Biking with your Basenji

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

Does anyone bike with their Basenji? Do you use the Springer or the Walkey Dog on your bike?

How do they like it?

[barkless513]

You know that is a great question. Brian..my Hubby, loves to ride his bike and was trying to figure out what he could do to take Toby on run/ride with him. The products we have looked at don't seem safe..for Brian:p The pulling will never stop with Toby, so something safe would be great, I hope someone has an idea for both of us.

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

I am thinking about ordering the Springer part that I saw online but someone on the BRAT list was talking about the Walky Dog and I can't decide which would be better.

http://www.springerusa.com/index.html

http://walkydogusa.com/dog-biking-product.htm

[nala121498]

Hi…I don't bike with Nala, but I know a member, "Rou" does. Do a search in this forum for "springer" and click on the post by Rou. She has pictures too somewhere. That might be helpful in making a decision...

[Punky]

My fiance bikes all of the time with Wyatt. He has saddle bags on the back of his bicycle that Wyatt fits perfectly in. His head and paws stick out and my fiance holds the leash just in case Wyatt jumped out…which he hasn't. I will get some pictures to post. It is adorable and Wyatt thinks he is going for a ride everytime he sees the bike. My fiance stops every so often and runs with him of to the side of the path. We have a great bike path system along the Mississippi river here and there are a lot feilds full of bunnies that they ride to.

[Catchme]

Biking w/ the our senji's is fun, we try to go out atleast three times a week. It really depends on how hot/cold it is.
I can say we kinda cheat though. I also have German shepherds and they pull a cart that is used to pull my three yr old son so I get to walk to steer it. My daughter rides her electric scooter and the senji's are attached to a contraption my husband made. You would have to see to understand.. It is so she can exercise all four dogs at once at the same pace yet she can control the bike.
When the weather is not good we use our human tread mill to exercise the dogs. I thought it would be hard to teach them but they love it. And the vet says it is great idea.
I can say anytime I take the dogs on a hard surface I lotion up the pads for extra moisture and traction.
I know I seem really strange but I love my dogs but I am not rich so I have to figure out ways to condition them.
I have a friend that uses a "springer" and loves it, she uses it for her Lab.

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

Catchme, sounds like you got a great set up!

What do you use to lotion the pads?

[jys1011]

C&Z-I biked with one of my dogs while on vacation just recently & he LOVED it. I didn't even go fast or far because I'm just learning how to ride a bike but I'm looking into the Springer becuz it seemed the safest to me. There was someone else here besides Rou who also biked with their B. You would have to do a thread search for it. I can't remember who it is.

Catchme-what a FANTASTIC job you're doing keeping your dogs exercised!! Bravo to you!

[BillyK]

That someone else is ME
visit the "a tired basenji is a happy basenji" thread to read about my simple method of biking with dogs.

[RockysWoman]

@barkless513:

The products we have looked at don't seem safe..for Brian:p The pulling will never stop with Toby, so something safe would be great, I hope someone has an idea for both of us.

Here here! Would love to work the dog while I bike… but always imagine myself sliding sideways the moment a squirrel comes into view!

[jys1011]

BillyK-aaaahhh I knew it was someone

Well I finally got my offiical first bike! Strange, I know considering how old I am LOL :eek: but anyhow I order the both the Walky Dog & the Springer to see which works best. I've been just holding the leash for now to ride with my B but that's not safe long term especially since I'm a novice rider

I'd love to hear anyone's experiences using the Walky Dog or the Springer?

[jys1011]

C&Z-by the way to answer your questions…I use Mush Paws to lotion up my dogs pads only b/c we walk out on the street a whole lot & it's good all year round.

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

JYS, thanks for the info on the lotion I think I will have to look into that.

Well, I ordered the Springer and it came last Thursday. So far it has been pretty cool, I am getting use to riding a bicycle again I think I haven't done that since I was a teenager! I bought a nice Raleigh bicycle and I really like it.

I don't notice much pulling with Zahra, tonight we went a mile and she seemed really into it. I do notice a dragging feeling if she tries to go another direction or stop to eat something off the ground but if I keep pedaling she keeps going.

Chase, our Puggle, is the puller and it hasn't been too bad with him.

There are some things that I don't care for with the Springer, they give you this universal harness to use with any dog, it didn't work out so well with mine. I instead am using their car seatbelt harnesses and it works out much better. I know that the plastic hook that hooks to the harness is made as a safety device but tonight Chase managed to unhook his harness from the plastic hook because it doesn't hold in place too well at a certain angle.

Zahra also managed to get unhooked from the spring the first time I took her out. I think that was my fault though, I made her run through a part of the road that was getting wet from a sprinkler, she bolted and I turned into her so the safety device worked she didn't get run over by my wheel but she also didn't run into it so I guess that helped

[youngandtired]

Only a B could get off of a hookup, I think manufactures should test their escape products using Basenjis. haha!!!!

[jys1011]

Jenn-thanks for the feedback. I ordered both the Walky Dog & the Springer since I can return the one that I least like. I haven't received them yet. I'm very worried about C3PO getting unhooked. He's a bolter & also a dog chaser so if he got off it would be all over :eek: :eek: Did the safety mechanism worko n Zahara??

After I got my bike a nice Trek Cruiser my DH decided he definitely wanted one too!! So we can both walk the dogs. He thinks the Springer would work better than the walky dog.

Does the Springer attach to the seat post?

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

Yes, the Springer does attach to the seat post which sucked for me because I am short and we had to raise my seat to accomodate the clamp for the Springer.

The safety did work on Zahra, she actually jetted ahead of my tire when I rode through a water sprinkler, DH caught her! LOL! So Youngandtired is right these things should be tested on Basenji's.

I recommend using a harness other than what came with the Springer because the harness is universal and I didn't care for it.

You will have to tell me how you like the Walky Dog, I almost bought that one too and was still considering it but I will see what you have to say about the two. Keep me posted!

[MacPack]

I have a friend who swears by her Walkydog, takes her basenji for 6-8 mile rides when it is cooler. It evidently unclips easily if your dog needs a pit-stop. I'm afraid any one of my 3 would drag me to my death if attached to me on a bike.

Anne in Tampa