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This looks ILLEGAL! And if it is not, it SHOULD be!

as good exercise as this would be for a dog, i could see how this would be easily abused: a fat person and a little dog. so not fair for the dog!

I can only see it as a good idea if the bike has peddles (like the second picture with the recumbent bike)

Even so, seems like it could be dangerous for the rider if the dog gets spooked or starts chasing something.

why not just ride the bike/trike yourself and have your dog run beside you? that way you both get exercise.

This is very wrong, the dog could get over worked and the weight can cause all kinds of problems. Its abusive.

With dogs that are bred to work, this sounds like a great idea. Obviously not for all dogs.....

I thought it would be cute to tie my dog's leash to my handlbars and let her tug my bike down the street. Then she saw a cat and went after it, throwing me off and dragging my bike into the bushes. Unless you are tying the dog to a sled in Alaska, I would advise against this new fad.

Really? We're really that lazy??

I would never do this. BUT I do see a little disconnect between how we view this as abusive for dogs when other animals are commonly used this way (horses pulling carriages, etc). Just a thought.

This could be a great idea if it's not taken to excess. I have reservations about allowing a dog to run hard/for long periods of time on concrete. Dirt and gravel are a lot better for the joints.

The Springer (springerusa.com) has a setup similar to this, only it has a quick release in case the dog gets tangled up, and a spring to absorb the shock of the dog lunging after something. I would think it a lot safer, especially for a bigger dog, unless that dog was impeccably trained.

For a smaller dog, this would probably not be the greatest set up. My Shiba inu can't keep up a fast enough pace for it to be worth it, necessarily... maybe on hills! We use a trailer for him when I'm taking him out on the bike and he gets to run up the hills with me when I'm not going fast.

HILARIOUS.

I agree with Amanda0730: for large dogs that need a ton of exercise this could be a very fun and very useful thing. Many dogs with a ton of energy love this sort of thing and it can be a real god-send for the owners. BUT you have to make sure you use it properly.

The suburban nightmare just became more nightmarish.

I have a samoyed, which is the breed of dog commonly used for sledding: http://www.samoyed.org/ows/sledding.html
But somehow I could never subject him to pulling me around on a skateboard.

Would be great for working dogs and adequately trained owners.

I think those kids could earn some extra money pulling rickshaws.

everythingistaken: great plan assuming you live anywhere that both bikes and off-leash dogs are allowed. near me, at least, there's simply no such thing, and riding a bike with a leashed dog is apparently pretty darned unsafe for all involved; there was even a specific provision against it in the adoption contract I had to sign when I took on one of my dogs!

I totally agree with those saying it's a good idea IF applied reasonably to larger, high-energy and working breed dogs. as it happens, that's the kind of dogs I have. :)

somethng does seem wrong about this.
the kids need the workout more then the dogs do.

LOL illegal danish!

My first reaction was like everythingistaken's. Get off your behind and walk the dog! It'll do you both good.

I agree that this looks really cruel but I can understand the point.

I think you are all kind of misunderstanding the idea in thinking that it is some kind of transportation for the rider.

I think you all are forgetting that, whether it's right or wrong, ALOT of people have dogs that have been bred for centuries to work, pull, sled, and help in fields. For instance Huskies, Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greyhounds, and Whippets are all used to running a lot and unfortunately a lot of those breeds are very difficult to train--namely huskies! I could see this being a solution for those kinds of dogs to get their running that they needed which can be difficult even for a person who runs very regularly...

My two large dogs would love getting to run like this (and given their propensity to nearly yank me off my feet during our walks I wouldn't be concerned at all about their pulling my weight on wheels). The problem I see is the distraction of wanting to sniff and pee on every bush and tree. I think I'd be at much greater risk of getting hurt if they decided they had other plans than running straight!

I think this would work out good for those people who do ride their bikes with their dogs on a leash (which I think is unsafe) it looks more sturdy.

Dogs? Working? Physically? Perish the thought. I figured all the working breeds had traded in their blue-collar careers generations ago and were now somehow involved in the financial crisis due to bad dog-house loans and kibble-based derivatives.

For dogs bred to pull and work this is great. For yippy rat-dogs, not so much.

ahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

WRONG

HOrrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i like the bike idea. my two little dogs have now taken up running. my little 11 lb. italian greyhound/poodle mix (think grover from sesame street mating with a teddy bear) is constantly pulling when we walk so i started to run with her and now she LOOOVES to run. she is so fast and keeps the pace up, i've considered getting rollerblades so they can pull me together (my other dog is a small little 20lb powerhouse). people always are laughing or saying "how cute" when we're running because you'd never expect to see these little girls running, but they do and they love it.

so honestly to have that bike would help with their exercise and burn energy..but if it got to the point where i was wearing them out, it would be a done deal.

