The Original Dog-Powered Scooter

Years ago I heard a radio interview with the former head of the ASPCA who said: "Wheels and dogs do NOT mix." He went on to explain that dogs are too loyal for their own good and will literally run until their hearts explode to keep up while leashed to an owner on a bicycle or skates. Humans can sweat but dogs can get overheated and suffer heat stroke in warm weather.

The other thing he mentioned, although not directly connected with this item, is that dogs and other pets who are carried in bicycle baskets or bike trailers often suffer from damage to their internal organs (i.e. “floating kidneys”) because they are not protected from the shocks and vibrations transmitted to them from rough road surfaces.

This has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen!

JUST GO WALK YOUR DOG

lazy!

In response to Dennis, those factoids apply to people walking their dog on bicycle or other people-powered vehicle. This scooter is powered by the dog, not the person riding it.

Yes, Dennis, that may be true about wheels and dogs don't mix, but the dog is alongside the scooter pushing it; not behind the scooter being pulled by it.

Watch out. PETA's spinning into high gear on this one!

Better yet, powered by jogging people! It makes for a better workout and it can't hurt their kidneys!

It really is about living "green." I am surprised at the resistance to this idea. You guys must not own dogs. Many large breeds LOVE this kind of thing. They are bred for it. The idea that their heart may explode is ridiculous. It is just a ride in the park!
I believe many gyms should attach their stairmasters,ellipticals and bikes to a generator to make power for themselves! What a waste of energy!

just what we need, a way to take the excercise out of walking the dog; not only does this seem to be cruel to the dog, the lack of exercise can't be good for the person riding the scooter.

Better yet, powered by jogging people! It makes for a better workout and it can't hurt their kidneys!

It really is about living "green." I am surprised at the resistance to this idea. You guys must not own dogs. Many large breeds LOVE this kind of thing. They are bred for it. The idea that their heart may explode is ridiculous. It is just a ride in the park!
I believe many gyms should attach their stairmasters,ellipticals and bikes to a generator to make power for themselves! What a waste of energy!

Anyone remember dog sleds? Dogs like to pull, and with an intelligent owner this would probably be a lot of fun for both.

I have a boxer and when I walk him he always leads the way trying to walk much faster than me. I think this could be great for my dog and other large breeds that are strong and energetic if used with consideration. Of course, weight limitations should apply. Use with a cat harnessed about 10 feet ahead of the dog for best results

great idea! (Dog-Powered Scooter),
everyone who owns and loves animals, knows that especially dogs live for exercise, for moving around. giving dogs well dosed exercise and attention are the greatest things for them and make them happy. (nevertheless do not send him on marathon after 3 months on the sofa…!)also, they are better then stupid treats from the super market (no - you can't buy love)!
it is the same for us humans: our body is designed to be running around and active - sitting at the desk all day is "torture" - and the reason why we love our doctors so much

while some misguided animal lovers rather support dog-owners who keep their loved ones in cages all day and take them out for a five minutes walk morning and evening, I am so happy to see people spending precious thought on how we can make the living together of dog and human more synergetic for both parties.
myself and James the dog, we are going long-boarding (skateboard) several times a week and love it. the idea with the scooter takes it to the next level!

Response to some of the above comments:

1) The so-called "factoids" were as I remember hearing them on a radio interview conducted by Charles Kuralt on WCBS radio back in the '80 and referred to real incidences reported by veterinarians.

2) There are many breeds of dogs and the toy varieties that people carry in dog baskets have not been bred for the same ruggedness as the working breeds.

3) Sled-dogs are trained athletes. Like human beings, dogs that lie around all week while people work at their jobs, can be out of shape and can over do exercise when trying to be "weekend warriors".

4) The fact that dogs enjoy certain activities does not mean they should always be allowed to do them. Dogs like to run free without being leashed and many of them are killed as a result.

I don't expect to change the minds of many people on this matter. It has been my experience that if I tell people not to stand in the fire the reply I usually get is the smell of burning flesh.

