# Walkydog day 1



## Cmart559 (Feb 21, 2011)

I just purchased the walkydog for my gsd's. Just a little background, my dogs are semi trained, never Been to obedience class an I'm learning as I'm going. I work 12 hr shifts so sometimes I don't have time to excursive my dogs the way they should.

I was dedicated to find something that would make dog workouts easier because I can't run two dogs alone. Found walkydog on utube and bought it. The first start of trying to get my dog hooked up to it was a challenge. Once I was able to get him attached I had problems starting off. Then once I wad able to go my dog picked up quick. He ran quite a Ways and he was able to get rid of all of that built up energy, I love it and would recommend it to all. It's durable and thick and it's worth the cost.


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## lanaw13 (Jan 8, 2011)

I would love a picture… thought about buying one, really need a way to work off some doggie energy…!! Did you do two dogs at once? Did you use a harness or collar?


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

I've got a walkydog too. Works great and takes absolutely no training as long as your dog can do a decent heal. 

Now that's it's almost spring time, I think I may have to start biking with lucy again. Thanks for the reminder.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Bike leash?


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I used to have a K9 Cruiser bike attachment, I really liked it but it was stolen along with my bike so I don't have an attachment anymore. 

I was sent a link to this one, it looks pretty good and I'm trying to decide if I should buy it:
Bike Dog Leash, Dog Exercise, Dog Training, Bike-A-Buddy, Bicycle Dog Leash


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Seriously thinking about getting one of these.

Do you think it would be crazy to ride a bike with the child attachment seat behind the adult and use the bike attachment as well for a well trained non-reactive dog?

I'd love to be able to go bike riding with my son (7 months now) in the local parks and take one of the dogs along as well, but I'm not sure how much the bike attachment really absorbs, and I likely wouldn't use it much if at all if my son couldn't go along with me.


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

Ride Your Bike & Walk Your Dog | Bike Tow Leash

I have used this for over year with Max. It's well designed, low center of gravity, semi-rigid, easy to install, etc (see link if you like). It attaches to the frame near the center of the rear wheel. 










He runs on the side of the bike and can't go in front or behind. He can actually "pull" me a bit but still be beside the bike. This also allows me to sense quickly that he is slowing down, which is important as I do not want to overwork him.

I can fit on the sidewalk with him, but also I will often sidle up to the grass strip if available so I am on pavement and he is running on the grass. I had previously taught him turn left, right, halt, while walking and this made it so virtually NO additional training was required to use this.

I really like this piece of equipment and highly recommend it


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I have the Springer and love it. It has a lower centre of gravity and I can easily see her. I make sure that the leash that I use to attach to her harness is not too long so she cannot get in front of me.

The disadvantage of it is that you do take up a lot of space on a trail (a little bit more that walking side by side) so you have to make sure that you have enough room. It also does not fit my bike perfectly and I have to be careful where I position my foot on the peddle. I could hit the bar if I put my foot too far back. I go really slow and not for a long distance so this is not a problem.

I did look at the walky dog and liked it as well but I believe that it attaches to the seat pole. I don't have my seat up that high and I don't think it would fit. It would fit on my husbands bike.

I like the bike tow leash better than the walky dog because of where it is attached to the bike.

What ever the product, biking with your dog is a great way for both to get out and exercise.


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## mydogrocks (Oct 20, 2010)

Rerun said:


> Seriously thinking about getting one of these.
> 
> Do you think it would be crazy to ride a bike with the child attachment seat behind the adult and use the bike attachment as well for a well trained non-reactive dog?
> 
> I'd love to be able to go bike riding with my son (7 months now) in the local parks and take one of the dogs along as well, but I'm not sure how much the bike attachment really absorbs, and I likely wouldn't use it much if at all if my son couldn't go along with me.



Using the walkydog with your son could be very dangerous and the web site says the product shouldn't be used on a bike with a child seat.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

The one I linked to in my other post attaches to the rear axle, as does the K9 Cruiser which I used to have and liked:
https://www.k9cruiser.com/


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## lanaw13 (Jan 8, 2011)

I like that k9 cruiser!!!


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

I have looked at a lot of these and read peoples reviews. Seems like the problem I always read is that the dog pulls and the attachment moves out of position. I think the K9 cruiser looks the best in that respect.

ETA: is the OP a spammer?