Dog Abuse for sure ha

I agree with Comicgeek ,this should be illegal.

not hot.

Illegal? Really? Have you "it should be illegal" people ever MET a dog? Dogs bred to work love to have jobs, they love to get exercise, and the right kind of dog would totally dig this. Yeah, duh, of course you can't get your tiny-brained Maltese to drag your fat butt across town, but I tell you what: you strap a hi-energy Husky into that sucker, and she would LUUUUFF it.

As long as your dog is bred to be a working dog...they would probably love it. My german shepherd used to pull my younger brother on his skateboard around the block. She would drag the skateboard out to us when she was interested, which was often.

Good grief, how unfair to force an animal to push your butt around as previous posts mention. Please do the walking you could use it. Having to be dragged around with a leash around your neck is cruel enough, now this? When humans do it to each other it's called S&M. Think about that.

click212: when people put leashes on their dogs, it's called responsibility. Dogs cannot be trusted to safely navigate the human world without human guidance.

This reminds me of this kook who lived down my backlane that used to harness his dogs to his adult-sized tricycle...its just wrong.

carting is actually a sponsored dog "sport". Working breed dogs love to pull and have a drive to do a useful job. A properly trained dog with a safe harness can have fun and get some exercise- plus this is how they train sled dogs in the off seasons.

That said, I'm not saying everybody should take their chihuahua out to the park and try it, but it has its place and it's in no way "cruel"

Could these fucking things take up any more space on the sidewalk/bike trail/ street? Worse than double wide strollers. Dumb. Just dumb.

You all do understand there are plenty of dogs that like to work right? You make it seem like it's animal cruelty for a dog to exert itself.

Believe it or not, the fact that your dog spends all day bored to death on a couch sleeping doesn't mean he/she is happy.

I get the concept if it is a way to get your dog out for a fun run with without dealing with a leash that could get tangled up in your wheels, bike pedals, etc., but there are a couple of design flaws that I have a problem with. First, the dog should always be within the person's sightline, not behind a person. You would need to see if there were any impediments for the dog to run alongside properly---whether the street is too narrow, if you're going to fast, if the dog is hurt and limping, etc. Secondly, those metal bars can be dangerous to the dog if you were to crash into something or fall over.

Think about dog sled design---the dogs are out in front, and if the sled falls over, the dogs would not get hurt. Also, the harnesses aren't attached to hard metal bars, they are just attached to each other by leather harnesses/leashes.

that dog attached to the skateboard is a disaster waiting to happen... i can just picture a kid doing an ollie or something off a curb and the dog goes flying!

Hot! Till my dog obsessed Aussie sees another dog across the street.

I agree with some of the comments about the weight pulling issue - I think it would be awesome for the a Burmese or a other cart pulling working dogs. Actually the trike might be great alternative to a bicycle- NOTE the peddles (not so much pulling) I would love to bike with my dog but I think I would end up with a concussion.

I like it.

Sort of ensures that the huge slobbery dog won't jump on me and snot on me.
One for everybody!

(Sarcasm people.)

It's no different than dog sledding. Probably pretty practical for a poor pooch that's been cooped up in an apartment all day.

This is far from horrible or cruel... In fact my herding dog would love this. He's loves a task and a challenge - he's very easily bored and has a ton of energy. This would be great! I already take him running, but I've wanted to go biking while he runs next to me.... but I fear the leash would tangle in the spokes... this is a great idea....

My parents have larger dogs than myself. I mean I have a lil ol yorkie so I know this wouldn't work. They have a golden retrevier that is a tad overweight and an American Eskimo, I think that's what she's called. Well the golden retriever Julius really needs exercize and I think if your not going up hills or down hills at a not so crazy speed this should be fine. Doesn't anyone remember dog sleds?

kimdog---good point, these goofball things are way too wide for a standard sidewalk.
and the aesthetics--embarassing.

LOL! Hilarious. people get lazier and lazier everyday.

I don't think there would be harm in it if the dog weighted as much or more than the person they were pulling. But that's unlikely not going to be the case!

that is so funny. I wouldn't use it, but it's funny just the same.

Tabitha @ http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

I've been looking for a way to punish my chihuahua and yorkie for pissing on my rug!