Want to get dog in shape!?!? Try this bike attachment.

[djswizz]

http://www.springeramerica.com/

I've heard nothing but great things about this attachment. It will fit any bike! Anyone use one? I'm interested in this...

[cast_and_blast]

They have another version on Amazon called the "walkey dog" or something like that. It's $30 which is significantly less than the version you listed and appears to be the same idea.

Good luck!

Scott

[tnbndr]

I opted to buy the Walky Dog - http://www.thedogoutdoors.com/ as it was cheaper and not quite as bulky as the model you show. Any of them will work there are several others out there.
I use it to run both of my GSP's, have not tried both at one time yet, but I will. It is great for covering a lot of miles in a short period of time, like after work. You have to build them up to any long distances though and I carry water along for rest stops. I live in the city so I keep an eye on their pads while running. Had to walk one dog home once as she cut her pad on something and could not run. She was able to walk slowly and gingerly.

[dog dr]

i just loop one end of a 4 ft leash around the pole of my bike seat, attach the other end to a harness. works great, alot cheaper than $30.

[djswizz]

i just loop one end of a 4 ft leash around the pole of my bike seat, attach the other end to a harness. works great, alot cheaper than $30.

Yeah and that is how you get a free trip to the ER there doc. The attachment systems seem to be MUCH safer. That is the whole idea...

[ezzy333]

The general opinion I hear on this site is if the dog takes off on you it won't matter much how it is attached since they will jerk you over. Some do use a scooter that is built a lot lower and you can step off but if you are on a bike you are asking for some serious problems.

Ezzy

[Killer Instinct]

http://www.springeramerica.com/

I've heard nothing but great things about this attachment. It will fit any bike! Anyone use one? I'm interested in this...

I have one - and unfortuately, it WILL NOT fit any bike. In fact, I had to go and buy another bike just to fit it to it (Schwinn at Walmart for $300+).... so with an $80 Springer, $300+ bike, and the dog Harness at $80 dollars, it was pretty spendy. I bike both dogs (one at a time) everyday. The one problem I had with the Springer was that the dog would do a leap to the side (going from road back onto the sidewalk) and it darn near sprung her back at the bike - she only weighs 35lbs, and it was like she was a yo-yo - I just about ran her over with my back wheel. So we use verbal commands - "Over" & "Slow down"......

[dough]

The general opinion I hear on this site is if the dog takes off on you it won't matter much how it is attached since they will jerk you over. Some do use a scooter that is built a lot lower and you can step off but if you are on a bike you are asking for some serious problems.

Ezzy

I use the Walky Dog every day to keep my DD in shape. My experience has been that as long as we are moving, and the faster the better, its not really easy for the dog to take knock down the bike. And believe me, with all the rabbits in my neighborhood, it a bit like riding on a roller coaster sometimes. Don't get me wrong, you've got to keep both hands on the handlebar and pay attention - but if you don't have a large piece of land for your dogs to run in, this is the best way to keep them in shape. I've found it works better riding at night with a bright red LED flasher attached to the bike for safety and she doesn't notice the rabbits as much. If the dog does a good job of heeling, they should take to this fairly well.

http://www.thedogoutdoors.com/walkydog- ... leash.html

Doug

[Sharon]

The general opinion I hear on this site is if the dog takes off on you it won't matter much how it is attached since they will jerk you over. Some do use a scooter that is built a lot lower and you can step off but if you are on a bike you are asking for some serious problems.

Ezzy

Exactly. I hit the ditch head over heels many a day. :roll:

[fishvik]

Depending on leash laws in your area and the amount of traffic where you run them you may not need to connect them to the bike at all. I have trained my dogs to heel when I'm riding and "whoa" on command at intersections. I let them run when we get to big open areas. We don't have much in the way of traffic and no leash laws on roads in the county. I also take a 6' leash with me just in case and if I use it I just hold it in one hand in case I have to get rid of it in a hurry.