Reason # 2,592,451 why dogs bite humans. . . .

remember after you and your dog have gone for a delightful outing, go back and pick up the poop your dog has left behing. this is your dog's other contribution to the environment

Dog sled racers and XC Skiers have been using this technique for years.
You can get wheeled dog sleds for warm weather training and cargo hauling.

Better yet try goat carts.

uh, mush.

this was so dang funny. i almost considered getting one for my german shepherd/racecar mix. almost; the speed limit is only 25 over here, i'd have to slow the poor guy down.

It's an important invention, I'll grant you. But it's missing an obvious safety component. Where's the little plastic bag that dog walkers all carry for the doggie poop? Absence of this might violate several Product code regs and have serioius liabilty issues. I'd be cautious before I released it to the General public.

Based on personal experience, I believe that dogs and wheels do mix. I once met a dog whose back legs had, due to arthritis, completely deteriorated, and she'd had a set of miniature Toyota Camry-style wheels attached to her backside. Now, of course, had she had a halfway decent Medicare plan, she would've been able to afford the sportier new Cadillac tires; but she also happened to be blind and wouldn't know the difference anyway. But her mobility was still better. I realize that this is all crazy, but King Wingbipeekaboo has to go be deviant.

Woof. Woof. I wanna be abused. Run me until my paws turn into a bloody pulp. Woof. Woof.

yes, yes, it's for the dogs. They'll love it! Of course this gadget is small potatoes. I've got my 2 Great Danes pulling my 4 person bicycle surrey around. Whenever we see one of the hounds faultering, we chip in and pedal for a bit,till they recover. we used to pedal it ourselves but this is much better, for the dogs i mean.

Dog carts were popular in England some years ago, especially during WWII when gas was scarce. They did have goat carts as well, I believe.
linden

i dont like dogs, but i do like cats. how many cats would it take to power this thing? ;)

If I looked up "crazy xtreme sport" in the dictionary would I find a picture of someone dog scootering? Wow... people do love their dogs.

I remember hearing about this kind of thing years ago. The idea is actually NOT new. Google dog scootering and you'll see what I mean. I think Amazon even has a book or two for sale on the subject. Kudos to these guys, though. It looks like they're making it a whole lot easier for both the dog and their owner to get involved. The thing looks like one part bike, one part scooter and one part dog sled harness... now that's innovation.

While, I think the thing looks stupid, it's not a bad idea. Yeah, I've heard of dogs working themselves to death, but isn't ALWAYS one of those, I know a guy, who knows a guy, who KNOWS a guy that this happened to? I have a husky and he loves pulling me around on roller blades, but if you do this, I suggest reading up on sled dogs cause it's the same idea. Don't over work your dog/dogs, give them breaks (extra breaks if you're like me living in the SE) and have water right there for them. Don't use a plain collar for doing this, use a harness, your dog will love you for it. And if you like this bike thing... check their paws every time, they can get hurt and if they get hurt and not taken care of the dog will stop liking this toy thing. Just my thoughts,
Jason

My dog enjoys pulling the dog powered scooter. We go at a pace the two of us would never be able to go at if we had to travel by foot. When he slows down, it's my turn to get to work and kick bike. That way we both get our exercise in. It's a real bonding experiance and healthy too!

Another ignorant redneck idear. Anyone that would think this scooter is acceptable is a complete maroon. heat exhaustion, Prostration, worn and torn pads on the feet, etc. Ya gonna wip yer dog if he gits a bit tarred and stops a runnin yer fat lazy arse around town?

I have been looking for this item for about a year. I sae this on a tv show and can not find it any where. Now I know. It is the best thing for people with limeted mobility. Thank you.

This is the best device I've ever seem...considering my lack of energy from my disablility...

Well if it all helps taking the dog for a walk lol.

