All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label dog biking. Show all posts

Monday, December 12, 2011

Springer Makes Biking Your Dog
Safer & More Fun

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Gone are the days of holding the leash while I bike the dogs. My new Springer bike attachment for exercising the dogs is a wonderful invention; now it's much easier for us to ride together.

Until Global Pet Expo, I had not actually seen one of these gadgets, although I was aware of their existence. Today I'll share with you a bit about how it works, in layman's terms. Or maybe I should call it laywoman's terms. Ah, who am I kidding. You're going to get the dummed-down version.

Apparently the engineering behind this contraption is pretty significant. It's got a gigantic spring (thus the name) that actually pulls the dog back toward the bike if he happens to pull away, as if to chase a squirrel, or perhaps a girl. There's also a breakaway gizmo to make sure Fido doesn't try to run around the bike and kill you both. Just as it sounds, the breakaway thingy will bust if Fido does a 360, and he'll be loose to free you from certain death. That may sound funny to you, but imagine having your pup run in front of you or behind you, causing a nasty fall and wreckage that could imitate something from an interstate highway pileup. I love the safety features built into this Springer, even if I have to call them gizmos and thingys!

You may be wondering if this gadget is too complicated to install on your own bike. Apparently not! I handed the box to hubby and in a matter of minutes he was back in the house announcing the job was done. "Seriously, I asked? Will I kill myself on this thing? How could you have gotten it properly attached so quickly?" After major assurance that all was in working order, Tanner and I climbed aboard, adding a short attachment to the connector to help him adapt to the shorter length of the Springer's leash. After all, we've been using a 4-6 ft. leash to bike for 4 years, so he deserved a little distance from the gizmo until we were both sure he'd be comfortable with the idea.

I gave Oliver the same consideration, although he is a bit less concerned about his proximity to the bike. On the other hand, he's also 60 lbs. smaller than Tanner, so I decided to give him the extra distance as well. He took off like a sled dog and was pulling me around the neighborhood. Let's be clear; this is a 10 lb. dog we're talking about--a Papillon with the finest bones around. He was thoroughly enjoying himself as we returned back home to get his photo snapped for this post.

At Springer's website you can get just about any question you may have about this contraption answered. They have specs, installation help, tips, FAQs, contact info, online ordering, owner info and all sorts of other good stuff like videos of people riding the Springer. You can also visit their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter to learn more and ask questions.

Speaking of videos, maybe you'd like to see Tanner and Oliver in action? These short clips were taken by me while* riding with the dogs; that's how easy it is:
*Disclaimer: Don't try this at home with your Bull Mastiff, or even your Chihuahua. Leave it for the professionals, and no, I don't know any.

Looks like fun, huh? It is. Maybe you're wondering what I enjoy most about biking the dogs. I'll tell you; it's a tie between two of my favorite features of using the Springer. One is I get our exercise taken care of much faster than if I walk. That's a huge plus when I'm working these crazy, full-time blogger hours. We're not bankers. :(

My second favorite thing is that while we're riding I get a nice breeze because of the speed. This makes the riding much cooler than walking, which is a huge benefit for me. I'm a total wuss when it comes to the heat.

Now that I've got you all revved up to put a Springer on your bike, I should tell you how to get one. Their website sells them, and you'll be right there where you can get all your installation questions and specs taken care of. Just click the link and you're there. If you have questions after you've read the installation info and FAQs, hit the Contact form and send Shell a quick email. He's very friendly and helpful.

One last option? Okay, let's do a giveaway. That was a commercial by the way; the giveaway will begin on Thursday. Be here if you want to enter.

If you'd rather just order your own, the link is right there--two paragraphs up. Let us know how you enjoy your Springer, and don't forget to tell Springer where you learned about them. Happy riding!

Full disclosure: I lucked up and met Shell at Global Pet Expo, where he gave me a review sample so that I could write this review. I was not paid to review the Springer and the opinions here are my own thoughts about the thingys and the gizmos. There is no purchase necessary to enter the giveaway, and you are not obligated to enter it. This giveaway is limited to U.S. addresses only. For more information, see my Giveaway and Contest Rules page.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Dog Jogging Fun for Fido

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Confession time. I'm not a runner. Tanner and I enjoy biking together, but running is not my forte. That's why this pic of Tanner running with his Daddy is extra special. It's good for Tanner and Dad too. I love to watch my boys run together--great male bonding, don't you think?

Tell us about your dog's favorite exercise at this time of year. I suppose many of you still find yourself bogged down in snow or cold weather. In Central Florida, early March is warm already, as you could guess my hubby's shorts. Today it was 78 degrees--perfect running weather.

The comment link is open for business. Tell me how your dog got his exercise today. It will be fun for me to see that variety since we all have different weather issues in March. Join in the conversation!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Let's Interview Oliver:
What's in My Papillon's Head?

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Alan Boyko

Oliver Loves to Bike with Me

It's Oliver's turn to get interviewed, although this may be an interesting challenge. Getting inside the head of a toy-breed dog is not as simple as the more athletic breeds.

Oliver has two primary jobs. One is as the editor-and-chief of 5 Minutes for Fido and the other is described at the end of his interview. Now let's see what Oliver has to say:

Oliver

"My mom sure is determined to keep me from running the house. Every time I tell Tanner to get out of the pool, she puts me on the step in a "Stay", and I have to watch while he swims and has fun. After I'm a good boy, she gives me a toy to chase around the porch. Sometimes I swim too, but it's not my favorite thing to do. She says I have to know how to get out of the pool because I'm so short. How many times do I have to prove to her that I know where the shallow step is?"

"My favorite activity is pretending to be a sled dog when we go biking. I'm really fast and can run for a long time. Sometimes I even pull mom. I only weigh 9 lbs, so she doesn't let me do it much, but it sure is fun to be in charge of the run."

"Toy breeds are often considered lap dogs, but I'm not sure I'm a toy breed. I like active things like product modeling, meeting the neighbors, shopping and and walking with Tanner and Jacque. We get lots of funny looks from passersby. Haven't they ever seen three dogs walking before?"

"I'm really glad my mom gives us all organic dog food. When we learned that Xena had cancer years ago, Mom said we were all going to eat like she does. Xena's cancer could not be removed with surgery, but she was still a happy, playful girl for 3 more years. I hope I live to be old like her. She really proved those vets wrong; they said she would only be with us for a few more months. Hah!"

"We have lots of toys at my house, but my favorites are the ones in the freezer. Mom fills Kongs and other safe toys, freezing them with fillings like organic dog food, kibble, organic carrots, apples, and sometimes a little cheese. Yum! I love the cheese best."

" I really did enjoy showing up Tanner at agility class, but I was a little young and was not sure I liked being told what to do so much back then. Now that I'm all grown up I wouldn't mind going back to try it again. It was lots of fun to run and jump with mom; I didn't know she could do that stuff!"

"Recently I began learning some new skills that have turned out to be pretty neat for both mom and me. Apparently I have an extrasensory super duper nose. At least that's what I'm hearing. After I started staring my momma down when she smelled different she finally discovered that I was just trying to tell her that she didn't have the right scent, and that was a bad thing. She finally figured out that she was getting sick right after I gave her the high sign. Long story short, Viola! I'm now a Medical Alert Service Dog. Mom says, "Who knew Oliver had such mad skills?"

"I say, "I did! Clearly, Momma can't smell herself, and Tanner seems oblivious as well. She's lucky to have me to keep her out of trouble. Now I'll be accompanying her on her outings to keep her safe. I rather like that job. Sign me up!"