[phermes1]

I used to use a Springer quite a bit and several times have had my dog do something I wish it hadn't - ie, stop dead to take a leak, jerk after a squirrel, try to go on the other side of a pole, etc. Each time I was stopped awfully quickly, but I was never at risk for taking a tumble. While the spring in the Springer is very good for making the ride much smoother for both dog and rider, I think the main benefit to it is that the leash is tied to such a low center of gravity that it takes a lot of force to pull the bike over.
I'm sure it'd be easier for an 90 lb lab, but my 50 lb dogs never had much luck getting me off my bike.

[Birddogz]

I have had one for 5 years. They work well, but you really need to watch out for pad problems.

[dog dr]

i just loop one end of a 4 ft leash around the pole of my bike seat, attach the other end to a harness. works great, alot cheaper than $30.

Yeah and that is how you get a free trip to the ER there doc. The attachment systems seem to be MUCH safer. That is the whole idea...

maybe i have just been lucky, i dont know, but the only incident i had was when i tried to angle the bike up an icy embankment. didnt turn out good, but that was totally my fault. dog turned around and looked at me like "serves you right, moron". of course, i weigh about 185, and i have a 45 lb britt, so he cant pull me too hard. he took to it really fast. even learned gee and haw so he would know which way to turn and not get too close to the bike.

i just dont see how the attachment is any safer.

[Greg Jennings]

The attachment serves two purposes:
1. It provides a bit of "spring" that dampens movements by dog and bike.
2. As mentioned, it attaches at a lower center of gravity than putting a leash on the seat or handlebar post.

[dog dr]

The attachment serves two purposes:
1. It provides a bit of "spring" that dampens movements by dog and bike.
2. As mentioned, it attaches at a lower center of gravity than putting a leash on the seat or handlebar post.

#1 i can understand, but not #2. looks to me like they all attach to the seat pole.

[Wagonmaster]

I have tried the springer. It really depends on how fast the dog is taking you. I see people working their dogs all the time from a bike, with the dog in a flat run, meaning two or three feet on the ground at all times. That is not much of a workout to me. If the dog is in what we horse people call a lope or a full gallop, and the dog decides to do something sudden, the springer is not going to help, you are going down. I also had trouble getting it to fit a bike.

I would love to get rid of mine, never use it. The scooter is the deal for me.

[Greg Jennings]

I thought the springer attaches lower on post. Hampered here at work. Pictures are very limited and many sites are blocked...including the springer site.

The scooter is the better solution. Pricey, though.

[Munster]

i just loop one end of a 4 ft leash around the pole of my bike seat, attach the other end to a harness. works great, alot cheaper than $30.

HMMMMM, $30.00 walky doggy thingy or $1000.00 Er bill........Thats a tough one!

[dog dr]

im tellin you guys, its really not that dangerous! like i said i have only had one accident and that was clearly MY fault. However, if you cant ride a bike without a dog attached, then i definitely wouldnt try it with a dog attached, so maybe thats the issue. OR, maybe i have been lucky, i dont know.

look at it this way. i weigh about 4 times what my dog does. So, lets turn it around. I think i would have a pretty hard time altering the trajectory of something that weighs (185 x 4 = 740) 740 lbs by pulling on a rope tied around my neck. granted some dogs are on harnesses (including mine) but i dont think it would be much different.

on the pther hand, lets assume for a moment that a dog CAn alter your trajectory significantly. of the 2 products that have been shown, only one has a spring. it might ease up the tension a small amount, albeit temporarily, but wont stop the force being applied. so how are these things different in that regard than what i am using (just a leash)?

oh well, to each his own!

[gar-dog]

Great thread. I have been looking for something like this and just ordered the Walky Dog today. I'll give it a shot and report back.

[Greg Jennings]

BTW, that Walky Dog one has dampening too. It just works a different way. It too, can attach pretty low. Not sure if it would get in the way of pedaling, though.

Getting into the pedals, chain, etc. is one of the reasons I don't like a loose leash.

Greg J.

[dog dr]

BTW, that Walky Dog one has dampening too. It just works a different way. It too, can attach pretty low. Not sure if it would get in the way of pedaling, though.

Getting into the pedals, chain, etc. is one of the reasons I don't like a loose leash.

