i want to make my 4-month old male dalmatian run while i bicycle. shud i go ahead or wait till he grows up?

Question

i want to make him run on a leash while i bicycle. shud i wait till he gets older or go ahead?

Answer 1

I wouldn't run him by a bike yet. Larger dogs can get bone problems from running too much while their bones are growing. Now is the time to get him really going well on the leash. Once you have that down, you could do short slow rides on the bike.
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/documents/PuppyPlay.pdf
http://www.iams.com/en_US/data_root/breeder_section/GrowingPains.pdf
http://www.labbies.com/dysplasa.htm

Answer 2

You need to wait until he is at least 18 months of age! Dalmatian's are very prone to elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia is poppy up in Dal's, too.

At 4 months of age, he should ONLY be walked as far as down the street and back. Then just play with him in the backyard or inside to keep him happy. When he is 12 months old, you need to walk him a bit further. 2 - 4km would be great for a 12 month old Dal. When he is 16 months old, you can increase that to longer walks and job with him for 20 minutes every few days. When he is 18 months old, you can start jogging more and slowly running a little.

Never, EVER strap a dog leash to your bicycle. If he suddenly stops, you will go over, along with your bike. You could cycle over his paws or he could suddenly run after a rat, squirrel, bird or cat. It's very dangerous and NOBODY should EVER be able to tie their dog to their bike.

Answer 3

Start now, but go slow and only short runs.
Get him used to running next to the bike. Sometimes dogs are freaked out by the spinning wheels. Start by walking the bike near the dog.
Lots of praise and patience. Ignore fearful behavior.

Take it from someone who knows, NEVER tie the dog to the bike. NEVER wrap the leash around your hand. Use the special rig you can get at bike shops, or just hold the leash.
I had a nasty spill when my dog took off after a cat. Pulled the bike right out from under me and dragged it away. I was in the middle of the street badly hurt and wondering if the both of us were about to be killed by traffic.

Answer 4

You really want to want until he is about a year to have him do lots of running. He needs to develop more, or you can cause some serious physical problems by overworking him at this young age.
You can start training him to run with your bicycle now, though. Are you going to use a Springer or a Wolky dog?
http://www.springerusa.com/
http://www.walkydogusa.com/

Answer 5

wait til hes at least 6 months or older or else you might mess up his muscle and growing rate. for now just get him used to the leash and once hes got that you can slowly ride around the block, just dont let him go past a brisk walk or for more than 15 mins or so.

Answer 6

All the above points are great. Another thing to consider is you have less control if you are riding a bicycle, what if he suddenly sees a squirrel, or another dog that make him jerk his leash? You'll have to react very fast. Also, make sure he learns never to put his paws under your bike.

Answer 7

You should start by walking/running him slowly so he gets the idea.

Then try biking with him at a slow steady pace.

Once he gets older (older than six months) you can pick up the pace.

Talk to your dog's vet about any strenuous exercise first, since s/he would know best.

Answer 8

Pls note that you can cause serious wear and tear to the joints if you overexercise him at a young age. Just go for Elena's advice.

Answer 9

wait till a little older.He is too young