Fewer things bring a smile to a mountain biker’s face then a well-trained trail dog. The best of the best can scrub jumps like a world cup racer, take ninja inside lines, stay right on your wheel, and wag their tails with pure delight at the end of a great descent. Training a trail dog takes time, but if done well, you’ll always have a buddy ready to ride with you, no matter what Ma Nature may have in mind. The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” may hold true, as it’s best to groom younger dogs for riding. Considering training your pup? Here are a few tips:
Tip 1: Start ‘em young, but not too young. While training puppies new things is typically easier than older dogs, it is crucial you don’t run your puppy too hard at too young of an age. Experts suggest waiting until the puppy is about 8 months old before you start running them longer distances. If eight months seems like forever, consider starting with shot hikes in the woods with your dog. This will get them familiar with the type of terrain you’ll bike on. Hike on trails with obvious paths so they understand how to follow a trail. Keep them on a leash and heeling close to you so they know to stay near. Once they become comfortable with your pace and surroundings (and don’t have a tendency to bolt), let them off leash. Give them vocal queues to keep them near you, and reward them for doing so. Jog a little bit to see if they are apt to keep up with you. If not, put them back on the leash and jog with them so they understand that they need to stay with you.
Tip 2: Once comfortable off leash try playing hide and seek. This may seem silly, but there may be occasions when you outride your dog and you’re separated. Instead of panicking that you’ve lost each other, a quick game of hide and seek will have you reunited in no time! Go back to the familiar paths where your dog first learned to walk off leash. Have the dog sit and stay while you go hide behind a tree, out of site. Once hidden, whistle, or yell, “OK!” When the dog finds you, reward him again so he knows he’s always supposed to find you.
Tip 3: Teaching your dog how to drink out of a hydration pack is a great way to ensure he stays hydrated on warmer days. There’s not much magic to this, but ensure you can keep a consistent stream of water coming from the hose so Fido gets adequately hydrated. Practice at home before you hit the trails on hot days.
Tip 4: Speaking of hot days- don’t run your dog long distances on days that are too hot. There’s no magic number, but use your common sense. If there aren’t constant streams for your dog to rest in and recharge, don’t take him if it’s too hot.
Tip 5: When ready to move to the bike, start by taking your dog on short rides on your bike while leashed. This can be dangerous, so make sure you’re confident on holding a leash while your dog runs alongside. Make sure the leash is long enough so your dog won’t get too close to your wheel. One thing I do is attach the loop of the handle to my chest strap on my hydration pack. That way if he pulls, he’s pulling from my center of mass and not likely to pull me off of my bike. Go slow at first until you’re able to have your dog trot alongside you without having him pull.
Tip 6: When your dog is comfortable running alongside you on a leash, take him back to the trails you first learned to walk in the woods off leash. While on your bike, have the dog sit. Unleash him and keep him seated. When you’re ready to go, start slow and call for him. If he gets in front of you, immediately give the command, “follow,” and stop and place him behind you. Reward him for getting behind you, so he understands he needs to stay out of the way. Most dogs understand this quite easily, but repeating the behavior until he grasps it will ensure better behavior when on a longer ride or with a group.
Tip 7: Once you’ve mastered your local stomping grounds, take him on a longer ride. The same rules apply. Leash him until you’re ready to go, then ensure he’s following alongside. As he gets more comfortable on more rides he will learn to explore and come back to you. Practice the “hide and seek” rule on rides, too, to reinforce that behavior.
Tip 8: The best rides for your dogs are rides that aren’t incredibly fast. Remember, they’re running the entire thing. A 20-mile ride for you is a massive day for your dog. Try to take him on rides with multiple water sources. Try to stay away from super hard packed, steep descents. This type of terrain is bad on the hips and joints for your dog. Just like us, dogs love the loam!
Tip 9: After a long day of riding, give your dog a massage. Have him lie on one side and massage his hips and shoulders. Stretch his legs. Make sure to do both sides. Just like people, dogs need to recover from a big day on the bike. Choose your dogs rides wisely. Don’t run him every day, and give ample resting time between big runs.
Tip 10: Make sure he knows how great of a job he’s doing. In between segments, stop and tell him he’s a good boy! Dogs love to be rewarded verbally and will always appreciate the positive reinforcement. But the most important thing of all, have fun!
(Roscoe making sure I'm taking the proper line down an old rock roll.)
(Good) photos by Ian Coble
MENTIONS:
@lacykemp
(I'm not a jedi).
For SOCal folks; the rattle snake vaccine works great, they buy you a few hours to get to the vet, worth every penny!
General trailing tip: all dogs can sniff very well, train them to follow your smell and if they loose sight it isn't no big deal, they pick the sent up and keep rolling!
Shepherd dogs in general should be pretty good traildogs, since they want to keep you close and dont really care that much about hunting squirrels, birds and moose. And if you havent seen a huntingdog or a shepherd in real action you really have no clue how much those animals can run.
