As a dog owner, you probably know that it’s not always easy to provide proper exercise to your companion. Most people have a busy life, but that doesn’t change their buddies’ physical requirements. Biking, running, and swimming, are awesome ways to be more active with these furry animals. However, you probably wonder if it’s safe for your dog to go on a bike ride with you!
It’s easy to imagine different scenarios where your dog’s safety is in danger while biking. Whether it’s because you’re going too fast or his leash gets caught in your wheel, it doesn’t seem 100% safe. I would love to bike with my Labrador, but I want to know if it’s dangerous or not for her. Therefore, I did some research to finally know if it is safe to bike with your dog!
Whether it’s in a basket/trailer or alongside you, there are ways to bike with your dog safely. With good training and some practice, you will be able to enjoy biking with your dog in a secure way. It doesn’t mean that there are no dangers to this sport. This activity isn’t safe for all pets, so make sure that you can bike with your dog!
Biking with your dog can be a safe way to keep you both active, healthy and happy. Before going on bike rides with him there are many things to know. At the end of your reading, you will know if your buddy is suitable to do this activity safely and how to get started with some tips. Let’s see everything you should know before biking with your dog!
Is It Safe To Bike With Your Dog?
Honestly, biking is not the safest sport to do with dogs. Even if it can be very interesting to be more active and fit, intense activities always have many risks. Furthermore, there are not only dangers for your companion, but biking with your dog also makes you less careful and safe. Nonetheless, there are many ways to drastically reduce these risks and enjoy this awesome physical activity!
You should be aware that every sport has many risks. Whether it’s biking, swimming, running or backpacking, any physical activity isn’t 100% safe. Even walking your dog has some risks such as getting attacked by another pet, toxic plants, overheating, etc. Nonetheless, that shouldn’t restrict you to go on daily walks with your buddy. Surely, biking is less safe for you and him. Happily, there are always a lot of solutions to avoid injuries or accidents on your bike rides!
What Are The Risks And Dangers Of Biking With Your Dog?
To deduce the dangers of something, you first need to know what are the things that don’t make you safe. That’s why you should inform you about the risks for every dog sport that you start. After that analysis, it will be more simple and efficient to find some ways to enjoy biking with your dog or another activity safely. Luckily for you, I’ve already found the risks to bike with dogs!
For Your Dog!
As you probably know, it’s easier to bike than to run. Therefore, it will be very difficult for many dogs to keep up with their owners while biking. Even if they are very athletic, the speed of this activity makes it less safe than many other sports. Every wrong move could cause serious injuries or problems for your dog. Here are some dangers for your buddy of running alongside your bike!
- Over-Exercise.
- Overheat.
- Paws Injuries.
- The Bike Can Hurt Him.
- Other Bikes or Cars.
- Fall. (If In Basket/Trailer)
- Etc.
For You! (The Biker)
Bringing your dog biking with you isn’t only dangerous for him. There are some additional risks to this sport when you add your cute four-legged distraction. However, it will also be safer by decreasing your speed. So you will have more chances to fall, but it will be less painful and dangerous if you fall. Here are some of the dangers for you to bike with your dog!
- Fall More Easily.
- Be Less Careful.
- More Distractions.
- Be Suddenly Pulled By Your Dog.
- Etc.
Now you know what risks you’re prone to while biking with your dog. All that remains is to find the best way to avoid these dangers to benefit from this sport safely. Before doing so, you need to make sure your companion can run alongside your bike. Let’s see if every dog is suitable to enjoy biking safely!
Call All Dogs Enjoy Biking Safely?
Unfortunately, it’s not safe for every dog to bike with his owner. It’s the same thing for other intense canine activities. Like humans, dogs can have health or physical conditions that restrict them to run alongside your bike safely. However, there’s nearly always a solution to adapt the sport to your furball’s restrictions!
Just to give you an example, Bulldogs probably won’t be able to keep up with biking paces. These dogs can be awesome companions, but they are simply not active enough to bike with their owners. On the contrary, Border Collies could be perfect biking partners with their good speed and stamina. Therefore, let’s see what dog traits could cause problems to enjoy biking in a secure way!
What Makes Your Dog Suitable To Bike With You?
