Biking with your Pooch – Part 1: The K9 Bike Jogger
// June 8th, 2009 // IMHO
by Whitney McKim
The is the first of a three part series! Part 1 is a review of the K9 Bike Jogger, a useful little, universal bicycle accessory to make biking with your pooch safe and easy. Parts 2 and 3 will highlight other products that Magnolia the Dalmatian has personally tested on her biking adventures! She knows that you’ll enjoy the sport as much as she does once you’re all suited up and ready to roll!
Most vets will agree that exercise isn’t just good for you, it’s good for your dog too! I’m not a runner. This is a sad fact for Magnolia. Being a Dalmatian, her forte is in long distance running. She’s not a sprinter, but she can go on and on and on; long after I poop out!
We have found a good form of exercise that both of us can agree on. Biking!
Of course, biking with a dog requires all kinds of crazy paraphernalia in addition to some serious training. Magnolia wanted to make sure that I mentioned that you should never take your dog out biking without first having some basic obedience skills like “sit,” “leave it,” and “heel” down pat. Bicycles can be dangerous and it’s important that you make sure you keep yourself, your pooch, and others who you’re sharing the trail with safe! I recommend doing a trial run in a seldom trafficked neighborhood where you have more control over the environment before you hit the trails and really see some scenery!
An Essential Accessory for your Bike
Another important safety tip is to buy a bike attachment like the K9 Bike Jogger. The K9 Bike Jogger takes all the danger out of biking with your pooch. You won’t have to worry about a leash getting tangled in your spokes or your pooch dashing off into the woods after a tantalizing squirrel.
The K9 Bike Jogger is simple to attach to your bicycle and is easily adjustable and a cinch to remove (helpful for impromptu potty breaks). The website touts that it takes 5 minutes to set up the system on your bike; it took me much less time than that! It’s always nice to know that assembly won’t cut into your bike ride time!! The website has some written instructions for assembling the K9 Bike Jogger that can be found here. You can also check out the video below and watch me attach it to my bike!
The leash system is easily removed from the bike and used as a leash without being too terribly clunky. Magnolia didn’t seem to care in the least bit that it didn’t look like a traditional leash; she approves that it’s not scary. Inside the leash system is a set of springs that act as a shock system, so if your dog is super excited like Magnolia is on bike rides and pulls a little the force is absorbed by the leash system. It won’t absorb an all out run after a squirrel, but it will absorb basic jerky pulling. This is key for keeping your balance!
K9 Bike Jogger Tips
The K9 Bike Jogger website has some great tips on their website that you can use to help you and your dog get acclimated to your new biking tool. You can visit their tips page here. Some highlights include:
- When using the K-9 Bike Jogger, your dog should be at least 6 months old and over 20 lbs. If you have concerns about your dog’s health and/or ability to use this product, please consult with your vet and/or a dog trainer in your area.
- Choice of collar or harness. It is recommended that a regular collar be used with the K-9 unit. However, a harness may be used if you have a very well mannered and obedient dog. Never pull on a dog that is resistant or non-compliant while using this product. We do not suggest using a choke collar or pinch collar as you could cause damage and/or injury as a result from such use.
Note: My personal suggestion is a harness (which we’ll review in Part 3); it unnerves me to no end to attach my dog by her neck to something that is attached to my bike which I know can go more than 15 mph! - When first starting out with the K-9 Bike Jogger, we highly recommend that you familiarize your dog with the unit by first walking (not riding) for 5-10 minutes with the dog attached. This will allow your dog to become comfortable and at ease with the operation.
- While out riding, with the K-9 Bike Jogger, always keep your dog well hydrated and be aware of his/her fatigue level. Some dogs can run longer than others, start out slow and gradually build up to his/her comfort level. Never run/ride your dog on days of excessive heat/temperature.
- It’s very important to keep an eye on your dog’s pads, make sure they are in good shape, especially, if you are riding on hard bike paths and the like. Never ride on surfaces that would do harm to your dog’s paws.
Note: The next blog in this series will cover Magnolia’s favorite bike riding boots that we use for pad / foot protection during our rides.
The K9 Bike Jogger retails for $39.99 for the entire system (leash system plus one bike clamp to attach it to your bicycle). Additional clamps can be purchased individually for $12.99 if you have multiple bikes that you’d like to switch the K9 Bike Jogger between.
Stay tuned, later this week Magnolia will bring you her review of her favorite all-terrain doggie boots!
9 Responses to “Biking with your Pooch – Part 1: The K9 Bike Jogger”
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My videos. Featured videos.
- Whitney said: Phil - I'm sorry to hear about your experience wit...