I maybe should have been more specific. 10 or so miles per hour for a dog is not a fast pace. Especially in the winter dogs cool themselves mainly by panting and through their paws or just jumping into cold water. My last ride I averaged just over 18mph/29kmh over a 2.5ish hour period. That pace for that duration is too fast mid summer for my dog. I would have to stop quite often to let her drink and cool off. As I write this though I realize, dogs are as diverse as everyone of us. Some are top performers in the running category so just play it by ear and talk to your vet. Like @steve9train said ADOPT ADOPT ADOPT!!!!
Now if the local land managers weren't such a*sholes about it, she would get to go with me more often.
Also, get micro chipped, and if you can find a reasonably priced GPS collar do it, no matter how good he is, no matter how well trained, there is always a chance as a husky he'll go off to the smell the world, so protect him by being able to find him again.
Strava name?
ep1.pinkbike.org/p4pb12629815/p4pb12629815.jpg
That's cool,
Valid points but I have seen dogs that are so loyal and dedicated partners that they would do anything their owner asked from them. This includes doing things while injured. They do not have the same pain/self preservation inhibitors that we have. All I am saying is keep in mind your dog does not think like you do. We would say I am in too much pain, I am done. The dog says to itself why cannot my owner see that I hurt? Then you stop and give you dog attention which the dog appreciates. But yet again you ride on and your dog dutifully runs after you... Just make sure you empathize with your animal. They are amazing companions that deserve us treating them better than we treat ourselves...just saying.
That said, for those who bike with their dogs: leash laws and other restrictions are there for a reason and sometimes that reason is for the dogs own good. If a trail doesn't allow dogs don't bring your dog. Others won't expect it and might even be using that trail because they really don't like dogs and want to avoid them. If a trail requires a leash it also isn't the greatest idea to take your dog on that trail. When a rider comes barreling down and you can't get your dog off the trail or out of their business that's a problem.
And last but not least... AT THE VERY LEAST BURRY THE DOG POOP OFF THE TRAIL. I've never understood why this is so hard. My dog is a huge pain and crops in at least three different spots everytime and I still pick it all up, so no excuses.
www.amazon.ca/Excel-1-75-Ounce-Paw-Wax-Protector/dp/B000FPJ80I
vaseline wound soften the paw and it is not advisable to apply vaseline if there is a skin breakdown.
dog booties they sell. The more expensive ones fit quite securely and have extra padding for their paws. My pooch uses them in the winter when we hike in the snow for long distances. It did take her quite some time to get used to them though! The cheap ones you find at petsmart and the like are total crap and will fall of within the first 10 seconds of running.
These are some top notch ones
www.ruffwear.com/Barkn-Boots-Grip-Trex_3
They also sell liners for more protection and for winter insulation!
If you ride in moist loamy trees in the NW you are probably getting more mileage on their pads.
If you ride in Norcal grit over hard, a little less.
If you ride deeper decomposed granite like in the Sierras you have to be very carefiul as they will quickly blister up in short order. Anytime I'm in granite/pumice I'm thinking booties.
For every dog that has given me an issue on a trail there have been 100 bikers/hikers that are far worse...
Pro Tip: If it isn't a closed race course, it is a safe bet you will have to avoid other trail users. Ride in control.
seriously.. traildogs are just cool.. and if you are capable of going fast it is inevitable of beeing in controll of you and your bike, and as a consequence you can stop fast enough to not kill or injure anything.
In addiotion i would advise you guys .. just for your safety.. ride fast and smart.. (safer and more fun) and don´t just hit anything that blocks your trail.. just because you can, or feel offended by someone beeing stupid enough to somehow annoy you with his or his dogs presence, that could eventually lead you to slow down..
Still i have to admit.. yes.. keep dogs from crowded trails.. for the dogs and users sake
And while we using different threads on each other, for the last time, what sort of response do you expect when people say shit like kickstand did? I meet plenty of dumb, inconsiderate humans* and dogs on slow trails.. I don't want to do it at high speed.
So since I'm such an a*shole, you tell me what to do... Steep or fast trail, riding on the 'edge', untrained dog runs out leaving not enough time to stop. What happens next?
People like kickstand and pigman have created my attitude.
*you can tell a dumb human that they're a dumbass and most will get it, and if they step out they take their chances. When it's kids and dogs... Their owner/parent has put them and the rider in danger. I'm old fashioned, I think that's inconsiderate. That's what makes me unusual here, I won't bend over backwards to support this twenty first century right to be an a*shole inconsiderate parent or dog owner.
Again, what should I do in the freeze frame moment, doing high speeds with a dog running under my wheels?
There is a time and place for walking your dog, a bike trail isn't it.
Don't go out and buy yourself a trail dog then leave it in the garage to rot like that £5k bike that's also only been out once since you bought it.
If you wanna go out to a bike trail and...ride your bike(!) then go for it, however fast or slow you like, have a blast! Just be a considerate human being as most of us are.
