[Closed] Bike Dogs...

Gets me out most nights on the singlespeed. Love it (if I haven't already commuted that day, like today,when it just blooming hurts).
She's a german pointer. Brilliant for riding with.
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I found one of the chest harnesses helps with the on-the-lead moments.

we met a German pointer and a Dobey in the woods last night, scared the frikken shite out of me with 4 orange eyes staring at me 😯

Stopped to chat with the owner who's a biker and said the pointer is awesome with the bike the Dobey was a bit thick by all accounts.

It was a pleasure to see 2 big dogs off the lead, but responding so well to the owners commands. Beautiful dogs, made me all the more want a trail dog. Really going to have to work on the misses.

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Working cocker.

He's great when out with me. Love's being out front but you do have to watch as they'll run til they drop!

My working Labradors are good trail dogs. They are fit, obedient, not aggressive and most importantly don't get the way causing me to crash!

Only downside is in summer their coats can cause them to overheat, so obviously its best not to run them on the hotter days.

GSP's look like a good bet also Spaniels they have energy to burn!

Good luck.

Beautiful, that dobermann 🙂
The nose halti never worked for us really. Chest ones are much better, although do allow the dog to pull a little bit more

Found one of Hope in flight, with my boy trying to keep up
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Just started riding with my dog. Hell run with me for miles on trails. He's not that used to bikes yet so will try a Welsh trailcenter soon where hopefully he'll get used to other trail users.

Hi there grumpF. Sorry to hear you lost the dog.
Here is a picture of my two:
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Working cockers. Not the best trail dogs I would guess especially while under the age of three or so. Just to damn scatty and liable to do something unexpected.
Older one is 4 and can and will run all day being no bother at all. The other one is a bit more challenging and can be distracted too easily. She is just gone 2 and so as Spaniels go has to be excused quite a bit. They do seem to enjoy being sled dogs though. have a long lead and a length of chain that connects them side by side to the single lead. They will then happily pull me three or four miles and you can tell they love it from the body language. Northumbrian sled Spaniels is what I tell the city folk tourists that stop and ask what ind of dog they are.

I'd get me a doggi but I don't think they'll be too good on the ski lifts

I've got a Border Collie/Pointer cross and a Labrador/Staffie cross, both will run until they drop with the bike. They go crazy when I get it out, brilliant out on a ride and never get in my way.
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So is GRF called Grumpf on here too ? 🙂

I take my Jack Russell out tbh she is a bit small and if you really put your foot down you will have to wait at sone point inlike bigger dogs which will go fast all day.

But she loves it and if you want to ride down a road or get her out of the way of other riders you can just pick her up.

Dogs were born to run all day so if you've got one take it out with you.

Tends to be an icebreaker with walkers and other peeps we meet on rides which helps . NB I said tends if GRF gets caught nobbing his beast on the N Downs it's probably not great for the image of the sport...

Not sure if the good GRF has been called that on here before. I just clicked who he was on this thread.

Have to say he was a perfect gent when i met him at speedweek a few years ago and is welcome to sleep with my mother anytime it takes his fancy.

Chewie (aka the Sith Hound)

A singletrack demon and very good trail behaviour, apart from when I've been winding him up!

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Sorry GRF must be upsetting to get mistaken for the uk's leading importer of extreme handbags and fisty lube

I'm starting to train our pup 'Kona' for trail dog work.
Initially I tried walking the bike between her and I but she's so good at walking to heel that she was trying to get under the bike to get beside me. She's unfazed by the bike and happily wanders along side. Obviously just up and down the road again at the moment but you have to start somewhere and she loves it! 😀
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face time it kids next be could

(lovely dogs by the way! very envious)

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just wondering how fast and how far you run your dog?

i'm still on short walks and will be until he's 2 🙁

but he's never gonna be a bike dog (10 months and 140lbs)
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Banff, he loves it. If he gets out alot he can do 20 miles before slowing down, 10 if he hasnt been doing so much. Takes a proper big hill for me to go faster than him flat out. Took about 2 years for me to be relatively confident with him, he still has moments though, mainly with chasing rabbits.

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Ok a couple a questions I have
We have a 7.5 month old Border terrier. Next month I intend to start taking him on short jogs
But eventually I would like him to be a trail dog. Judging on current experience he will have the stamina.
so two quesions:
best way to train a dog for running with the bike
How best to manage them on lanes [lead options]

Thanks!