- Phil said: I bought a K9 bike jogger in April '09 ans used it...
- Whitney said: Sweet!!! And yay for Hugo!!! :)...
- Whitney said: As far as I can tell the K9 Bike Jogger and the Wa...
- Madeleine StMichael said: My dog loves running with the WalkyDog. She is onl...
- Whitney said: Apparently, the WalkyDog came first, and then K9 B...
This is an excellent article Whitney – thanks for writing! I did notice that the leash in the demonstration video is actually a WalkyDog leash – not the K9 bike jogger. The video by the way is very well made. Although there has been confusion out there, the WalkyDog and K9 jogger are two different products. I’ll have to try out some of those boots. Looks like Magnolia has no problem with them. If you have any questions, please contact me. Looking forward to more videos of Magnolia and her WalkyDog. Take care
You’re right, Scott, it actually IS a WalkyDog leash in the video. We purchased that several years ago, and it appears that they’ve since changed their name, but the websites I linked to are where I originally purchased the product from.
Thanks for getting back to me. The website you point to used to sell the WalkyDog, but the owner recently decided to stop selling the WalkyDog and create a knockoff product. I just want to make sure your readers know that there is a difference to help avoid confusion.
i was just about to order a walkydog from ebay but i saw it’s now K9 jogger. Anyone know if there is any difference or should I just proceed with the Walkydog?
Apparently, the WalkyDog came first, and then K9 Bike Jogger came second. I honestly can’t comment on which product I think is better, as they are so very similar. Scott had commented previously, and as I said before, the instrument that you see in the video here is actually the WalkyDog. I purchased it some number of years ago before the K9 Bike Jogger came out. When I did this blog post, I searched google for the WalkyDog but found no results except the page that I had ordered from originally, which is now selling the K9 Bike Jogger.
I honestly think that it’s just personal preference. The two products are very similar.
My dog loves running with the WalkyDog. She is only 20 pounds but very fast and strong. I put her in both a walking vest and a harness over it to more evenly distribute the pressure on her chest and fasten the WalkyDog to both at her center back. She is only 15″ tall. She pulls me along if we go at a moderate rate. Pedaling as fast as I can downhill I can match her top speed. She loves running all out. When we reach the top of the run and I start to turn for home, she sits down, digs in and insists on another dash downhill! I have to be careful to check her pads, and not run her on hot days. Bonus, she uses her nails for extra traction, so regular use eliminates the need to get them trimmed.
I will post a video here soon: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/675666
She wore out the original leash. It got frayed and seemed ready to give out. I found some extra-strength cord and reconstructed the unit. The new leash has lasted much longer than the original. I also replaced the leash clip about a week after getting the WalkyDog. It was poorly made and difficult to use. I also wanted something stronger since she puts so much pressure on it.
The guys who have the website seemed to be the exclusive US distributers for WalkyDog, which was made in Europe. (I seem to remember the original packaging saying something about Milan, Italy, but it was over a year ago.) When I was planning to purchase I discovered they had a reputation for poor customer service. I was promised the product by a certain date and it was at least a week late, even though I paid extra for quicker shipping. I spoke to one of the owners and I was not impressed with his attitude. Perhaps they have improved.
In this global economy, many people who distribute a product decide to take the design and get it produced elsewhere and then cut out the original designer and manufacturer. Small companies find it difficult to enforce patents internationally. This happened to the product my husband sells. I do not know if this is the case with the WalkyDog and the K9 Bike Jogger, but I would not be surprised.
I wonder if I bought a K9 attachment to put on another bike whether it would work with the WalkyDog unit.
As far as I can tell the K9 Bike Jogger and the WalkyDog units do have interchangeable hardware. I have one of each and there appears to be no difference between the bike attachment hardware. My husband and I swap them off regularly when we’re taking our pooch for a bike ride.
I bought a K9 bike jogger in April ‘09 ans used it a few times a week to present (Nov ‘09). Last week the clamp that holds the jogger to the seatpost cracked in half. The dog is 50 pounds, and was pulling, but there was no crash, impact or anything like that. I was simply riding along, the dog gave a pull, and it cracked. The metal is very cheap.
I bought a Springer to replace it. It is a far more solid device, and I think I may just stick with it.
Phil – I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the K9 Bike Jogger. I hope that you contacted the company!!
But I’m glad that you found a replacement that you’re happy with so that you and your pooch can continue to enjoy bike riding! I’ve never tried the Springer before… it looked kind of complicated to me so that scared me off. Perhaps you’d be willing to write up a review of it? We love guest bloggers! Send me an email if you’re interested and we’ll look into getting you all set up!
whitney [at] webstrategies [dot] com