Putting Dog and Scooter together
First practice riding the scooter without a dog. Ride down a
hill. Practice using the brakes for both coasting and
stopping. Practice banking around a curve. Your attention when
dog scootering should be on the dog, not on riding the scooter.
For your first run with your dog, choose a familiar trail. A
good choice is to take the dog to a fun place he's used to
visiting, so he has a destination in mind like the park. A
recognised trail is better than an open field because a dog does
not know the direction to take when facing an open field. A
narrow trail is better than a wide one. If you can, bring a
family member or friend on a bicycle, and ask them to ride in
front of you.
Wear a helmet, gloves, good athletic shoes or boots, and long
sleeves and pants. Bring poo bags, water, the best treats. Give
some at breaks and especially at the car when returning after a
run.
Never scooter in hot
weather. Cool weather is best for your dog. In warm weather,
scooter in the cool of the day.
The dog's first lesson is that the scooter is FUN because he
gets to RUN. Keep the run short for the first few trips. Stop
well before the dog is tired. Stop while he still wants to go.
The first run might be as short as a few minutes or a few miles. Remember that a dog that is out of shape and/or
overweight will tire quickly and even can damage joints or pull
muscles.
Watch your tugline with an eagle eye. You do not want it to wrap
around your front wheel or the dog's leg. Keep it tight by using
the brakes lightly whenever the dog slows down. Keeping the line
tight is your responsibility. Do not let the scooter coast up
next to the dog. The dog's job is always to hold the line out
tight in front of the scooter. Novice dogs may pull sideways
sniffing and lifting their legs. They will suddenly stop to
poop. Running causes the bowels to move. When first training the
dog, steer the scooter to one side of him so that if he stops
suddenly, you will miss him if you can't stop in time. Do not
ride directly behind him.
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Toucan Scooter
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