# Ranger's Bike Ride



## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

My girls love bike riding. Ranger looks awesome!


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## PB&J (Jun 19, 2009)

Yay Littlest Hobo! 
Great pictures...Ranger looks like he's enjoying himself!


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## janine (Aug 8, 2009)

Ranger is great...my two would kill me!!! I love the magpie look.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Those are great pictures......is the harness that Ranger is wearing a part of the springer or did you have to purchase that separately?

Love the magpie comment!!!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I bought the harness seperately since Ranger can houdini his way out of almost anything. It's a ruffdog harness and it's great! I'm also not using the springer string and hook - the hook looked a little too flimsy, so I just tied a nylon leash the breakaway part. Oh, dad's got the martingale and a leash as a "just in case" to stop ranger from getting loose.

Hahaha, glad my littlest hobo comment got picked up on! I swear ranger would happily run for days next to the bike, but we keep him to just 10-20 minutes while we start out. Yeah he wasn't impressed with that magpie for some reason!


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## Katie and Paddy's Mum (Mar 31, 2010)

I too love the pesky magpie comment! But Ranger's expressions and your perfect ability to capture his sentiments through your commentary always makes my day!

He has the most expressive eyes! He's just always looking for adventure.

And wow, could his coat be any shinier??? He looks amazing! Kudos to your dad for being such a Ranger-lover and taking him bike riding!

Kim


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

Love it! Looks lke alot of fun.


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## firedancer722 (Apr 12, 2010)

I'm in big trouble now... Charlie saw this thread and is now BEGGING me to take him for a bike ride! It looks like Ranger just LOVES it!! How neat that there are 'accessories' for that sort of thing! 

Have I mentioned how much I love Ranger's eyes?!  

Hugs!
Candace


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## nellie'smom (Dec 27, 2007)

So handsome! That looks really cool!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I LOVE this bike riding thing! I know it can be a downfall if used too much since it can so easily over-condition a dog and then you're stuck biking for longer and longer amounts of time to try to tire him out...but so far we're just doing 10-15 minutes every second day and walking the rest of the time. No lie, this thing is a lifesaver.

I did NOTHING with Ranger yesterday and even though he went for a walk this afternoon, it wasn't enough. By 7pm, Ranger was stealing and "killing" slippers and racing around the living room. Dad took him out for a ten minute bike ride and now Ranger's sleeping next to me on the couch. TEN minutes and a tired dog. Dad said he was so antsy on the bike ride, he was bouncing up and down instead of trotting normally. 

So for anyone looking to try this - it's a miracle worker! Just make sure you don't go too far or too fast to start and don't rely on it as the only method of exercise of you'll get a super fit dog in no time!


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## GINGIOLA (Oct 14, 2010)

I, very nice pics, we bought the same Ruffwear hearness also for Ginger but not for biking (she hate biking) but to help her hiking. great hearness also for me!

Federico


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

We bought the Walky Dog back in 2009. It attaches underneath the bike seat. We ended up buying a harness the company who sold it to us recommended, as Sienna really seemed to be choking herself, pulling with her collar (which she does on walks :uhoh. I have only used it once (need to build my confidence) but DH has used it quite a lot- like you said, it tires them out more quickly- The thing is, I need to keep reminding DH to slow down, I think he is going too fast. You also need to remember you are wider than normal LOL... our trail has been having major construction since June, so we haven't been using it much this year


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Is Ranger wearing a ruffwear webmaster harness? If so, do you like it? I'm always looking for new harnesses for Lucy (Dory too, but she's not the problem), because it doesn't matter how well we fit one to her, she can discombobulate her shoulders and such just so to get out of it, especially when she's buckled up in the backseat of the car. She's a regular houdini. I've read good reviews about the webmaster.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Adriennelane said:


> Is Ranger wearing a ruffwear webmaster harness? If so, do you like it? I'm always looking for new harnesses for Lucy (Dory too, but she's not the problem), because it doesn't matter how well we fit one to her, she can discombobulate her shoulders and such just so to get out of it, especially when she's buckled up in the backseat of the car. She's a regular houdini. I've read good reviews about the webmaster.


 
YES!!! That is why I bought it for Ranger!! He too is a houdini and can slip out of any harness or collar!! That's why all his collars are martingales.

This harness is the first Ranger can't slip out of! He's tried, too, though his method of slipping out is throw himself into reverse suddenly (causing tension on the leash), lifting his front legs up in the air and ducking his head down while he backpedals frantically. Poof! He's gone and chasing cats, squirrels, or bunnies - whatever he saw that made him want to escape. He goes from almost pulling on the leash in front (once he sees his target in front of him) to shooting backwards in a nanosecond. I started running backwards with him and keeping the leash slack since he can't get out without tension, but that's impossible to do on a bike. 

