Dog bike leads, anyone use them?

[Salar]

I'm trying to kill two birds with one stone,combine the dog walk with a bike ride on the quieter trails, definitely not on the road.

I've seen a few post regarding these, what's your experiences and how do you get on with them.

The ones that fit to the seat post look as if you'll catch your foot or thighs on them?

Any recommendations or comments would really help before I invest.

Many Thanks.

 

[ColinJ]

A friend of mine has a lead which has a big loop which went over one of her shoulders like the strap on a messenger bag. She used it with her dog on our cycling holiday in Scotland. I thought it looked potentially lethal, and it would be with an untrained dog, but 'Buster' was used to it and just ran happily alongside his mistress as we rode our bikes. He was doing 25-30 miles a day with us without any mishaps.

Obviously, your dog must be sensible enough not run in front of you, pull you sideways, or suddenly stop!

 

[si_c]

Used to ride with my dog when on trails, he'd run just to the side of the bike no lead required. If you've trained your dog to walk to heel with no lead then this is only one extra step.

I've seen a few people out MTBing with their dogs on trails in NW.

 

[Salar]

He's an obedient dog and walks to heel with no lead, but sometimes he is a bit of softie and doesn't like greyhounds.
One spooked him when he was a puppy and he tends to run / hide from them so I need to keep him on a lead when they are around.

 

[Salar]

A friend of mine has a lead which has a big loop which went over one of her shoulders like the strap on a messenger bag. She used it with her dog on our cycling holiday in Scotland. I thought it looked potentially lethal, and it would be with an untrained dog, but 'Buster' was used to it and just ran happily alongside his mistress as we rode our bikes. He was doing 25-30 miles a day with us without any mishaps.

Obviously, your dog must be sensible enough not run in front of you, pull you sideways, or suddenly stop!

I've seen them,as you say they do look a bit unsafe and look as if they would tangle in the pedals etc.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Thinking about it, would't you get more exercise by just walking the dog? A bike is a more efficient way of getting around than on foot. And the length of your session is going to be limited by how far/fast the dog wants to go. (I'm not pouring cold water on your idea ... just thinking aloud.)

 

[Crackle]

A few people use the contraptions that you can get but I never liked them. If I needed him on a lead I used a jogging lead just dropped over the seat post. With the CoG where it is, you won't notice a pull there. If you need something a little stiffer then one of those wire leashes that you use on a dog ground anchor will do. Again, I used to take mine mtn biking and he'd run with me. I taught him to go to heel and the word 'move!" which was used to get him out the way sharpish.

 

[Profpointy]

don't loop the lead round the handlebars. One of my team discovered this was a bad idea: broken arm

 

[Salar]

I was thinking along the same lines @Crackle. A jogging lead, not on the shoulder but on the seat post, I'm not so sure about those bolt on bars and things.

 

[Crackle]

I was thinking along the same lines @Crackle. A jogging lead, not on the shoulder but on the seat post, I'm not so sure about those bolt on bars and things.

The belt ones seem to be in fashion at the moment and look quite good. The one I used was similar to this. One thing to be aware of is getting tangled up. You can either get him a chest harness to avoid pulls on his neck or have his collar loose enough to pull over his head in an emergency.

 

[Sixmile]

I have encountered a fella on my local greenway on a petrol quad with 3 dogs attached using very short leads, so much so they're all running, sorry dragged headfirst close into the quad as the lard loving driver splutters along albeit at a slow enough pace. I've came round a corner a time or two and had to take evasive action to miss his vehicle and his entourage.

I always just think poor aul dogs.

 

[Salar]

Thanks @Crackle, he's got a chest harness, so I would be using that.

 

[mjr]

A benefit of the bar ones is that most have some quick-release mechanism for if the dog gets tangled. I think they're quite common in the Netherlands and are slowly spreading here. I first saw them on a list of things that are not dangerous:

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I give my greyhounds a run at more than my walking pace by using my bike. I just have their regular lead around my wrist and 1 at a time they are happy to lope along at the side of me and know well enough not to go in front or pull me off balance.

 

[Firestorm]

Your dog has a bike ????