Anyway what I would like to ask you chaps seeing you know more about this stuff than I do! I’ve been searching & am interested very much if possible – I would like to turn my mobility Scooter that runs on gel batteries into a Hydroelectric mobility Scooter i.e. the use of water to power worth thinking about & just think no more having to recharge the batteries plus most mobility Scooter do just an average 15 to 30 miles on one charge, & yet if it was Hydroelectric powered the distends of travel would I hope be grater maybe even endless,
Let me know your thoughts on this please would be interesting to know them…
Oow I can feel my wallet swelling lol.

Some dog breeds love to run/pull, but the original mushers did it in snow-concrete is much harder and I believe it would be too hard on their joints in the long run. I actually was gearing up to buy some type of musher but I wouldnt make it my main transportation. I also would not go long distances either. I have been working with animals a long time and everything from jumping into cars, jogging them daily, and going up and downstairs have long term effects on some dogs. They end up with joint or hip problems just like some of us humans. Muscle, tendon, ligament, joint and bone injuries are extremely common in racing greyhounds, so know this if you run your dog on a hard surface everyday. Be aware of how your dog does his daily exercise. My advice....run your dog on the sand at the beach most of the time ….if you must run, and mush your dog short distances only a few times a week. Now that I said all this, maybe I wont get a musher. I'll stick to walking my dog and throwing the ball on the grass.

Is there room for compromise?
Would it be so bad to harness a dog to a bicycle, for example, where the rider supplies his/her own momentum and the dog trots along side in the same manner? Or some such other combination? Everything in moderation of course, as pointed out, remembering not to run the best friend into the ground.

I am a dog trainer. This is a wonderful idea.

If you go to his website you can see his regulations. Your dog should be in great shape, over 35lbs, etc.

My dalmatian wants to run run run and I just can't keep up with him on my own feet. Pulling something gives them a sense of purpose and really mentally balances them.

If you're against it then don't get one but it's most definitley NOT cruel.

Regular excersise that balances the mind = perfect dog at home. Common sense.

PITA going to attack the iditarod too?

You know there is scooterjoring, bikejoring, skijoring, and other sports out there too that have the dogs pulling us around? GREAT SPORTS!

One more thing...... someone wrote about how toy breeds were not bred for this. HAHA. Who in their right mind would be stupid enough to think your bichon was going to pull you on this? Of course toy breeds are not meant for this. Working breeds like border collies, huskys, and pit bulls... GREAT! Bichons...not so good.

MeGaN

I have a Dobermann who just loves to run. he runs 10 miles a day with my quad bike. I am not lazy but have M.S. and cannot walk far at all. This scooter is brillaint and I would love one as I could also have some excersise within reason with my limited movement. He weighs 40 kilo's and is a big powerful dog with lots of energy. I got him for protection as I am alone a lot of the time. He is great but this would give him all the excersise he would need. He also runs on a treadmill at home for 16 kilometres a day on top of the quad run and so you see he would benefit from this bike. For all those thoughtless people who think we are lazy try living with my disease and then tell me that!!! Some people have no idea remember though what goeas around comes around, so maybe you should try to have some empathy for peopleworse off than yourself. I get fed up with these selfish people who have normal mobility telling me that I am lazy. How dare you assume that to be the case. These same people cannot deal with any imperfections but hey it could happen to you. So be careful what you condemn. I was fit and now I am in a wheel chair for most of the time if I need to go anywhere. This bike would give me such joy and freedom as I can stand. Heather

I understand that it may look lazy but not everbody as the luxuary of being able to run. I lost my ability to run after a surgery wherein my femoral nerve was damaged on my right leg. I can walk but not run and my aussie is in desperate need for more exercise than just a run and throwing the frisbee. I saw a similar device that attaches to a trike and was thinking that this would a great way for folks like me that can't run to be bale to exercise their dogs.

jeebus, guys.. . .

about the poop question. . . you really think that dogs poop whilst running? What's wrong with your dog?

Why? Dear God why???

Yesterday I saw a dude on a skateboard with his dog pulling him around the block. He was going pretty fast.

When did usefullness become evil or "unsafe"? Hearts exploding? Seriously? You *really* believe that? I guess humans are the only animals built for running then? And then only special magically gifted peoples