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Saturday, 24 May 2008 |
By Simon Hayter, Photos by Joshua Kraemer
As anxiously as I wait for the drying out of the trails during first few weeks of the spring, there is one friend of mine who is even more excited for the beginning of the season. That is my 7-year-old pitbull mix, Cooper, who can often be found, tongue-lolling and tail-swinging about a dozen paces behind my bike, darting up occasionally to nip playfully at my rear tire to encourage me to keep up the pace, wordlessly reminding me of the extra two pints the previous night.
As long as I have been serious about riding bikes, Cooper has been my constant riding companion. Inherently more reliable than the dubious human characters I choose to ride with, he is almost never hung-over, he doesn’t wear foul smelling body armour, he won’t answer cell phone calls from his girlfriend on the trail, and he doesn’t expostulate on the powder coating scheme of his new frame which looks green in the shade and purple in the sunlight.
Cooper is always stoked to go riding and his enthusiasm is contagious. If I so much as move my bike in my apartment, it is his signal that we’re on and his ears prick up and his eyes come alive…not wanting to break his heart, I often get cajoled into a short ride when I had intended only to check the tire pressure.
Over many seasons I have learned a lot about riding with a pooch, both from his perspective and from a rider’s.
While the reaction from most riders on the trail is courteous and indulgent, there are always the lyrca-clad morons who seem to think that they are training for Beijing and won’t even slow down to pass the dog. (Of course, humans and dogs a like have to contend with these idiots.) As a general rule, for his safety and that of other riders, I will hold his collar to let other riders by, especially in a single-track scenario. At other times if the space on the trail allows I will slow down a bit and let people know that he is coming up behind me.
One of the most important aspects of riding a bike with your dog is to know his/her personality well enough to determine whether or not they are suited to this type of activity. If your dog is the type of dog that might run away that is a no-brainer…tethering is not an option. Biking with a dog on a leash can cause catastrophic crashes for you or the dog or other riders and causes severe strain on the neck of the dog.
Dr. Scott Mathison of the Queen West Animal Hospital in Toronto echoes this sentiment and encourages common sense when out riding.
“Know your dog. Some dogs are just not cut out for that kind of running.
Some breeds that people think would be ideal for this kind of activity such as a grey hound, great dane or a golden retriever are totally unsuitable for steady paced running over longer distances.”
The danger he points out is that most dogs are absurdly loyal and will practically run until they keel over from exhaustion. “It is completely up to the owner to take responsibility for the dog’s health.”
Mathison says there are a few simple and specific things to be aware of when taking your dog on the trail. The first is the dangers posed by sun and heat.
“Dogs, similar to people, depending on the colour and the density of the coat, are prone to sunburn…you really shouldn’t take a light coloured dog out for very long. Additionally a dark dog is prone to heat exhaustion so you have to be careful about exposure.”
Mathison reminds riders to always bring water for the dog as well as themselves and points out that the best way for a dog to take in water is always through a bowl or something like it. Mountain Equipment Co-op carries a foldable/transportable nylon bowl for dogs on the move but a simple plastic bag can work as well.
“Essentially the recommendation is give a dog water whenever you take water yourself.”
He also points out that bringing some food on the trail is important as their energy requirements sky rocket when out being active.
According to Mathison, another thing that a log of dog owners aren’t aware of is the surface the dogs are traveling over. “You have to be aware of the terrain, namely if it’s asphalt, concrete or gravel, they can wear out their pads and most people don’t know that. Especially if it’s hot.” A little Vaseline can help prevent this.
Mathison re-iterates that it comes back to common sense.
“One last thing that’s important to remember is that the distance on a bike is much greater for the dog. You can do 20km in X amount of time with very little effort but the dog is running all of that time and expending serious energy.”
Like most activities in life, riding goes better with a dog. It can make a routine training loop a special bonding experience and when I see Cooper’s pure and complete joy at tearing up our local trails, it reminds me of why I fell in love with this sport in the first place.
Simon Hayter is a freelance journalist who splits his time crashing bikes in Toronto and California. http://www.simonhayter.com
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