Biking with your dog is a great activity. It’s good exercise for both you and your dog and it’s fun. However, it can be a bit tricky to figure it out at first. Safety is important so starting off right will keep you both safe. Here are a few tips for biking with your dog:

1. Evaluate Your Dog

Making sure your dog is physically fit to exercise is important. Some dogs, like flat-nosed breeds, cannot handle heavy exercise. There are safe ways to exercise flat-faced dogs, like working in short bursts, but they are generally not suited for running let alone keeping up with you on a bike. Dogs that aren’t exercised regularly also should be evaluated to make sure they’re physically up for the challenge and then need to ease into it.

It’s also important that your dog is fully grown before you exercise a lot with them. Puppies grow at different rates so make sure you’ve talked to your vet about the appropriate age to begin more strenuous exercise. Waiting until your dog is fully grown ensures muscles and bones develop and grow properly.

If you have an older dog that’s still fairly active, it might be best to take your biking slowly. If you have questions about how much they can handle, ask your vet for their opinion. They can evaluate your dog and help you figure out the right level of activity.

2. Gather Your Equipment

You’ll need a bike that’s in good working condition. Be sure there are no loose parts, the tires are well inflated, and your brakes work. You’ll also need the right safety equipment, like a helmet and any other safety gear.

Next, you need to find the right leash and choose the right harness for your dog. Don’t just use the regular leash that you have for walks. You need the right kind of leash for biking. These specific leashes keep things from getting caught up in your wheel and prevent shock from your dog pulling, both of which can cause injury to you and your dog.

3. Start Slow

Biking with a dog requires some coordination. You need to begin slowly to let your dog adjust and learn how to run with the bike. You’ll have an easier time if your dog is already leash-trained and behaves while on walks and runs.

If this isn’t quite the level where your dog is at, you need to dedicate some time to train your dog to run with you. This lays the foundation for biking and will make the adjustment to running with a bike go a bit more smoothly.

4. Try the Bike and Build Up a Pace

Once your dog is comfortable with running, it’s time for you to introduce the bike. Let your dog be near the bike without you on it. Let them sniff around and once they seem comfortable, leash up your dog. Start slowly by pushing the bike while simply walking your dog. Offer plenty of praise and treats to encourage them.

If they seem comfortable around the bike, try getting on the bike and going very slowly and short distances with your dog at a walking pace. Once they adjust to that level, adjust the pace and work them up to a run, but still with short distances.

After they seem comfortable at a certain pace, you can begin working on their endurance and try longer bike rides. Don’t forget water and poop bags on your bike rides. Remembering these supplies is a useful tip for exercising with your dog. Keeping yourself and your dog hydrated is very important and cleaning up after your dog is part of being a responsible dog owner.

5. Add Cues

Now that your dog is comfortable with running alongside the bike, start adding commands. Basic commands such as “stop”, “let’s go”, and “slow down” are important for your dog to understand and respond to. Commands like these help you communicate with your dog and help keep you both safe.

You can also teach them cues that change your dog’s pace. Cues like “let’s go” or “move it” will communicate that your dog needs to pick up the pace. “Slow down” or “whoa” are good ways to let them know to slow down or stop.

These are just a few tips for biking with your dog. Biking with your dog is a great way to keep to an exercise routine. Plus, it’s great for your dog if they are a good fit for the activity! If you want to change up your routine or scenery, try hiking with your dog for something new.