I see there are lines that Nanook could pull/run with someone on a bike behind him or there are the poles that go to the side of the bike. I am not a biker but my husband is and I thought they could go together to get some of Nanooks energy out. Which do you think would be best?

This is us on our daily bikejoring ride, so a line out front works best for me:

i use the bikejorring lines since its more like a sled pull (out in front), issue with that is you need to do it with nothing else around like kids, cars, something to tangle up in. http://stores.adanacsleds.com/-strse-Scooters/Categories.bok
the springer or walky dog attachment has him run right next to you and many people here have that and like that for neighborhood riding.

I use the springer and run the dog out front, so I recommend both! Trails are nice for pulling the bike, if using sidewalks the springer is better, bike can stay on the pavement and the dog can run on the grass.

The bike attachments can give you more control over the dog since they're running alongside the bike rather than way out in front. Having a line out in front is more like traditional pulling of a sled and requires the line be taut so the dog needs to keep pulling. Regardless of which you choose, the dog can still pull the bike so don't think that choosing a bike attachment will impede them from the pulling action they love so much.

My boy is up there in years and has arthritis and doesn't like to pull the whole time. He loves running with the bike, sometimes he pulls and sometimes he prefers to just run alongside depending on how he's feeling. I have a Springer bike attachment and love not only my safe control of the dog but also his ability to choose whether he wants pull or run relaxed.

Sorry. I saw no one replied yet, and I always feel bad when people don't reply. So I didn't have time for a long explanation, yet wanted to get something up quick knowing I'd be back in this thread when I had more time. Glad others have chimed in. Sometimes I see posts never get answered, and I feel so bad for the OP that asked the question. I'll be back with more detailed of a reply from my experience. Still don't have the time right now. Ha!

I really appreciate the input. Both options look like something he would really enjoy...now I just need to decide...maybe I will get one now and the other later :-)

Let us know what you decide and how it works for you. I want to get something for Dizzy when its age appropriate, although I'm thinking canicross, and maybe someday roller blades (eek!), not bike. I'm still kind of debating if I want him out front or next to me.

I have a walky dog attachment. It's been good for us though I probably will go with a springer the next time around. Since my dog had never biked before the attachment was far safer. We attempted out front first and she was all over the place and trying to pull me where she wanted to go and we had a few close calls since I couldn't steer her (she knows mushing commands now, so I can steer). The attachment gave me a lot more control, she can't get as far away from me, and if she darts off she isn't going to potentially pull me over.

I think unless you are really dedicated to teaching your dog how to pull things safely and not get distracted by squirrels or anything else the Springer is the best way to go! It gives you control, and honestly I didn't train my dogs to do it at all, they just caught on and will the lines, I don't think they would just pick it up all while knowing proper commands and everything. I would just skip the walky dog and go straight for the Springer if you decide to do that attachment, in the long run it will probably save you money.

I have the Walky as well, I love it. Ripley loves to run with the bike, Tika isnt as wild about it. I prefer that over them pulling me from the front since I can control it a bit more, I am less nervous about them going around a corner and me not seeing something like a car or animal.

I agree with the Walky Dog, I planned on using it for a while with Link but he caught onto commands really quickly and now pulls up front. However, like Jenn and Erica said, you'd need a lot of control over him, especially in a neighborhood situation if they don't know their commands it can be dangerous. The Walky Dog kept them right at the side and as Val said, lets them pull when they want and you don't have to worry about them if they don't pull since the line won't be out front where it can get tangled.

I ordered the one for the front today...we can use that one at the cabin and he can pull the kids on their sleds...if it snows or if we go out to the desert or a trail by the house. I still need to order the harness though, he wont sit still long enough to get a good measurement so I have to wait till the hubby gets home to help me. I going to order the side one for around the neighborhood. He is such a strong boy and getting so big, I just want to make sure he gets enough exercise...it might help us all get through this terrible teen phase he is going through and it might get my husband on his bike more LOL

This may be a stupid question but I could not find any information about this. I want to get an attachment, but first I need a bike! I was looking at some of the bikes that have air brakes and the lines are usually run on the seat post where the attachments would...attach. Is that a problem for anyone? I feel like a big idiot asking this but I would think with the tightness of the attachment around the post it would mess up the lines.

simplify wrote:

This may be a stupid question but I could not find any information about this. I want to get an attachment, but first I need a bike! I was looking at some of the bikes that have air brakes and the lines are usually run on the seat post where the attachments would...attach. Is that a problem for anyone? I feel like a big idiot asking this but I would think with the tightness of the attachment around the post it would mess up the lines.

I would think so too, and when I put pvc on the front of my bike for my tug-line thats where my brake-lines were and it messed it up just being there and tugging side to side and now my front brake is broken. I still take Link out on it but I wouldn't dare Yuki with only one brake XD

Oh, Who needs brakes :-) LOL

The lines on my bike are loose enough I could re-route them over the attachment. There might be a clip you need to remove depending on the bike. After re-routing them zip tie them in place so you don't have to worry about them rubbing or getting jarred by the attachment. The big thing is to not pinch the line when moving them.