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Yeah my K9 Cruiser never moved out of position. I also left it on my bike all the time since it was very unobtrusive (of course, that is why it got stolen when my bike was stolen but that's a different matter!)
I actually bought a Springer first, but when I went to buy a new bike and took the Springer along it did not fit any of the bikes the store had that were my size. It either would not fit the frame due to how the brake line ran (the guy at the store said he could attach it to the bike seat adjuster, but that made the bike seat way too tall for me), or it fit the bike ok but I would have been banging into it every time I pedaled. So I ended up getting the K9 Cruiser instead and had no problem getting it on the bike I bought.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

BlackPuppy said:


> ETA: is the OP a spammer?


I don't think so . . . no other posts, no links to other sites selling something.


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## makeasnowangel (Apr 9, 2011)

Chicagocanine said:


> I used to have a K9 Cruiser bike attachment, I really liked it but it was stolen along with my bike so I don't have an attachment anymore.
> 
> I was sent a link to this one, it looks pretty good and I'm trying to decide if I should buy it:
> Bike Dog Leash, Dog Exercise, Dog Training, Bike-A-Buddy, Bicycle Dog Leash


I'm new to this forum, but I'm trying to decide between the walkydog, the K9cruiser, and the Bike-A-Buddy after looking at your link. I broke my ankle a few years back snowboarding and it's hard for me to walk/run my dog so I think biking is my next best option. 

Have you tried out the Bike-A-Buddy yet? I really like the concept of the Bike-A-Buddy because I feel as if having the dog near the back and having the metal wrap around it might be safer. However, I googled it and there weren't any reviews other than the ones listed on the sale site so I'm a bit skeptical. 

It seems as if the bungee cord on the K9cruiser is too long. With the busy streets/sidewalks of Chicago I was hoping for something that kept my dog closer to me.

The only reservation I have about the WalkyDog is that my dog usually heels pretty nicely except when she sees another dog and then she goes berzerk and starts pulling me. If we're moving fast enough she'll usually snap out of it, but I'm afraid with the high attachment of the Walkydog it'll pull my bike over. 

Anyone have any experience with these and can give me some advice? I'd really appreciate it.


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## mydogrocks (Oct 20, 2010)

makeasnowangel said:


> I'm new to this forum, but I'm trying to decide between the walkydog, the K9cruiser, and the Bike-A-Buddy after looking at your link. I broke my ankle a few years back snowboarding and it's hard for me to walk/run my dog so I think biking is my next best option.
> 
> Have you tried out the Bike-A-Buddy yet? I really like the concept of the Bike-A-Buddy because I feel as if having the dog near the back and having the metal wrap around it might be safer. However, I googled it and there weren't any reviews other than the ones listed on the sale site so I'm a bit skeptical.
> 
> ...


 
We have a walkydog and its great, you have to make sure its really tightly screwed on or can move a little but other than that we've had no problems. One thing that I really like is the attatchment discontects easily so it can double as a leash if we need to stop for a potty break. 

Ares has a similar problem with pulling when he see's cats or squirrels but we havn't had any issues with it, I think it's becasue we're usually moving at a quicker pace so he doesn't notice them. He did flip when he saw our neighbor's dog and wanted to go play with her but it was pretty easy to steer him through it. 

Hope that helps


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I haven't tried the Bike-A-Buddy so I can't say for sure, I think it may be a newer product and that's why there are no reviews. I like the fact that it has a spring, I think that combined with being below the center of gravity would work really well at keeping the dog in check.
I did really like my K9 Cruiser though, I didn't find the leash to be too long at all, it doesn't let the dog get very far from the bike IMO. I live in Chicago too.
I noticed they changed the leash part though, the one I have is a strap and not a bungee so it may be a different length. However the strap part is removable so really you don't have to use the one it came with, you could buy a shorter leash or a coupler or something and use that instead.


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## splinterexpert (May 14, 2011)

*Bike-A-Buddy*



makeasnowangel said:


> I'm new to this forum, but I'm trying to decide between the walkydog, the K9cruiser, and the Bike-A-Buddy after looking at your link. I broke my ankle a few years back snowboarding and it's hard for me to walk/run my dog so I think biking is my next best option.
> 
> Have you tried out the Bike-A-Buddy yet? I really like the concept of the Bike-A-Buddy because I feel as if having the dog near the back and having the metal wrap around it might be safer. However, I googled it and there weren't any reviews other than the ones listed on the sale site so I'm a bit skeptical.
> 
> ...


