TRADITIONALLY ALL DOG MUSHING/PULLING IS DONE WITH THE DOG OUT FRONT. THIS CREATES STEERING AND CONTROL ISSUES AND VERY DEPENDENT ON DOG TRAINING. I NEW THERE WAS A WAY TO TAP INTO DOG POWER BUT MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT THAT EMPHASIZED STEERING CONTROL. (OF COURSE BOTH STYLES CAN BE DONE USING THE SAME SCOOTER) THIS "DOG BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL" STYLE HAS APPLICATION TO OTHER ANIMALS AND VEHICLE TYPES THAT I AM WORKING ON.
THE FIRST PROTOTYPE HAD A THIRD WHEEL OUT ON THE END OF THE OUTRIGGER BAR. BUT SOON IT BECAME APPARENT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR STABILITY BECAUSE THE SCOOTER BY ITSELF IS VERY STABLE AND EASY TO RIDE DUE TO ITS LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY. SO ELIMINATING IT REALLY ALLOWED THIS DESIGN TO BECOME ELEGANT IN ITS SIMPLICITY. WITHOUT THAT THIRD WHEEL, IT NOW IS LIGHTER, NARROWER, SMOOTHER (IN THAT IT HITS LESS BUMPS), LESS SPOOKY FOR THE DOG, LOWER COST, AND BEST OF ALL MORE FUN AND MORE OF A SPORT.
ITS COMPARABLE TO RIDING A BICYCLE (WITHOUT A DOG) THUS YOU DO NEED TO BE A RIDER AND BE READY TO BALANCE, CORRECT THE STEERING, PUT A FOOT DOWN FOR STABILTIY, GET OFF OVER BIG BUMPS, AND KICK TO HELP OFTEN.
THE SYSTEM SHINES IN URBAN USE ON BIKE PATHS AND EVEN BUSY SIDEWALKS BUT ALSO WORKS FINE OFF ROAD ON RELATIVELY LEVEL AND PACKED DIRT ROADS AND TRIALS.
THE RIGGING TO THE DOG IS ONLY 3 INCHES LONG (USES A RUBBER STRAP AND SPRING FOR SHOCK ABSORPTION) SO THEY ARE PRETTY "HARD" WIRED INTO THIS SYSTEM AND "FEEL" EVERYTHING THE RIDER/SCOOTER IS DOING AND QUICKLY COOPERATE IN TURNING AND BRAKING. THE RIDER CAN ALSO FEEL WHEN THE DOG BEGINS TO THRUST INTO A CHASE (SQUIREL, CAT, ETC.) THUS CAN GET ON THE BRAKES EARLY BEFORE THEY GET UP TO A "OUT OF CONTROL" SPEED.
THIS SHORT RIGGING ALSO ALLOWS THE RIDER ONLY MEDIUM TO SMALL KICKS TO HELP. A LONG KICK WILL BE JERKING ON THE DOG. THUS YOU NEED A DOG THAT HAS THE DRIVE TO STAY UP AT THE FRONT AND PULL.
THE RIDER CAN KICK WITH THE INSIDE FOOT TO OCCASIONALLY RELIEVE THE OUTSIDE FOOT/LEG. AND USING THE EXTENSION BAR (REQUIRED FOR THE TWO/THREE DOG SETUP) CAN BE USED TO MOVE A SINGLE DOG TO THE REAR AND FREE UP BOTH SIDES OF THE SCOOTER TO KICKING.
THE DOG IN THE FIRST POSITION (NEXT TO THE RIDER) CANNOT AFFECT THE HANDLING OF THE SCOOTER MUCH. THE DOG IS CLIPPED INTO THE OUTRIGGER BAR AT EACH SHOULDER (2 POINTS) THUS THEY CANNOT TURN TO PULL THE SCOOTER OVER TO THE SIDE- THEY CAN ONLY GO FORWARD.
THE DOG/DOGS IN THE SECOND AND THIRD POSITION (IN THE BACK) ARE AT THE END OF A LONG LEVER AND CAN EFFECT THE HANDLING OF THE SCOOTER MORE IF THEY ARE LARGE/POWERFUL AND NOT WELL BEHAVED.