Many things can restrict your companion to run alongside your bike. It’s essential to analyze your dog’s conditions before starting any kind of sport. It could help you determine if it’s safe or not to bike, run or swim with your buddy. Furthermore, it’s highly recommended to visit your vet before changing something on his exercise regimen. Here are some conditions that could restrict your dog to follow you on your bike rides!
Breed.
Your dog’s breed always matters when it’s time to exercise him. Running alongside a bike isn’t easy at all, so not every canine type is suitable for that kind of physical activity. High-energy breeds such as Collies or Retrievers will be more likely to enjoy biking safely. However, the breed isn’t the only element to consider before starting intense dog sports!
Health.
As a dog owner, your buddy’s health should always be your priority number one. Intense activities such as running or biking with dogs can be awesome for them. Nonetheless, that’s not always the case. Be careful to not bring your furry friend on your bike rides if he has any kind of health problem. The best way to be certain that biking is safe for him, it’s definitively to visit your vet!
Athleticism.
Low-energy dogs that are not active won’t be suitable to run alongside your bike. Normally, there are some solutions to adapt the sport for their athletic capacities. Unfortunately, biking will be too much or too intense exercise for many dogs. Over-exercising them can be very dangerous and bad for their well-being. Make sure that your pooch is athletic enough to join you on bike rides!
Keep in mind that things like speed, stamina, and resilience are things your dog can improve. Therefore, you shouldn’t restrict him to enjoy this sport only because he’s not the most impressive athlete. You just need to understand that this sport won’t be safe for inactive companions. Nonetheless, with some regular exercise and other activities, it’s always possible to get your buddy in better shape!
Age.
Some dogs can also be too young or too old to enjoy biking with their owners. Puppies or senior companions are very fragile, so they shouldn’t do intense sports. The youngest you could introduce your pup to run alongside your bike would be after 1 year of age. It could be longer for large breeds or sooner for small buddies. For old dogs, you should decrease the intensity of your exercise routine around 7 or 8 years!
Overall Shape.
All these elements can’t be compensated by another one. For example, you can’t bike with your 6-month-old puppy because he’s a Border Collie very active and athletic. Besides, if you still aren’t sure that your buddy can follow you while you bike, just give it a try. By running (or biking very slowly) with your dog for about 0.5 or 1 mile (0.8 or 1.6 km), you will see if he has some potential!
Be Careful Before To Bike With These Dogs!
I already told you that not every dog can bike with you safely. Nonetheless, I didn’t detail which types of companions won’t be able to keep up with your biking pace. This could help you understand more your furball’s suitability to run alongside your bike. Here are some types of pooches that you should be careful with before starting any kind of intense sport!
Dogs With Structural Issues.
Whether it’s running, biking or hiking, these sports have high impacts on joints. That’s why the structure of your dog needs to be impeccable. Hip/elbow dysplasia, arthritis or any other joint problem will hurt him while running. Activities such as swimming, walking or brain games are joint-friendly and ideal to exercise your dog with structural issues!
Overweight Dogs.
Biking with your dog might seem interesting to help him lose weight. However, with extra pounds (or kg), this sport will put too much pressure on his joints. Consequently, your dog can’t run alongside your bike safely if he’s overweight. I would invest more time and effort in putting him on a diet at the same time to provide proper exercise to him!
Short-Nosed (Brachycephalic) Buddies.
Sooner, I told you that Bulldogs probably won’t be able to bike with you. Their respiratory issue is the main reason why these cute buddies aren’t well-suited to run. Their short noses restrict them to breathe and regulate their body temperature well. Therefore, it won’t be easy for them or other brachycephalic dogs to follow their owners on bikes!
Brachycephalic Breeds: Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, Chow Chows, Pekingese Dogs, Bull Mastiffs, etc.
Ultra-Small or Giant Dogs.
The size of your dog can also make him unable to bike with you. For example, Chihuahuas could be OK as running partners for short distances, but probably not as biking companions. They are simply too small to perform well compared to their owners on bikes. Giant dogs won’t have difficulty keeping up with their owners, but they can run fast only for short bursts. Moreover, their massive bodies could hurt them while doing too intense sports!
Some Of These Dogs Could Enjoy Biking Safely!
Most of the time, you shouldn’t bike with these types of dogs. However, there are always some exceptions that will love to do intense sports. For example, an athletic boxer well trained could be suitable to run safely alongside your bike. The most important thing to remember is to simply respect your dog’s limits and conditions!
