Biking With Dogs

If your dog loves to run, cycling might be the perfect adventure activity you can do together- it's as easy as riding a bike!

Top Tips

Always go to dog friendly areas- check ahead!
Only let your dog off-leash if you are in an off-leash area.
Get something for your dogs paws- especially if they are running on Tarmac. We use Paw Magik.
Start slow- make sure your dog is comfortable with the bike and will stay to the side of you- you don't want to hit them at high speed!
Start in a non-crowded area.
Make sure they can walk on a loose leash and are fit and healthy before starting this activity.
Always bring plenty of water- this one tires them out.

We love biking with Akela. As you will see from the video and the picture, Akela has done a range of biking off leash and on. The picture is actually in Scotland, and we have never run her with the bikes off-leash in Canada. With bears, Cougars, Elk and Moose a potential at every turn (we're entering their space remember!) it feels prudent to keep her on-leash. The leash by-law in our area is for dogs to be on a leash that is 2 m or less at all times, so that is something to definitely research beforehand.

Whilst off-leash is easier, (and if you are in an area where it is doable then go ahead) I'll discuss on-leash for most of this.

Getting Started

Get your dog comfortable with the bike first. Walk the bike and the dog together. This will stop them from getting spooked.
Once you get on the bike start slowly. You have the option to ride leash in hand, which like skiing gives you the ability to simply let go if anything goes really wrong. A hands free option gives you more control over the bike and mitigates pulling. I personally hold the leash, so I can't advise on the best hands free saddle clip or anything, but a quick google search will help!
Positive re-enforcement is the key to starting any new hobby with your furry best friend. Keep praising them and telling them how great they're doing and soon they will be jumping for joy at the mention of bikes! ... No really... Akela jumps in the air with excitement if you say "bike."

Equipment

This is a direct copy from the "ski" feature, so apologies if you've already read that one- I use the same things.

Harness

To protect the dogs back you will need a cross-back Harness. I bought this Man Mat one from Snowy Owl Adventure Dog Outfitters, but here it is even on Amazon.

Cross back Harnesses take the weight off the shoulders and neck and disperse it evenly throughout the dog, so they are well worth the investment.

Leash

We use the Rocky Mountain Dog All-Mountain Leash. It is great because it has a bungee leash, is strong, padded handle and a hands free option.

We really like Rocky Mountain Dog because it is a local business, the owner seems to really care about his products and we have a range of them and no quality issues.

While this is not a sponsored post and we do genuinely use and stand by RMD, we do have a discount code if you would like to use it. Enter AKELA at checkout.