The puppy is 6 months old now. So I’m starting to take her for hikes along some of the local trails to get used to the terrain- waiting until she’s grown more before biking to protect joints etc. the goal is next summer.
If you see a labradoodle with an orange bandana, stop and say hi! She’s still getting used to bikes ie. getting out of the way of the wheels. Sorry in advance for any muddy paws/jumping up-we’re working on it.
Any one have any training tips? I’ve found this to be helpful so far:
The hide and seek tip is awesome, she likes to keep tabs on me now and wont stray too far.
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P.s. Don’t worry, we’re packing out any poop. I know that a fresh set of knobbies + a freshly steaming pile = a shitty time
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I started Scout running when he was one. I keep him off the rockier rides like Fight to protect his feet and plan my routes so we frequently hit lakes, puddles or streams. I usually have to give him a good tick check also. I’ve used a homemade tick spray but I’m not sure if it’s affective after he swims. He’s taking Bravecto now.Dog walkers frequent many of the places I ride so it’s good to watch out for them. Scout is a golden retriever and at 3 is already slowing down a little so our rides together now are usually shorter and on cooler days.
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Thanks! Yup, we’ve got her on the tick pill. Doing the daily tick checks. She loves finding water, but if they’re scarce- she’s learned to drink the stream from a camelbak nozzle and I keep a collapsible bowl with me.
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I train dogs to run professionally - it sounds like you’re off to a really great, and smart start. For the next 6 months, be really careful about how much mileage you’re doing. I’m not so worried about paws (though that’s a thing) but more concerned about how much impact they’re getting on a skeleton that isn’t finished developing. You can do serious long term damage to their bone structure if the impact on joints is too much too soon (hiking isn’t bad, you’re going slower, but running while you ride will be much fast, much harder on the joints, in particular their shoulders). A rule of thumb we use for when it’s safe to build mileage is when they stop growing vertically. The bigger they are the longer this takes.
That said, now, and the next 12 months are mentally developmentally important, getting comfortable around the bike and others on bikes is huge.
The article isn’t bad, but here’s the guidelines developed in Canada for by the organization that governs bikejoring (the sport of cross country mountiain biking with your dog) for temperature & running:
Between 10 and 15 ˚C: maximum 8 km;
Between 16˚C to 23˚C: maximum 3.5km;
Between 24˚C at 28˚C: maximum 2 km
It’s personal preference, but I always like to have my dogs ahead of me when we’re biking. It’s the best way to have a visual handle on how they’re physically handling the ride/run - you’re gonna need to be aware of signs of fatigue, dehydration, and changes in gait. I have verbal cues for my dogs to get out of my way if they’re being asses and cutting off my lines (they’re also trained to pull my bike, so we use the same cues on & off leash to haul ass).
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Also, get a hands free leash for your bag. If something happens and you need to leash up & carry your bike out you’re not gonna want to hold a leash handle.
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Great thanks Sarah! I especially like the temp/distance recommendations!
Sarah your points certainly made me rethink how I will run Scout in the future. The bone structure issue is something I never thought of, though I never had him fixed until 18 months for this very reason. The distance/ temp thing is a good guide also. I usually try to read him to tell if he is tired or hot because if you know your dog it is easy to read the body language.
100% - Sounds like you’ve made smart calls about Scout from the beginning though.
My pleasure - never hesitate if you’ve got questions to ask. It sounds like you’re off to a great start in the making of an awesome trail dog!
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