lead regardless of what we pass, just in case a bus happened to let off its airbrakes in the vicinity. Is the only thing I've found spooks him, but I believe he had a sheltered rural life in Ireland and hadn't come across a double decker bus before.
 
I've not used one of those bike things, i have had my dogs run next to me on a normal lead with me holding, but most of the time if going out on bikes, i avoid anytime for the need for the dogs being on a lead. Makes things a lot easier and less worrying for me
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One of my agility friends uses the boots, but only in the ring, so i'm not sure how they'd hold up doing outdoor fun.
 
They do specialist attachments for underneath your seat so it is more stable and they have shock absorption and give to allow for it (apparently) read loads of testimonials about them but they are on the sites that are selling them so I tend to take those with a pinch of salt
 
ermmm i am not sure, I nearly ended up getting some as Beau got sore paws over winter from runnign around in the snow! but ended up not doign as he realised how much of a puff he was being! hehe

But the vet nurse I talked to said they were good, but as chell said, not sure how they would hold up to off roading....
 
Lol about keeping lead time to a minimum as that is the same for me but I would love to get more exercise in the evenings when I can't go for big ride but could get down to woods using my legs rather than my diesel!!

no way I'd walk it as my slow pace drives him mad and vice versa!! No chance of me joggin either before anyone suggest that .. Just not designed to run!
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Hmmm.. a little more googling then.. My main concern about the boots is that A: they may rub him and B: they may slip down all the time.

Yes he is a precious little puff... he is the one I said should be a catalogue model in a previous post; explains everything
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Silverbreeze - you want to look at Ruff Wears boots - they are designed for off road hard walking.
they have several designs, they are American but you can get them over here.
Well worth the money I'd think - I have tried them on one of my dogs that was forever ripping his pads - they fitted really well and did not slip unlike many other boots I have tried.

http://www.ruffwear.com/Barkn-Boots-Grip...amp;category=11
 
I've done all the reading on the bike attachment, as i was interested, but as you say... not sure about them and the safety issues that could be involved... i felt happier holding my lead in some ways :s i think i'd feel a little more in control?

I just practiced doing loose leading biking in controlled areas until i felt safer biking near roads, but still avoid them.
 
Thanks for all the info.. Might stick to bike rack and open spaces for time being then... I will defo have a look at those ruff wear boots.. thanks for the heads up

I shall spend some more money I don't have now on one more of my furry friends and carry on walking round with holes in my own shoes
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I walked my bull terrier and lurcher (separately though LOL!) on bike & after 2 or 3 times they soon got the hang of it, it just takes a little bit of practise and they soon get the idea.
 
Yes i have used one of the bike attachments and i can highly recommend them awesome fun. They have a stretchy lead part like elastic so it has give if the dog decides to sniff something!
 
When we used to show, my mum used to run dogs off the bike, maintains it is the best possible exercise (esp for GSDs maintains that extended trot beautifully!), she just used to hang onto the lead so she could let go or jump off if some sort of catastrophe happened...

There is also a sort of trike you can get that the dog can pull, but I suppose a springer wouldn't be too enamoured with that idea
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have you thought about wiping his feet with surgical spirit twice a day. That will soon toughen them up. One of my dogs was in recue kennels before I got him and his pads were so soft they got really sore from running on our tracks., i bathed them daily with surgical spirit and he was fine within a week.
 
I shall give the surgical spirit a go! Rubysurfer; which attachment do you use.. I have seen the springer one and the walkydog one.

He runs along with the bike quite happily off road but he isn't well enough trained yet to go on the road. I daren't just hold the lead as I know for sure that would be a disaster
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