Maddie the GWP is now almost 2 years old and it is time to step up the physical training a bit. Many weekdays I don't have time to do a long hike with the dog so my backup has always been a chuck-it thrower in the park to wear her out some. It works great, but I don't get any exercise out of it.
Now that the weather is getting nicer and their is some daylight in the evenings, I want to road the dog some. I live in the suburbs with miles and miles of nicely paved roads with very light traffic so the bike is the best answer. I wanted to do something better than holding a leash on the handlebars or rigging up something for bike joring. I need better control of the dog than those can do since I'm in town. I read reviews on the springer and walky dog, but they were pretty mixed and I didn't like how they attached to the bike. The best looking one was the Bike Tow Leash, but wow - it cost 2-3x as much.
I decided Maddie was worth it and bought the thing.
It attaches at the rear wheel and took all of a minute to install. It has a rigid tube attached to the bike on flexible mount. In the tube is a bungie cord that attaches to the dog. It keeps the dog at "heel" on your left side. The directions say to use the collar, not a harness. The reasoning is with a harness there is enough freedom of movement for the dog to get in the way of the bike. I was not comfortable just using her collar, so I am using a harness and it seems fine to me.
We have been using it since last Saturday and it is fantastic. We both have a great time. Maddie had it figured out within 50 feet and was pulling me down the alley. She looks like a doggie sidecar! On our rides thus far she has tried to go her own way to check out another dog or the rooster that she spotted in the ditch, but she was yanked right back to where she was supposed to be. Since it attaches to the bike down low, she isn't able to pull me over. I'm in complete control of the bike and the dog. The best way I can describe it is like I am riding an old moped that still had pedals.
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