 
I bought a Bike A Buddy, and I am very pleased with it. I emailed the guy that makes them, and there is an attachment you can get that you should ask for if you have a chain guard on your bike- he was super helpful and sent an extra spring in exchange for pictures and testimonials. The center of gravity is very low; I have had three dogs attached, two to one spring and one alone; I typically take two dogs at a time due to differences in gait. One of my dogs is very very fast and strong and chases squirrels- she scrabbles sideways after them and the bike is almost completely unaffected. The dogs cannot get too close to the bike, they are not behind me, but about where they would be at heel (you can adjust this). I use pinch chains instead of their collars- my dogs always gag if I attach to their collars, and harnesses mean chaos before every outing. The pinch chain seems to work fine for them, and we have had no issues- it does give them more reach than they would have with a collar ot harness. I used to use a spring bar attached to my seat post, and I would never go back. I stayed away form the rear wheel attached options because you can only take dogs on one side, and typically a single dog. The Springer is awkward to attach, in my opinion. I hope this is helpful to you...


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## makeasnowangel (Apr 9, 2011)

splinterexpert said:


> I bought a Bike A Buddy, and I am very pleased with it. I emailed the guy that makes them, and there is an attachment you can get that you should ask for if you have a chain guard on your bike- he was super helpful and sent an extra spring in exchange for pictures and testimonials. The center of gravity is very low; I have had three dogs attached, two to one spring and one alone; I typically take two dogs at a time due to differences in gait. One of my dogs is very very fast and strong and chases squirrels- she scrabbles sideways after them and the bike is almost completely unaffected. The dogs cannot get too close to the bike, they are not behind me, but about where they would be at heel (you can adjust this). I use pinch chains instead of their collars- my dogs always gag if I attach to their collars, and harnesses mean chaos before every outing. The pinch chain seems to work fine for them, and we have had no issues- it does give them more reach than they would have with a collar ot harness. I used to use a spring bar attached to my seat post, and I would never go back. I stayed away form the rear wheel attached options because you can only take dogs on one side, and typically a single dog. The Springer is awkward to attach, in my opinion. I hope this is helpful to you...


Thanks so much for the info! I just ordered one a couple days ago so once I get it up and running I'll let everyone know how it turns out. 

The thing I'm really worried about is this scenario: 
1. My dog is biking on my right
2. She sees a dog across the street on the left
3. She tries to chase the dog to the left and slams into my feet or the back tire and gets trampled or I go flying.

You would think that she'd know she can't run through the bike...but she can be pretty determined (a.k.a. stupid) when she sees another dog.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

I would suggest not biking with your dog until you work on her dog/dog reactivity


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## makeasnowangel (Apr 9, 2011)

sagelfn said:


> I would suggest not biking with your dog until you work on her dog/dog reactivity


Yea, we have been. I've had her a bit over a year now (adopted her from a shelter) so we've gone through numerous training programs. I thought biking with her would take some energy off and help with the training. She has her good days but you never know when she'll have a bad day. I was planning to bike at night (9/10pm) when there are less people walking their dogs and see how she does.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

makeasnowangel said:


> Yea, we have been. I've had her a bit over a year now (adopted her from a shelter) so we've gone through numerous training programs. I thought biking with her would take some energy off and help with the training. She has her good days but you never know when she'll have a bad day. I was planning to bike at night (9/10pm) when there are less people walking their dogs and see how she does.


Do you use a prong? might want to also attach a leash and hang onto that for added control


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## makeasnowangel (Apr 9, 2011)

sagelfn said:


> Do you use a prong? might want to also attach a leash and hang onto that for added control


Not sure how to feel about prong collars. I currently use a Gentle Leader or a SENSE-ible Harness to try to minimize pulling.


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## makeasnowangel (Apr 9, 2011)

*1 Year Later...Bike-A-Buddy is Great!*

Hi guys,

I know this thread is old, but just in case anyone stumbles upon it and is interested, I thought I'd do an update about the Bike-A-Buddy. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PRODUCT! Especially because the owner is constantly working on improvements. A plastic part broke (perhaps because I left my bike out in the snow) and when I e-mailed him about it, he sent me a new design that replaced the part with metal. The attachment pieces are also different, so it's much more sturdy and fits on my bike amazingly well. 

Because the system is low on the bike, I hardly feel a thing when my dog pulls. She's about 45 lbs and when she tries to run towards dogs she sees, I have no problem steering her away. In my previous posts, I was worried about her running into my feet, but the spring extends outward with a short bungee attached, which keeps her away from the back wheel and doesn't extend enough that she can run into me (unless I'm at a standstill and she pulls.) Furthermore, because the Bike-A-Buddy has an attachment that goes around your rear wheel, I'm far less worried about her running into my back tire. 

If anyone wants pictures, let me know. But the gist of the story is: I highly recommend the Bike-A-Buddy.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Thanks for the update! I would like to see photos. I am still trying to decide which attachment to get when I (finally) replace the stolen one...


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