Biking With Your Canine: How To Get Started

Getting up on your feet to take a morning bike would always be a great idea. It allows you to get a breath of fresh air and get yourself moving. While biking yourself might sound refreshing, bringing your canine with you can make it more exciting and allow it as another way of strengthening your bond.

Biking with your dog allows you to develop a stronger bond, calms them, and keeps you both fit and healthy. As you mastered biking with your dog, you might even want to consider bikejoring, like from Neewa Dogs, and it should allow you to run with them safely as you use the right gears. But before you get deeper into that, you need to learn more about how to get started, so you can gradually upgrade biking with your canine.

Check On Your Dog First

Not every dog is a running dog. Even if your dog likes to run around the house to play with you or other pets, they might not be capable of running long distances as they have low stamina or are young enough to go out for a run. Before you add a leash to your dog, you should check first if they’re physically fit enough to go out for a run.

Ideally, you should never bring your dog for a run if they’re:

  • Large and heavy
  • Small and short
  • Thick-coated
  • Old
  • Over-weight
  • Short-nosed
  • With an illness or disease

While it might seem fun to take them out for an exercise routine, biking with them might not be a good option, especially since this can be quicker than what they’re used to. For those types of dogs, just take them out for a walk or do a light jog they can join into.

Train Your Dog First

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to bike with your dog but only ending up chasing them as they keep running away or being aggressive to other dogs or people. To avoid inconvenience and trouble, you should train your dog first before exposing them to the bike.

You can teach them the proper behavior once they’re in public, as they need to manage their urges to focus on your activity. You should also train them to listen to your commands even if their environment is distracting. Once you’re out in public, there’ll be plenty of things you cannot control, as you need your dog to be on its best behavior.

Training your canine to be well-behaved might take a while. Even with its lengthy period, this is something you should never miss as it might cause trouble in the future. Luckily, training them wouldn’t only benefit your cycling habits but also incorporate good behavior while inside your home.

young woman pushing her electric bicycle with the dog in the basket

Slowly Introduce Bike To Your Dog

If your dog has never seen a bike before, it might feel scared, anxious, or too excited about your ride. If you immediately attach your dog to a leash and cycle with them, you can expect troubles and possible accidents to get along the way. To guarantee a smooth ride experience, slowly introduce your bike to your canine by letting them see first and have a good sniff of what it is. Don’t make any loud noises, and let them explore your bike.

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    Once they’re no longer uncomfortable or too excited around your bike, you can walk with your bike along with your dog. It’s important that you don’t ride it first but just hold onto your bike while you walk with them. If your dog keeps your phase, you could try riding your bike but try to be slow as much as possible. Maintain a walking phase until they’re comfortable walking along with you, and gradually increase your speed while still allowing your canine to catch up with you.

    As you ride with your canine for the first time, don’t expect them to carry on miles as they’re just starting in this new environment. Take short trips first until you notice that they can run longer intervals. Moreover, you need to accommodate how far you need to bike back, as it’ll also be something they need to do.

    Purchase The Right Gear

    Once your canine is not comfortable riding along with you on your bike, it’ll be the perfect time to buy the right gear to ensure their safety and comfort. Ideally, you should purchase the following:

    • Bicycle dog leash – It’s a leash that you’ll attach to your bike so you don’t have to manipulate your regular leash, which can break due to improper handling.
    • Harness – Using collars on your canines as they run might make them feel uncomfortable and painful. Ideally, a dog harness attaches to the body, removing any unnecessary pressure on the neck and allowing for even distribution to the entire body.
    • GPS tracker – in case your canine runs away, you can track their whereabouts in real-time and retrieve them back.
    • Lights – if you plan to bike with your canine in the dark, it’s important that you purchase lights that help you to navigate while also letting people know where you are to avoid any accidents.
    • Dog carrier – in case your dog gets tired while you’re on your bike, you can conveniently place them inside your carrier or basket so they can be comfortable as you take your trip back home. It’ll help avoid over-exhausting your dog and avoid wearing out your pooch.

    Keep Your Dog Comfortable

    When you go for a ride, you might prioritize your comfort by looking at the most comfortable bike. However, your dog might not have enough power to choose its comfort as you’re in control of everything that’s around them. And to help your dog enjoy the ride, you should also prioritize their comfort.

    It’ll be great if you could let your dog wear comfortable running shoes to keep their paws from potentially stepping on small spikes or rocks, which can hurt their feet. If the temperature is a bit warm, you should skip running with your dog as it might make them feel uncomfortable and catch an illness.

    As you run with them, you must bring their favorite snacks and water to keep them refreshed during your entire trip. They deserve to take a rest and stay hydrated during your entire trip, as much as you do.

    Takeaway

    Biking with your dog can be a fun activity you can share with them. However, you should always take it easy and steady as you don’t want to overwhelm your dog, making them uncomfortable being around your bike.

    But with the right preparation, training, and gear, you should be able to bike with your dog with ease and allow everything to be comfortable and fun for both of you.

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    Biking With Your Canine: How To Get Started — Bike Hacks