Bike Rides with your Dog
Hank and Mouse are working breeds and need a lot of mental and physical stimulation. I have always enjoyed biking, but when I had Hank just for a few weeks I had a terrifying experience with him in Bottle Lake Forest (Christchurch, NZ). He had a really good recall already, but I didn't consider that there are lots of rabbits in the forest. His prey drive is very strong and I lost him for 2 hours. Eventually he came trotting back to the car to my huge relief. That incident taught me a huge lesson. I wasn't gonna take any chances anymore and went on a journey of internet research how to bike your dog safely. Turns out there are a few products on the market that attach your dog to your bike, but when I read further into it, I could see that most of them are not made for strong dogs with an even stronger prey drive. I needed the solution to be safe for Hank and for me. It couldn't break since I sometimes ride along roads and he couldn't be able to pull me over. That's where I found the WalkyDog Bike attachment which has a patented internal spring system that acts like suspension when your dog pulls and keeps your dog positioned safely to the side of your bike and away from the front tire.
It's basically a bullet-proof dog exerciser with:
High-carbon stainless steel construction with solid brass end-cap.
Patented one of a kind quick-lock/release mechanism. Allows for quickly attaching and detaching the bar portion in under 1 second for safe storage or use on another bike.
Universal adjustable seatpost clamp for mounting on nearly any bike seatpost or frame.
Fully adjustable cord length for dogs of different heights.
Military Grade 550 paracord for added strength and longevity with adjustable internal spring system for dogs of varying strengths.
TÜV SÜD product certification for quality and safety.
After reading all of this and watching some videos and looking into reviews I really wanted one. Turned out though that none of the companies selling them is willing to ship them to New Zealand. I managed over multiple expensive detours to get one anyways and we absolutely love it! Hank could finally go biking again, I felt super safe and he quickly learnt that he can't go after rabbits when he is attached to the WalkyDog, because it won't give in like that. I barely noticed him trying. When Mouse wasn't a little puppy anymore I gradually started getting her used to the attachment as well, in some slow 5-10 minute bike rides and she absolutely loves it as well. Recently I have bought a lead-splitter and started biking Hank and Mouse together on short distances. The best way to quickly tire them out, they have lots of fun and I feel completely safe while doing so.
Because I am so convinced of the WalkyDog and I constantly had people stopping me asking where to get it I looked into importing them into New Zealand. You can now buy them from this website (Kiwi Canine). I will take more videos of our adventures and provide them here as well. :) Check out this one of Hank in the forest and Mouse as a puppy trotting beside: https://www.facebook.com/sithappensnztraining/videos/17158454
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If you love biking and your dog loves running, I can certainly recommend to give the WalkyDog a go. Use it responsibly. Dogs should be close to a year old or older, wear a harness and should never be made to run faster than the pace they feel comfortable with. Some heavier or less active breeds, such as bulldogs, may have difficulty with excessive exercise and dogs under 10 kg might also struggle to keep up with the bike.