I have a couple of loops that i take out 2yr old springer on. All around the 11-15 mile mark. We take regular stops for her but she goes crackers when we stop. Bouncing around and barking. And she always beats me home! I'm sure she'd do it all again straight after give the chance.

julioflo i found the easiest way to trin mine to be on the lead was to just find an easy offroad path and just ride up and down it loads of times in place of her usual walk. shes fine with it now. this also taught her to run to the side of me not directly in front. she is great now. only corsses the trail behind me or right out in front. very very rarely do i have to take evasive action.

I too have a question about lead options when on the short lanes which link up the bridle tracks?
Do you just get off and walk or take a chance on there being no traffic.
Mines a springer / lab cross, so is mad as a hatter most of the time, and can't be trusted on the road.

juliflo

how big? i carry my JR on roads but she is quite a small one and naturally calm (for a terrier) and borders can be a fair bit bigger

she is now 15 months old and is quite happy going up to 20k - she just seemed to follow without needing much training - I think they think they are on a pack hunt and get on with it. I didnt take her on too long a ride before she was a year though and looked fully developed.

I keep her collar on and have a lead in my pocket just in case but generally if you keep moving they have evolved to stay with the pack as a survival instinct.

Great thread this - dogs are brilliant.

last night: full moon, bike, dog, cheeky singletrack. Marvellous.

(My dog also says can the people braking on the last berm on BKB pls MTFU and stay off the brakes as they are ****ing up the trail.)

I put her on the lead and ride. she knows to run on any pavement that is present while i ride on the road next to her. if no pavement i just have her on my left so shes as far out of the carriageway as possible.

[url= http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/basset-hounds-running ]if you're looking for a running comedy dog[/url]

I think I'll start by using the old train line for a bit, and see how we go. Might be too much for him??

Sam my Huntaway - loves a day out on the trails with the boys 😛

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he is pretty good on the trails, does sometimes cut berms out! and has been known to chase deer in the other direction!

[i]too have a question about lead options when on the short lanes which link up the bridle tracks?
Do you just get off and walk or take a chance on there being no traffic.[/i]

I get her on the lead - she's trained to go on the left of the bike, so keeps to the side of the road with me stopping her straying out.
Bit of a bugger when going against the traffic direction (although, of course never go on any remotely busy roads) as she can't understand why I'm trying to get her on the other side! I always hold the lead with one finger so can let go easily if necessary. Hasn't been for a long while now as she knows what's expected of her.
If my dog can learn it, any can!

Thanks for that. I trail run with him regularly, and he gets the idea we're on some sort of hunt I'm sure.
Great to hear of so many bike dogs. Great thread.

As someone who has a year old English Springer and year old working cocker spaniel I have no desires whatsoever to take them riding. I've had more than enough run ins with irresponsible people who take their dogs out on trails and then moan when their dog gets run over.

I was at Llandegla last Sunday and I came across three dogs on the loose, not one of the owners made any attempt to pull the dog to heel or get it off the trail. The last **** was on the freeride jumps at the end and kept running back and forth over blind hills back up the trail to have a another go, 8 year old and loose cannon dog just waiting for the next poor MTBer to come flat out over a ten foot high high table top...
🙄

I trained my dog to run with the bike using three commands, heel (on my left, shoulder level with BB), back (about 6ft behind rear wheel), and go (run ahead) he liked to go about 20-30 ft, I guess at that distance he could still hear the bike behind him. I was working on LEFT and RIGHT too.

Patience, practice and loads of praise were the key to training him. Plus start young.

On bit of advice, when getting them to run behind, don't let them run too close ie. Emergency stops, plus you'll end up covering them with crud off the rear wheel!
I used a bar end mirror to keep my eye on him when training the behind command. Saves riding into a tree while trying to look over your shoulder.

Some of my favorite rides were with 'Mr Fred' the Staffie/German Shepherd cross.

Smooth collie. Barks at me for not going fast enough
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@ G.R.F.

a slow 4.5 miles is a long walk for us at the moment. trying to keep him skinny and not over work him.
he's my first mastiff so doing as my breeder tells me...

your rotty was a good looking boy!

@ scruff

i think i remember reading that dalmatians are/were coach dogs? used to keep the wolves away.
so bread to be a good bike dog.

my last dog use to come to the dj trails with me.

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Here's my Chocky lab Charlie who Is 6 . I take him out on longish 8- 10 mile rides at this time of year as It's cool but make the rides much shorter in the summer . I also ride at a much slower pace but on the downhills just pretty much go for It as he will turn up in his own time. Great riding bud and he gets excited and starts jumping around when he see's the bike coming out the shed.

