Naomi Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 OH wants to purchase some bicycles and train up for a 100km fundraising ride which is to be held next year. I've always considered bike riding and possibly exercising my Australian Shepherd by having him run along side with a walky dog attachment. So a few questions. How do I begin to introduce my pup to the idea of exercising beside the bike? What steps do I need to take? How old does he have to be before he can begin to exercise alongside the bike? At the moment he is nearly 5 months old and he is an Australian Shepherd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Have a look at some of the threads in the Training. Particularly the one about Endurance Testing as there was lots of discussion about riding with dogs. If it were me I'd be walking my dog beside the bike at 5 months so that they get used to it. But I would think that riding with it would probably be a little harsh on growing and developing bones and joints at that age. I didn't really even think about starting that sort of training until my girl (BC) was close to 12 months old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elise+Hudson Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I was also wondering, what are the laws when it comes to walking your dog from a bike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danois Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I was also wondering, what are the laws when it comes to walking your dog from a bike? Australian Road Rules make it illegal to lead a dog alongside a bike on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr_inoz Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I was also wondering, what are the laws when it comes to walking your dog from a bike? Australian Road Rules make it illegal to lead a dog alongside a bike on the road. But is it ok on bike paths? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan3 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I was also wondering, what are the laws when it comes to walking your dog from a bike? Australian Road Rules make it illegal to lead a dog alongside a bike on the road. But is it ok on bike paths? As far as I can tell it is only a problem on public roads, so if the bike path allows dogs on leash then that is probably OK. Fire trails are often good, nice and wide and usually not busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juice Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 we have 3 people round here i regularly see with bikes and dogs, they have the attachment that fits to the bike so the dog doesn't get run over by the bike. one guy has 2 bc's one each side and he goes really fast along the pavements. other 2 i see are huskie's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatsofatsoman Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 We were advised by our vet not to even take Boonie on long walks until over a year old because of his joints (he's a lab) but that interaction at the dog park was ok - something about the repetitive stride used when walking or running in a straight line. A rule of thumb we heard was 5 minutes walk per month of age. So I'd suggest 5 months is quite a bit too young to be doing any large amount - although Aussie may differ to Labs in what they are able/allowed to do. Probably just do shortish walks with the bike and have him/her walking beside the bike and just getting used to being around it. I'm sure there'll be much better advice given later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemelo Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 With our Aussies we waited until they were 12 months for full runs with the bike, but we did take Sparky for a few quick spins just around the block when we were getting him used to it. He was probably between 10-12 months. Poor Peach didnt see a bike until she was about 14 months due to sheer laziness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 We have a lot of fire trails around here, but they are typically very steep and composed of jumbled bricks, broken pieces of cement, and other construction site waste along with natural rock. Are your fire trails a bit more friendly, Aidan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan3 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 We have a lot of fire trails around here, but they are typically very steep and composed of jumbled bricks, broken pieces of cement, and other construction site waste along with natural rock. Are your fire trails a bit more friendly, Aidan? No, they sound the same. Pain is weakness leaving the body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 The rail trails are great for biking dogs. I generally start my Ausdies at around 8 months, short gentle runs building up to longer ones gradually by about 12-14 months. Aussies are bred to gait for lengthy periods and take to running beside a bike very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Personally I would not regularly gait any breed of dog over distance beside a bike until growth plates have closed. To be on the safe side, I'd make that 14 months of age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Agree about not doing any sort of sustained repetitive exercise or gaiting until after growth plates have closed. Better to wait a few extra months and then build up slowly, rather than break the dog and have ongoing trouble. There are some fire trails which aren't too rough and steep, and some bike paths allow dogs (no rail trails here sadly ) - the trains are still using the few tracks there are. My BCs enjoy bike rides - I use tracking harness and leads which I hold in my hand (cos we're training for ET with the younger boy, so no walky-dog for that.) Good preparation with your pup is walking him on those sorts of trails (not too far) and making sure you can stop him if enticing things go by - like rabbits, plovers etc. Then you'll know that you can stop him from pulling you off the bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) Also note that the surface matters. A friend of mine has had a horrid time with bad joints, though her dogs are genetically very similar to mine. I have had no such problems. She ran young dogs beside the bike on roads and paved bike paths. I let my dogs follow me on the bike (off lead) when I biked on a limestone access road. Grass, or uneven tracks that make the bike ride an exercise in picking your way around obsticles are much easier on joints than blacktop or cement. Edited May 31, 2011 by sandgrubber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 We have a lot of fire trails around here, but they are typically very steep and composed of jumbled bricks, broken pieces of cement, and other construction site waste along with natural rock. Are your fire trails a bit more friendly, Aidan? No, they sound the same. Pain is weakness leaving the body. So, what does that make agony? Go on, tell me it's an exponential function. It's exactly what I want to hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeckoTree Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Start of slow and easy, like people dogs probably get shin splints or similar conditions. I used to bike my dog around she loved it. But because she's getting on a bit now I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now