Comments

1
I was fine with it until I realized the guy was riding a men's bike while wearing a skirt...
2
I've always agreed this is dickish.

Your comment baiting is coming along, young Dunham, but a pro bait would have disparaged people jogging with dogs.
3
A pro bait would recognize that as a kilt, not a skirt.
4
Your picture is bad form, no doubt. I exercise my dog every day with one of these: http://www.dog-training.com/springer.htm

He's just a little guy, all of 16 pounds (a mutt from the Salem Humane Society) but we go five miles every day and he absolutely loves it. We ride in a quiet residential neighborhood and he knows to watch the front wheel so that he can know when to turn or stop.
5
And the difference is...?
6
I couldn't disagree more!

1. If you are moderately skilled at riding a bicycle, it's not a tough thing to do. A well-trained dog (most people don't have one) won't hurt you.

2. I do this more with my dog off leash in low traffic areas, but being on leash is fine for a well trained dog. My dog won't chase animals and stops when I tell him to. He is one with the bike when he's on a leash or even when in a heel command while off leash.

3. The only tripping hazard if the dog is not well-trained and is running too lateral and not staying close to the bike.

PS: I'm a veterinarian
7
Re: "I'm a veterinarian"

I know doctors who smoke and do coke, too.
8
Every time I see this I think to myself: "wow, what a lucky dog to get so much outside time."

It's probably moderately dangerous for an un-trained dog, as rang3r mentions. However, I think the risk/reward is in favor of an all-around healthier dog. Sure, there are schmucks that will do stupid things, but you can't judge everyone by your average douchebag.
9
@rang3r: at least if humans are riding 2 abreast, a moderately experienced rider will know when to ride single file. A dog not only doesn't know this, but can't if on a leash. You might trust your dog's training but that doesn't mean we do. Two of the best trained animals in the world were Roy's white tiger & that instructor-eating killer whale at Sea World. I shouldn't & wouldn't trust someone else's dog.

P.S. Being a vet means you know how to fix your dog after it gets smashed by a bike or car. It's not relevant to bike/ped safety--which is my day job. (Not that credentials will win this debate.)
10
P.P.S. That invention doesn't do anything for safety. Why are yuppies addicted to useless bike accessories?
11
@ WSH: The most surprisingly unhealthy group of people I've met is nurses. They seem to smoke and drink well above the average. Mind you, this is just anecdotal. Anecdotally completely true.
12
@Rang3r Hey, can I have your business card? I want to keep my pet as far away from you and your sorry advice as I can. Oh, and leash your pet, you dickwad.
13
My neighbor rides like this all the time with her show dogs. Don't be fucking ignorant tools.
14
Yeah I've never actually ridden with a dog but I would do it in a second assuming all other reasonable person criteria are met. Anybody who assumes this cannot be safe should mind their own business. I am actually quite offended by this post.
15
The springer thing adds some stability to the set up-- the leash is attached closer to the bike's center of gravity and you aren't trying to control the leash and steer the bike at the same point.
Doing this with or without the springer in an area with a lot of pedestrians and/or cars is not a good idea, but it IS safe if your dog is fairly well trained. Dogs who get plenty of running and walking are safer dogs because they aren't as full of nervous energy.
16
I think I may have just been called an ignorant fucking tool in defense of a person that rides a bike tied to show dogs.

This makes me so happy. I'm printing this & putting it on my fridge.
17
Do you get "trip wired" by pedestrians with dogs on leashes? Are you partially blind? I don't see the danger to others here, unless this person is riding their bike on the sidewalk somewhere crowded. Adults riding bikes on the sidewalk in a busy area is kinda dickish with or without dogs.
18
I think also a well trained dog would be fine this way, so long as the rider chooses extremely safe routes to do this. I would not like to see this in a bike lane for example, to the left of the biker is evil cars that will happily squash your puppy, and to the right are parked cars; I don't see a way for that to be safe. This is pretty nice for big and active breeds too, because most humans can't meet their energy requirements just walking/running.
19
I just tie mine to the Portland Street Car then unhook him when it comes back around. The Street Car moves a lot slower than the bike. This also works ok with Pony Girls.

Don't make the mistake my neighbor did and try that with the MAX.
20
-1/10
21
I agree that the dogs need the exercise for best health and behavior. However, it is extremely dangerous without the proper equipment. I've found the best dog bike attachment device for stability, ease of use and zero learning curve to be the 1-Running-Dog Bike Tow Leash. It not only communicates bike direction changes automatically to the dog, it provides a few feet of shock absorbtion and is the most stable device available. So easy it installs in seconds without tools! I have also seen it used on wheel chairs, scooters, trikes and Segway. So yes, it can be safe and fun with the right equipment.

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