THE OUTRIGGER BAR HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCOOTER SO THAT THE DOG IS AWAY FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON SIDEWALKS AND AWAY FROM AUTO TRAFFIC ON BIKE LANES AND SO THAT THE DOG CAN BE ON THE GRASS/DIRT WHENEVER POSSIBLE ON SIDEWALKS- YET THE WHEELS CAN STAY ON THE PAVEMENT FOR LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE.
THE TWO DOG SYSTEM CAN PLACE THE DOGS BOTH ON THE SAME SIDE (IN-LINE) WHICH KEEPS THE UNIT NARROW AND MOST APPROPRIATE ON BUSY SIDEWALKS AND SINGLE TRACK. OR YOU CAN SWING THE OUTRIGGER BAR FOR THE SECOND DOG TO THE OTHER SIDE, RIDER'S SIDE, AND HAVE A DOG ON EACH SIDE WHICH IS ROCK SOLID STABLE, BUT WIDER.
A NEW OPTION IS NOW AVAILABLE TO MOVE THE SINGLE DOG TO THE REAR MORE (VIA A 24" EXTENSION BAR) THUS OPENING UP THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCOOTER FOR KICKING.
JUST KICK TO GET IT ROLLING THEN IT IS ONLY 4-5 LBS OF DOG PULL NECESSARY (180 LB. RIDER) TO KEEP IT AT SPEED. ANY DOG WITH DRIVE (AND RIDER APPROPRIATELY SIZED- ADD 100 LBS. TO THE DOGS WEIGHT TO FIND THE MAX. RIDER WEIGHT RECOMMENDED) CAN EASILY APPLY THAT MUCH FORCE AND DO MOST OF THE FLAT WORK.
THE RIDER IS QUITE SMOOTH WHEN THE DOG IS AT A CONSTANT PACE. (THE TROTT IS THE MOST COMMON GAIT BUT A GALLOP OCCURS WHENEVER THE DOG IS MORE MOTIVATED) WHEN THE DOG IS THRUSTING INTO A GALLOP THE RIDER WILL FEEL A TORQUE IN THE HANDLEBARS AND WILL NEED TO STEADY THE FRONT WHEEL. THEN WHEN THE
THRUSTING EASES INTO A CONSTANT GAIT IT SMOOTHS OUT.
THE RIDER IS LIMITED IN HELPING TO MEDIUM AND SMALLER KICKS (YOU CAN ALSO KICK WITH THE INSIDE FOOT OCCASIONALLY) SINCE THERE IS NOT MUCH SLACK IN THE RIGGING. TO TAKE A LARGE STRETCHED OUT KICK YOU WOULD BE JERKING ON THE DOG/HARNESS. (WHICH IS OFTEN USED TO SIGNAL THE DOG TO PICK UP THE PACE)
ESSENTIALLY YOU RIDE THE SCOOTER AS IF THE DOG WASN'T EVEN THERE. (OTHER THAN BEING AWARE OF THE 2 FT. OUTRIGGER WIDTH PROJECTION ON THE DOG SIDE) YOUR TURNS ARE A BIT WIDER THAN WITHOUT THE DOG, BUT STILL CLOSE TO 90 DEGREES. THERE ARE NO COMMANDS NECESSARY- THE DOG CAN SEE AND FEEL EVERYTHING YOU/THE SCOOTER IS DOING. THE DOG IS ALSO SUPPORTED SIDE-TO-SIDE BY THE RIGGING/HARNESS SO THEY DON'T NEED TO EXPEND ENERGY TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE SIDES IN TURNS. THEY ACTUALLY CAN BRACE AND LEAN ON THE RIGGING/SCOOTER FOR SUPPORT VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY.