First, bicycles have either cable pull rim breaks(squeezing the lever pulls the cable and causes the break pads to contact the wheel rim and slow the bike) or hydraulic disc breaks(squeezing the lever causes fluid to move through the lines and force a clamp to squeeze against a disc by the center of the wheel. The cable housings or hydraulic lines would look like air lines, but bikes do not have air breaks.
Both systems work very well with the hydraulic breaks being the best and of course usually only found on the higher end bikes. Either system should be able to be moved to allow installation of a Walkie-dog or Springer without damaging any of the components. Good luck on your search for a bike!

^ Thanks for that info! Air brakes was just the first thing that came to my mind when I was trying to explain. Lol. I haven't had a bike since I was probably 10 so it's not something I've kept up on.

Trailtoad1 wrote:

Oh, Who needs brakes :-) LOL

I'd fear for my life having no brakes with Mishka. Haha. We have waaaay too many stray cats in our neighborhood.  

This might be a little on the pricey side, but I have disc brakes on my bike (it's a Trek).  The attachment fits just fine on the post for my seat.  The rubber seal they gave me isn't enough to keep the walky dog in place, so I'll have to get a thicker material (I even had my boyfriend tighten it with his Hulk strength and it still moved on me).  

I also use the Walky Dog attachment.  I also bought an extra 18 inches of bungee to put on the attachment so Juneau has more room.  Our neighborhood is kinda close together, so she still has a hard time figuring out where to be when we're biking.  

I use an X-Back Harness from Alpine Outfitters as well.

VintageJeans wrote:

The rubber seal they gave me isn't enough to keep the walky dog in place, so I'll have to get a thicker material (I even had my boyfriend tighten it with his Hulk strength and it still moved on me).  

I also use the Walky Dog attachment.  I also bought an extra 18 inches of bungee to put on the attachment so Juneau has more room.  Our neighborhood is kinda close together, so she still has a hard time figuring out where to be when we're biking.  

I use an X-Back Harness from Alpine Outfitters as well.

Mine swings around too if Kenzi tries to take off before I'm ready to go and I have to smack it back in place before we take off. I would love to know what material you end up getting that works.

TwisterII wrote:

VintageJeans wrote:

The rubber seal they gave me isn't enough to keep the walky dog in place, so I'll have to get a thicker material (I even had my boyfriend tighten it with his Hulk strength and it still moved on me).  

I also use the Walky Dog attachment.  I also bought an extra 18 inches of bungee to put on the attachment so Juneau has more room.  Our neighborhood is kinda close together, so she still has a hard time figuring out where to be when we're biking.  

I use an X-Back Harness from Alpine Outfitters as well.

Mine swings around too if Kenzi tries to take off before I'm ready to go and I have to smack it back in place before we take off. I would love to know what material you end up getting that works.

Yeah! I'm thinking about using some 3M emblem mounting tape. It's thick and sticks, what else do you need lol. Do you know which one I'm talking about? They sell it at O'Reilly's. I used some to put my faux gas cap back on after I installed a decklid panel for my mustang. It's about $5-6 for a roll I think.

Ashleigh, the brake lines will really depend on the bike. On my bike the brake lines don't run along the bar below the seat, however on my husband's bike they do and there's no wiggle room to work around it. The great thing about your situation is that you can look for certain qualities in your future bike that will accommodate your biking plans.

With regard to the issue of the Walky Dog turning on people, it's a complaint I have heard time and time again. The lack of 'give' with the Walky Dog is the biggest reason I passed over it in favor of the Springer. The Springer has so much flexibility and no matter what my dog does or how much I try to make it move, it doesn't budge.

Just a tip...

If anyone has a WalkyDog, I'd recommend not even using the rubber.  It may leave a few teeth marks on the seat post, but it will provide a much stronger grip.  For me, I don't care about the teeth marks since the clamp never comes off the bike.

I understand why they provide the rubber (to protect the seat post), but it's typically bad practice to use anything like that between two clamping surfaces.  It's always best to let clamps bite into the base material to provide a firm grip.  If you stick a pliable piece of material in between, it will always tend to slip.

Papabear wrote:

Just a tip...

If anyone has a WalkyDog, I'd recommend not even using the rubber.  It may leave a few teeth marks on the seat post, but it will provide a much stronger grip.  For me, I don't care about the teeth marks since the clamp never comes off the bike.

I understand why they provide the rubber (to protect the seat post), but it's typically bad practice to use anything like that between two clamping surfaces.  It's always best to let clamps bite into the base material to provide a firm grip.  If you stick a pliable piece of material in between, it will always tend to slip.

Thanks for the tip! I'll try this. I know you use TWO walky dogs on your bike... My post is black, so if it gets scratched, I can just get some fingernail polish or something lol.

I still have yet to try the 3M Mounting Tape, but I'm hoping it helps as well.