Bring on the summer eh?

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🙂

no chance of pastcaring's bike getting nicked 😀

nah its a horrid bike isnt it?

Thanks for all tips on training. I think Gylly is on the large side for a Border Terrier, at 8 months old he weighs 10Kg+
Jogging training is coming 1st and no long runs until he is a year old.
But I do like the idea of taking him slowly up and down a short section of bridleway on the lead with a bike to get the training underway.

On the subject of trail centres, i'm not sure if I would ever want to take him to one. As good as he seems to be, he is a terrier and is always going to be distracted by other mammals! So it's open dartmoor and local woods riding for him I think!

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Obligatory pic of Gylly having run riot at Godrevy should work this time!

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Just started taking my rr out with me now he's 21 months old.Nothing to long yet,only gisburn red route(about 18km).As for training he was whistle trained from a puppy so not a problem up to now.

alexxx - Member
nah its a horrid bike isnt it?

i think capo herd you dis his dads bike 😆
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the pic of the fly and the dj bike was taken on my old estate, not the nicest place to live.
funny no one tried to break in... 😯

the ridge back looks good!

Grumpf that border terrier looks a good size for you - those ridgebacks could replace your bike

If youre riding midweek there's hardly anyone around even in Surrey Hills so a dog makes good company - doesn't answer back tell you what to do or laugh when you fall off for a start

Dont think I'd take mine up there at weekend she is too small and it's too busy

Only been out for a few rides with Woody, but she seems to be getting the hang of it.

[img[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5462767150_1c6f505116.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5462767150_1c6f505116.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/beargotsoul/5462767150/ ]Woody's first ride[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/beargotsoul/ ]bear406z[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Working cocker here, great with the bike but crap where there is any traffic. As said they'll run, and run, and run..., watch their paws on harder surfaces.

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g.r.f,Pastcaring-Why thank you 8)

Archie the Border Terrier
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5523427560_4fffbbf8a3.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5059/5523427560_4fffbbf8a3.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25655510@N02/5523427560/ ]March 13th - Follow The Boss[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25655510@N02/ ]Johnclimber[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5499720399_0ecd8bfe35.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5060/5499720399_0ecd8bfe35.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/25655510@N02/5499720399/ ]March 5th - Beach Ride & Run[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/25655510@N02/ ]Johnclimber[/url], on Flickr

@G.R.F

i just zoomed out on your map, i'm not to far away from you between hastings and battle.
if i ever see someone being dragged up the road at 20 mph by a dp, i'll know its you 😆

OT what are the trails like on the other side of the marsh? thick sticky clay or something ridable?
some good stuff this side (when its dry) if you've never looked, but not been great this winter due to all the rain...

Whippet here, natural chase instinct makes her an easy trail hound.

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Can be a bit too keen to be in front mind, and loves the drop offs!! 😀

My dog is near going into retirement from her biking days, she's about ten now and dont want to push her too hard. Nearly ten years biking with me, gutted she cant come out as often now!! Many many happy biking times with her and plenty hill walking looking for trails with her to come.

i grew up (some may disagree) in north kent so know all about the chalk. only lived down here for 14 months
still trying to find my way around.
i'll have a look around hamstreet cheers.

G.R.F. - Member

I might hang out on this forum a bit more, I usually get bored with bikers and their anorak 'have you got the right spacer' can't be doing with it. But if that bender winterfold can take it, I'm sure I can,

If you have been able to put up with the Contributor in Chief over there for the last few years then this place is easy!

 

Love that pic thv3 I'd like a whippet but don't think my daughters cats would 🙂

Inspired by this thread on Sunday morning... I treated Olive to some techie single track...
[img] http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/ekmps/shops/bikemonger/resources/Design/puddle2.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/ekmps/shops/bikemonger/resources/Design/puddle2.jp g"/> [/img]

I have added a cow bell (£4 off ebay) and a fluro neck buff to my trail hound. This works pretty well as otherwise she is invisible in bracken/woods etc. You also get a festive raindeer sound when she is about to cut you up.

I taught Banff the BEHIND command, use it before a big hill so he doesnt get out in front and take the wrong trail / turn.

Took Merlot, our Cocker around the Top of Swinley yesterday with Son1. deliberately tried to avoid the STW crush. He loves it. A lot better then me on the drop-offs. Can disappear into the bushes, but always comes when called. The dog does the same 🙄