BRAKES ARE STRONG AND THE DOG SOON BEGINS TO COOPERATE. THE MULTIPLE DOG UNIT WILL HAVE A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE AND THE DOG/DOGS IN THE REAR CAN HAVE MORE EFFECT ON THE HANDLING IF NOT WELL BEHAVED. THE DOG IN THE FIRST POSITION CAN BE QUITE "WILD" AND STILL HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON SCOOTER HANDLING. THE KEY TO BRAKING IS TO GET ON THEM EARLY- YOU WILL "FEEL" WHEN A DOG IS THRUSTING INTO A CHASE- SO YOU HAVE TIME TO STOP OR SLOW THE DOG TO A REASONABLE PACE.
THE SYSTEM HAS BUILT IN FEATURES THAT MAKE IT SAFE FOR DOG & RIDER.
-THE DOG IS CLIPPED INTO THE OUTRIGGER BAR AT EACH SHOULDER, 2 POINTS, THUS THEY CANNOT TURN AND PULL THE SCOOTER OVER TO THE SIDE.
-THE RIGGING SUPPORTS THE DOG VERTICALLY & HORIZONTALLY. THIS SUPPORT ALSO WORKS FOR THE RIDER IN THAT THE DOG SUPPORTS THE SCOOTER FROM LEANING OVER TOO FAR.
-THERE IS NO DOWNWARD WEIGHT PLACED ON THE DOG. THERE IS ENOUGH SLACK IN THE RIGGING TO LEAN INTO A NORMAL CURVE. ALL THE PULLING FORCE IS APPLIED HORIZONTALLY ONTO THE HARNESS.
-THE RIGGING HAS SHOCK ABSORPTION PROPERTIES TO LESSEN ANY JERKING ON THE DOG OR SCOOTER HANDLING.
- THE DOG IS PLACED ON THE RIGHT SIDE INORDER TO BE AWAY FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC (OTHER DOGS, PEOPLE, BIKES, ETC.) AND TO ALLOW THE DOG TO BE ON THE GRASS/DIRT, WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WHILE THE WHEELS STAY ON THE PAVEMENT FOR LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE.
-THE DOG SETS THE PACE. THE SCOOTER IS NOT AS EASY OR AS FAST TO PROPEL AS THE PEDAL MOTION OF A BICYCLE THUS THE DOG NEEDS TO BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE TO MAKE THIS ENJOYABLE.
-THE SCOOTER IS SO STABLE THAT YOU CAN SLOW TO A DOGS WALK AND STILL STAND ON IT FOR A RIDE.
-THE DOG CAN SIT AND LY DOWN WHILE STILL HOOKED INTO THE RIGGING
-THERE IS A WHEELCOVER PREVENTING ANY ENTANGLEMENT.
GETTING YOUR DOG GOING INITIALLY IS THE ONLY "TRAINING" INVOLVED. ITS ALL ABOUT GETTING YOUR DOG OVER THE SPOOKINESS OF BEING SO CLOSE TO THE SCOOTER AND THE SIDE-TO-SIDE RESTRICTION.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE 1/2 THE DOGS ALLOW YOU TO CLIP THEM IN AND ARE WALKING/TROTTING ALONG SIDE IN THE FIRST 20 MIN. SESSION. THEN YOU ARE DONE, THEY JUST GET MORE COMFORTABLE EACH TIME OUT.
THE OTHER 1/2 ARE MORE SPOOKED AND TAKE SEVERAL SESSIONS TO ALLOW A CLIP IN. YOU DO NOT CLIP THEM IN IMMEDIATELY. YOU WALK THEN TROTT THEM UNDER THE BAR WITHOUT BEING CLIPPED IN. I SEND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW I GET THEM STARTED BUT I ALSO ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUAL CREATIVITY SUCH AS START THEM IN THE TRADITIONAL "OUT FRONT" POSITION THEN SLOWLY SHORTEN THE LINE TO THE FINAL "ALONG SIDE" POSITION. OR TAKE THE OUTRIGGER BAR OFF AND USE IT AS A TEMPORARY LEASH. AND OR TAKE THE UNIT INSIDE WHERE THE DOGS' "FLIGHT" INSTINCT MAY BE LESS.
IF YOUR DOG PULLS ON A LEASH AND IS CONFORTABLE BEING NEXT TO A BICYCLE THEY ARE A GOOD CANDIDATE.