This harness is great! He can't escape from it, it's comfy on him with padded straps across his chest and two on his belly. The reflective stripes aren't anything to write home about but for staying ON, it's great. The pet store employee told me it's used for Search and Rescue dogs and while it's not made to be a vehicle harness, the seat belt buckle does pass through the handle easily. But she made sure she clarified that while it COULD work, it's not made for that - she said she has to say that for liability purposes. I haven't tried it in the vehicle yet...but for biking or walking, it's impossible for Ranger to get out of it so it's a win in my books.

Sienna's Mom - Yep, the pulling on collar is why we looked into the Springer and got the above mentioned harness. Ranger spend two weeks going slow with just the harness (occasionally a martingale) and leash and learned not to pull too much, so it was an easy transition to the Springer. How does the walky dog absorb sideways movement? Ranger went to lunge at a bunny yesterday and my dad said he hardly felt it with the springer.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Ranger said:


> YES!!! That is why I bought it for Ranger!! He too is a houdini and can slip out of any harness or collar!! That's why all his collars are martingales.
> 
> This harness is the first Ranger can't slip out of! He's tried, too, though his method of slipping out is throw himself into reverse suddenly (causing tension on the leash), lifting his front legs up in the air and ducking his head down while he backpedals frantically. Poof! He's gone and chasing cats, squirrels, or bunnies - whatever he saw that made him want to escape. He goes from almost pulling on the leash in front (once he sees his target in front of him) to shooting backwards in a nanosecond. I started running backwards with him and keeping the leash slack since he can't get out without tension, but that's impossible to do on a bike.
> 
> ...



I think I know what Lucy's getting for her birthday now. She won't be very happy, but _I_ will be!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Hahaha! Well, when you get it, let me know if she's able to escape! Like i said, Ranger tried a few times and then gave up. Mr. Smartiepants knows when escape is futile and stops trying eventually. His harness is a medium and he weighs 70 lbs for reference.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

I love biking my dogs. Belle goes NUTS when I get the bike out she LOVES it so much. I don't have a springer, but I have a harness that I attach the leash to and hold in my hand with the handle bar, I can quickly open my fingers and release her as need be. I also have a secondary "leash" that runs from her regular leash to a pinch collar. I call that our "air brakes" if she decides to think about going after a squirrel, I can pop the pinch and remind her it is not a good idea. I have actually never needed the pinch except for twice. Once before I started using it, she crossed the bike due to another dog, and hooked the handle bar just so, she flipped me. So I decided I needed the pinch. Freak accident because the leash does not go around the handle bar, it's just how she did it. Then last Thursday was the second time. We were nearing home, and someone was running around an electric car, Belle saw it as a lure. No accident but I needed the pinch to make SURE she didn't go after that. Lure coursing is her FAVORITE thing on this earth. 

Teddi is AWESOME to bike. Her I hate to admit, I do hook the leash over the handle bar. She stays right next to the bike in heel position, she knows, right, left, slow, back, and squirrels have run under her nose and she has not flinched. She is respectfully nervous about the bike. Works for both of us. I only bike her once a week because of her issues. I like she can work at a steady trot, but I don't want to put too much more wear and tear on her joints. Neither of my dogs will trot on the grass.... sigh.


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

My girls both love it. We just harness them and hold on to the leashes. The only issues we've had are when Lucy suddenly stops to poop on the sidewalk. There was once, before we got Dory, when Lucy jumped really fast because a trash can scared her. She jumped right out of her harness (go figure). Thankfully she was so scared, she just waited for me to reharness her. She's a good girl and didn't run.

Summer before last, we tried to see how she liked fireworks. She was harnessed then and without our knowing it, she yanked out of her harness, ran through the garage, and was trying to open the garage door into the house. We don't try to get her to watch fireworks now.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

Ranger said:


> Sienna's Mom - Yep, the pulling on collar is why we looked into the Springer and got the above mentioned harness. Ranger spend two weeks going slow with just the harness (occasionally a martingale) and leash and learned not to pull too much, so it was an easy transition to the Springer. How does the walky dog absorb sideways movement? Ranger went to lunge at a bunny yesterday and my dad said he hardly felt it with the springer.


The Walky Dog has a spring inside it's tubing. I believe there are two different springs you can choose from. The attachment has a pretty good in and out give. Sienna loves squirrels, so that is my worry too- DH said it might pull slightly, but he never felt out of control- especially since we are moving forward LOL


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## GINGIOLA (Oct 14, 2010)

great hearness also for Ginger, impossible escape from it, very comfortable and easy to fit, also add a flotation help.

Federico


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ooh Ginger looks great in the red! That's the colour I wanted for Ranger but I was too impatient to wait for it to come in, so I just bought the black one...

Good to hear that Ginger also can't escape from it! Makes me trust the harness more and more!


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 31, 2009)

Glad Ranger is enjoying his bike rides.
I also love the color of his eyes, just Beautiful!!!!!!!


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