Whats the best way to train a dog to run/walk beside you while you ride a bike?

What I've started doing, and he's responding well to, is getting on the bike while holding his leash and then just walking it for a bit, until he's got a good pace going, then pedaling. We've been doing it for about a week (except it snowed today).

I talk to him - not commands or anything - just to keep his attention on me instead of on other things. I'm afraid he'll stop paying attention then run in front of the bike or something.

Any suggestions for training would be great Also - any bike training tools, if they exist

I bike with Riley. He is hooked up with a harness to my bike. I have the Walky Dog bike attachment. You can get it on Amazon for $40 or so. It makes it much safer for you and the dog. It has a spring shock absorber in it so when the dog pulls he doesn't pull you over. Riley is very well trained and knows a lot of commands so it is very easy to bike with him. He knows stop, wait, easy, left, right, leave it, heel etc. It is very helpful if your dog knows these commands. I can bike right by people with dogs and other critters running around. Start off slow. I prefer to bike on trials where he can run free but I do bike around the neighborhood but since its all pavement I don't run him more than a mile or so. How old is your dog? If he is still young I would be careful running him on pavement.

__________________

Beau is a year and two months old. I don't bike with him very long - just training him to do it right now. I don't know exactly what biking him on pavement means - but I'm on the pavement the whole time but he's on the grass except for when he goes across driveways. We don't go far, for fear that something will happen and we want my family to be able to come quickly to get either of us. We only go about 12 houses down the road and turn around. It's convenient, really, because I can teach him "Stop" at the stop sign, and turn around in an area without any traffic (a dead end portion of the road).

I'll look into the Walky Dog bike attachment. Right now I'm just hooking his retractable leash to my bike handle, which he hasn't done anything deadly yet but the idea is scary lol. I knew there had to be something that existed.

When I take Riley around my neighborhood he runs on the road. That's what I meant about biking on pavement. With a young dog you don't want him running on hard surfaces till he is older. 18 + months old. Riley is almost 7 so I don't like to do to much running on hard surfaces.
Definately look into getting a bike attachment. Hooking your leash to your bike could get you seriously injured especially if he takes off after something. Also make sure you get a harness. You don't want him pulling on his neck.
Riley actually will pull the bike along at the beginning of the run. Once he gets a little energy out he settles jogging right next to the bike.

__________________

This may be a dumb question - but is the idea for riding the same as for heeling? Like, should they stay beside you or is it okay for them to go a little ahead, further out, or lag behind a little? I've been keeping him beside me, a couple feet away in the grass. I didn't know if that was right.

Also - he does have a harness that we use on walks and everything because I hate for him to get the leash under his legs and the harness prevents that usually.

I prefer that Riley stay right beside me. When we first start out he does get a little ahead but he can't go far since the Walky Dog is short. It attaches to the seat pole. So it does keep them pretty much next to you.

__________________

Use a very short leash, my new puppy is already very good going along side the bike and he can't run in front or behind the bike because of the short leash


Tuco my new little puppy born October 2, 2012

At 3 months old you need to be very careful about biking your puppy. As mentioned above, they should not be running on hard surfaces until at least 18 months old (I prefer age 2 after final hip and elbow xrays).

__________________

He's not exactly running, I'm prolly moving at jogging speed


Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App

It doesn't matter. He's still doing forced exercise on a hard surface. You could be doing irreparable harm to is growing joints. I would suggest waiting to bike him until he's older.

__________________