Safest Dog Breeds To Bike With!
Now that I share with you some buddies that shouldn’t run, it’s time to have some fun. Just by curiosity, I’ve found the best dogs to bike with. This list could also be very interesting to figure out if your pooch can be a good biking partner. Here are the safest dog breeds that can enjoy biking with you!
- Border Collies.
- Labrador or Golden Retrievers.
- Vizslas.
- German Shorthaired Pointers.
- Australian Cattle Dogs.
- Weimaraners.
- Brittanys.
- Siberian Huskies. (For Colder Climates.)
- Etc.
How To Prepare Your Dog To Enjoy Biking Safely?
Like every sport biking with your dog will require some time, practice, and training to enjoy it safely. Preparation is the key to succeed and perform at any physical activity. Happily, there are some ways to avoid most biking risks by preparing your buddy for this kind of sport. Here are the types of preparation you can do to enjoy biking more safely!
Socialization.
It’s important to make your dog comfortable in many situations when they are still young. For example, you could desensitize him from loud noises, wild animals, strangers, etc. In other words, puppies should be confronted with everything you can to avoid anxiety and let him explore the world. That will prevent him from being distracted by everything while running or biking with you!
Physical Conditioning.
As you know, it’s not every dog that you can bike with. Your companion’s athleticism will mainly depend on his daily habits. Whether it’s his nutrition, daily walks or exercise routine, everything is important to keep him fit, healthy and active. That’s why other canine activities such as walking, swimming or running could be interesting to prepare your dog physically to enjoy biking with you!
Dog Training.
For both your safety, your furball’s obedience is extremely important to bike with him. You will also need to loose-leash walking (or running preferably) to bike with your dog safely. Basic commands must be perfectly understood to teach him biking cues that will tell him to start, stop, slow down, turn right or left, etc. Commands like «Leave It» can also be very useful to always keep the attention of your buddy while biking! Another article on the Whole Dog Journal also talks about biking commands and other interesting information about this sport! [Open In a New Tab]
5 Safety Tips To Bike With Your Dog!
Now that you know if it’s safe to bike with your dog, I’ve found some biking tips for you. This activity can be very dangerous for both of you without taking these precautions. Don’t start taking him with you on your bike rides before to know everything about that intense dog sport. Here are some pieces of advice to enjoy it in the safest way possible!
- Start Out Slow And Short!
- Have The Right Biking Gear!
- Don’t Forget Water And Breaks!
- Pay Attention To Your Dog Before, During and After Biking!
- Don’t Bike With Your Dog In Extreme Temperatures!
These are simple tips that could help you bike with your dog safely. However, you’re probably quite not ready to go out to enjoy this activity with him. You should know many other things like the biking equipment needed, how to teach dogs how to run alongside your bike, etc. It will take some time and training before going out biking 5 miles with your buddy, but it will be worth it! Find more safety biking tips on the Pet MD site. [Open In a New Tab]
Other Safe Sports Similar To Biking!
For those that don’t want to take any chance to hurt or injure their companions, that’s alright. Biking with dogs isn’t made for everybody, so it could be not safe enough for you. However, that’s not a good reason to let your buddy get bored or inactive. There are many other sports or activities to enjoy with him. Here are some things safer than biking to do with your dog!
- Put Them In a Bike Basket or Trailer.
- Running.
- Swimming.
- Hiking or Backpacking.
- Camping.
- Canoeing or Kayaking.
- Fetch or Frisbee.
- Go At The Beach.
- Play Hide and Seek.
- Etc.
Last Toughts About Biking With Your Dog Safely!
As you can see, biking with your dog isn’t the only way to exercise and have fun together. If you want to start enjoying more intense bike sports, bikejoring or mountain biking could be very interesting. Nonetheless, these extreme activities are less safe and more complicated to learn!
Simply going on regular bike rides with your dog can be enough intense physical activity for him. This sport will be very interesting to spend the limitless energy of active dogs like Huskies, Labradors, etc. Biking is awesome to let them run fast without training yourself every day to keep up with them by running. Don’t forget to take your time and learn the basics of this activity before to enjoy it safely. I hope this article helps you understand that biking can be safe for dogs. I would be very happy to see you have fun on your bike with your dog while exercising with my Labrador!