It's clear from almost every comment I've made, that the likes of you, and many dog owners, are not the problem. But like most things, a small minority ruin it for the rest. So just tell me this.. If the worst happened (be realistic, stating I was going to plough through a dog was a kneejerk reaction to kickstands jackass attitude, the reality is I would do anything to not hurt someones dog. So say I injure myself because somebody's dog got in the way, what then? I'm left unable to work and trying to sue? That's crazy) should I have to trade blows at the side of the track with the owner? Because it sounded like that was what pigman was saying.
The type of trails are important, what's also important is that most of the entities in question cannot move as fast or erratically as a dog. A horse and rider are over ten foot tall, a bike and rider are also very visible, but a dog? A dog can decide it's gonna chase something or make a fresh decision on direction, at any moment. Forget 'out of control' if that doesn't mean much to you. But stopping a dh bike that's going flat out, doesn't happen on a dime, despite what brake manufacturers would tell you. And yeah, I am of the opinion that if it's a grown up that steps onto the track at the wrong moment, they take their chances. A kid or a dog should not be put in that position. More importantly, the likes of me and Thom should not be put in the position of having to live with the guilt of having ACCIDENTALLY killed your dog or worse, just because people like kickstand want to say 'my dog likes it, deal with it'. I hope I've explained my concern, and that the main problem is that his attitude stinks, and caused me to say 'hypothetically kickstand, f*ck you too!'. Also I don't ever want to deal with injuring pigmans dog and then injuring him because he attacked me, all on the same day. Because believe it not, I've never harmed another human being or animal. And I don't want to start now. Sorry this all got so heated, it's clearly a passionate issue. And if we all stop for a second, it's easy to see that most of it is born of not wanting the worst to happen, not wanting to hurt somebody else's dog. Because I do understand how important they are to people. And sorry I made the Ken Hom joke, probably bad taste in here. But I was just a joke.
However, in my part of the world (Oregon, USA, which is well known for fantastic MTB opportunities) whenever there is talk of limiting ANY type of trail users access, it is almost ALWAYS mountain bikers who are facing exclusion because the vast majority of trail users (who have the advantage financially and at the polls) are hikers, walkers, backpackers, birdwatchers, etc. Many of whom do not like us...
I always want to keep the conversation about responsible SHARING.
But one thing is for sure- When I'm all grown up, I'm getting me a Collie!
And don't worry all you dog lovers out there, I wont wear him out. My riding is shit! :p
Two tips from me;
Make sure your dog fears/respects your front wheel. When going slow, a little nudge will keep them in check.
When I go out with mine, I attach some falconry bells to his collar. Let's you know that they're still behind you with looking and alerts hikers and other dogs that you're there.
He stops, sits, stares at me like saying:"ok buddy, i don't want to run like that, slow down!"
I use discretion and take her out during low traffic times, I have also yet to encounter any complaints, in fact almost everyone I have encountered calls my dog to them and pets her.
But go ahead and make more ridiculous assumptions, my dog rides right on my dérailleur 99% of the time.
Other than that with responsible dog ownership it really shouldn't be an issue unless you go out of your way to make it one.
But it does make me see how oblivious we can be to their bodies, thinking they are fine.
I'd be shattered if anything happened to my girl - Blue Heeler x Kelpie
For the rider, riding with or without a dog ain't change anything, because the dog usually runs behind the rider.. So yeah, that's my point of view, like the article says it well, most dogs are sprinters, and when they're running, their heart works super hard... On a one mile high speed trail your dog is physicly exhausted and does not particuly have fun .. so don't. Play with a ball in your backyard or let them free in a wood with you staying around and that's the may to make you and your dog(s) happy
pinkbike.com/photo/12203084
Our dog was already well trained, but we recently started using an e-collar to reinforce many commands. An e collar is only 1 tool, and you have to be very patient and smart with how you use it. But, it has allowed me to really be able to trust that when I recall my dog or tell him to get off the trail and sit, he will do it 100% of the time, even if I'm not right next to him.
cats work too,but only for short distances. my old one could hit 25-30mph running alongside, but cats are smarter, it stuck to the pavement while I used the road.
But then they do like to play touch hunting too once they know the areas, so the helmet pouncing comment is legit :/
www.pinkbike.com/video/411656/#top
"SQUIRREL" !!!!
She can go for 2-3 hours at a steady pace ( carry snacks and a water bottles for her) but I have to watch her top speed (she will happily try and do 30 kmph) as her paws will cut more easily at high speeds on gravel trails. Happy trail riding with your dog.
Absolutely bud. Somewhere in here is my own comment, stating ride with them on empty trails by all means. I love dogs. Couldn't eat a whole one though.
Which reminds me.. Have you seen Ken Homs new cookbook? 101 ways to wok your dog.
(Variables are cool things. Some owners don't scold or train their dogs, give your ire to them. Some of us work hard and spend countless hours training so that our buddy can enjoy life too. When you see your pals eyes light up when hearing the ratcheting of a rear hub, you'll understand. Don't mind my post it's mostly a joke) :cheers: