Dog Bike Carrier Safely Cycle With Your Dog

Dog owners love to involve their dog in their everyday routines and that includes leisure and exercise. Obviously taking your dog out for a walk with you is no problem, but what do you do if you enjoy cycling? I have seen many people try to take their dogs with them while they cycle and tie the dog’s leash to the handle bars of the bike. Let me tell you right now this is dangerous and I have seen this end in disaster more than a few times. Most dogs while run along side a bike with ease, however the problems comes into play when a dogs becomes distracted by something else. You are trying to bike straight and something to the left has caught the dog’s attention, he jerks to the left to investigate, and you go flying off the bike onto the hard ground. It really isn’t a pretty picture; there are much safer alternative available that let both you and your dog enough a bike ride.

Dog bike carriers are the solution to this problem. It might sound crazy, but you see parents with their children in carrier seats, so why not dogs? A wide variety of dog bike carriers are available in pet stores and online. Depending on the size of dog you have will determine what type of dog carrier you need to purchase.

There are two main types of dog bike carriers, the dog bike basket and the dog bike trailer. The dog bike basket simply affixes onto the front of your bike. However, this is designed for smaller breeds such as Terriers. You can also take a puppy for a ride in the basket. The great thing about dog bike baskets are they usually come with a pocket or pouch on the front for storing food and water bottles.

The dog bike trailer is obviously designed for larger breeds such as Golden Retrievers. The trailer usually has 2 wheels and hitches easily to the back of any bike. The advantage of the dog bike trailer is if you are worried your dog may jump from a basket then this is a better option. Since the dog trailer is quite low to the ground if a dog jumped from here there would be no danger. Also, the dog will have a more space to move around. Most dog bike trailers are made of steel frames with a nylon tent. If the dog was to have an accident in the trailer the nylon fabric makes cleanup fairly easy. The tent can also be zipped up if it began to rain on the bike ride, your dog will remain dry.

It is always important to get your dog used to the basket or trailer first before going for a ride. You may want to leave either basket or trailer around the house for a few days so the dog can get used to it and maybe even sit in it. Once you feel that your dog is comfortable enough to go for a ride make sure that the first one is fairly short. Once again this just gets the dog used to the dog bike carrier and no more than a 5 minute ride should do the trick. After a few short rides, your dog should feel comfortable enough to go for longer ones. I should mention that you never want to leave your dog unattended in either a bike basket or bike trailer just in case the bike was to tip over.

A dog bike carrier makes it possible for you and your dog to enjoy a bike ride. You can exercise while cycling to the dog park and once there your dog can let off all his energy. It is a great investment that will really benefit both of you.