Greg J.

yeah, i was concerned about that too, when i started, but it has never been a problem.

[AzDoggin]

#1 i can understand, but not #2. looks to me like they all attach to the seat pole.

The Springer attaches back near the rear axle of the bike.

Bikejoring is yet another alternative. Dog goes in a roading harness, and pulls from the front. There is an attachment that fits to the steering column of the bike, includes a bungee arrangement for reducing shock. Actually, bird dogs - GSP's and EP's in particular, do VERY WELL in some of the bikejoring and skijoring (dog pulls man on cross country skis) competitions. Here's a linky: http://www.skijornow.com/bikejor.html Good brakes and balance and reaction time are ESSENTIAL on a bike being pulled by a dog. I won't go into details on how I learned that one

How far and at what running pace (for the dog) do most of you folks bike your bird dogs, and how often?

[fuzznut]

here is another option
http://www.dogpoweredscooter.com/

[brule]

Why waste money when you can just hold on the lease? I've been doing this all summer and not one problem. My lab runs and pulls hard, but with a properly trained dog there should be no issues.

[AzDoggin]

I was reading in Delmar Smith's book last night that when you get ready to condition your dog for trials/hunting, you want RESISTANCE when they run. He claimed that just jogging along beside a bike doesn't do much for the dog. Of course, any activity at all is better than what some get - none. Delmar used to put his dogs in a roading harness, attach a rope and send them out. He'd walk (get pulled) along behind. His contention was that it gets both dog and hunter in shape.

[jetjockey]

I have the Springer. Believe it or not, I found the attachment and a bike off craigslist for $35. I road my Brittany with it and it seems to work pretty well. Took her a little bit of time to figure it out, but I can let her pull me (resistance) or I can peddle to set the pace I want her to have. The spring works pretty well, I had her go after 1 squirrel and it only took once for her not to do that again. She pulled one way and I kept going, she leaves squirrels alone now. The nice thing is that it gets me excercising as well. I would highly recomend it for someone who lives in a housing development and can't get on a 4-wheeler. The only bad thing is I can only road 1 dog at a time. The dogscooter thing looks pretty cool if you needed to road 2 dogs and wanted to tri-wheel bicycle.

[asc]

I think I'll try a springer, right now I just loop my ep's leash on my wrist(found out the hard way she don't like mud puddles or peacocks). As far as resistance my dog runs flat out the first mile or so, it's to fast for me not warmed up so I let her pull me, when she slows down then I set the pace. I let her pull some more into the ride for a better workout. We ride on dirt and pavement and do so early in the morning when it's cooler.

[hardlinedrives]

There's always the treadmill option. Here is a video sent to me of a GSP pup I bred getting in shape on the treadmill! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV6icniVZqA. "Eight" will happily cruise on the treadmill for 30+ minutes if you let him. Too funny. I used a roading harness and a mountain bike for "Eight's" sire, but I just held the zip lead in one of my hands while I rode. Never ever had a problem. Trained him to pull when I said "allright" and come back on heel when I commanded "heel". He loved it- I think he secretly dreamed of Iditarod Greatness.

[dee]

I also use a Springer. I was going to try the Walky-Dog, but found a blog that talked about how dangerous it is if the bike tips over...the dog could get impaled by the Walky-dog stick because it sticks straight out. So I bought a Springer from www.SpringerAmerica.com and am really happy with it. I'm looking forward to running two dogs at the same time... Go to the photos/video section and view the video... it shows a gal riding with four dogs and one of the dogs takes a lunge at another dog passing by... You can see how the springer absorbs the pull. Like I said, I'm looking forwarding to riding with all of my dogs.

[gar-dog]

I got the Walky Dog and have tried it a couple of times now. It assembled in less than 5 minutes and works great. My dog took right to it. My dog is 35lbs and I am 225 lbs... She isn't pulling me over anytime soon. To the last poster, I have a hard time imaging a dog being impaled with this thing. I would go flying and just the weight of the bike doesn't seem like it would do the trick.

For 30 bucks I highly recommend it.

G