Use Caution When Cycling With Dogs

[luckypenny]

Of course that goes without saying but, even then, accidents do happen. And, of course, I have to learn from experience .

We've been taking the dogs cycling almost daily when the weather is nice. We use Springer bike attachments and, rather than clasping it onto their collars, we use body harnesses. Penny's pretty good, just likes to gallop alongside and will pull away if she sees something that interests her, especially the neighbor's chickens and turkeys . But she's easy to control. Lucky, on the other hand, loves to run like mad and I often have to keep my hands on the brakes while he pulls me up the road. He also has high prey drive so I have to be really cautious of what's in our environment and maintain perfect control of the bike just in case he sees something before I do and I don't get a chance to use "leave it."

Sunday evening, dh and I decide to take both dogs for a nice long ride. We only made it about 4 houses away before an unleashed dog charged at us. Penny was terrified and tried to get to the other side of dh's bike. Lucky must have gone straight for the other dog....I say "must have" because I don't remember anything . All I know is that one second I was riding along and the next, I was face down on the pavement, it all happened in a split second. Lucky had pulled the bike right out from under me .

Thank dog I was wearing a helmet, that it wasn't one of the boys, that a car didn't happen to come along at the time, and that Lucky and Penny listened when told to sit while the owner tried to get his dog under control (who wasn't even wearing a collar ). I wanted to scream at him but I was in too much pain, all I managed to mutter was "get your dog." I heard his wife say something about his dog being loose and he responded with something like, "but they're animals." No idea what the hell was going through his head at the time other than trying to shirk away from responsibility.

Anyhow, all this to say, please be careful if you cycle with your dogs using bike attachments, especially if there are off-leash dogs in the area or, if your dog is unreliable when it comes to lunging. And PLEASE, ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

My head was spared because I was wearing a helmet although my right shoulder, elbow, ribs, and right leg from hip to knee are bruised as is the inner thigh to knee of my right leg. What bothers me most though is that I'm going to be afraid to take Lucky cycling again .

Here's what my left leg looks like .

[Chris21711]

That looks real mean LP ....it must be hurting like the dickens

[luckypenny]

Only when I try to walk...feels like there's no muscle. Ribs are much worse though . The dogs are being all velcro when they see me hobbling around .

[Melinda]

wow....nasty, maybe you should go get checked out to make sure a rib isn't cracked?

[luckypenny]

I was thinking about it but, what can be done for a cracked rib ? I just had CT scans, x-rays, and an MRI in the past month, I don't want to expose myself to more if not necessary .

[Chris21711]

You can't do anything for a cracked rib LP...they do hurt like the dickens though

[shirley1011]

OUCH! LP sorry you got so beat up...what does the other guy look like lol

You were very lucky to have been wearing a helmet....Don't know why there are so many uneducated dog owners...but now if that had been your dog and they had been riding with a leashed dog, I'm sure they would have been
real a-holes about it.

Thankfully you weren't hurt worse than you were, and I can't imagine how much pain you are in.......

[clm]

Ouch, that must hurt soooo much.

I see lots of people cycling with their dogs and just think they must have perfect dogs to be able to do it. Now if we tried to cycle with Baxter and Bentley, Baxter would never even consider running if it were more than 5C outside so we'd have to put him in a sidecar and Bentley would be pulling us off in all directions chasing squirrels. It wouldn't be pretty.

clm

[hazelrunpack]

Ouch, ouch, ouch!!!! Nasty bruising!!! So thankful you had a helmet on! Now we need to find you some chain mail for the rest of you.

Silly Lucky, thinking he could take on another dog while dragging a bike around behind him! It's sweet that they're taking care of you now!

[Floppy Dog]

[QUOTE= What bothers me most though is that I'm going to be afraid to take Lucky cycling again[/QUOTE]

Let me tell you the story of the flying snowmobile. DH and I got snowmobiles 5 years ago so that we could play in the snow together. We decided to take my daughter and a friend of hers on a short trip on a Saturday afternoon. Off we go, Beena with DH and her friend with me, DH and Beena in the lead. Cruising along, a long bend comes up in the trail, I try to turn but the snowmobile is unresponsive and speeding up, I turn sharper, still no response. We fly off the bank, hit a tree hard enough to bend the tunnel (the part of the snowmobile under the chasis where the track is), fly through some more trees and land about 50' down a steep bank with our feet in the river. We're both dazed, Beena's friend is ready to have hysterics and we have to get up to the top of the bank 'cause no one can see us where we are. We both survived, some bumps and bruses and I wound up with 6 stitches in my shin. After that, you would think I'd never climb on a snowmobile again, but you'd be wrong. I still go sledding every winter with the family and we still take guests up with us. I have since been pitched head-first over the handlbars, had a snowmobile roll on me and been pulled off the trail into powder snow.

Don't let one bad experience ruin something you like doing and lets you spend time with the people (furred and otherwise) you love. It won't be easy, but it's well worth the effort.

[Melinda]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

I was thinking about it but, what can be done for a cracked rib ? I just had CT scans, x-rays, and an MRI in the past month, I don't want to expose myself to more if not necessary .

our friend just cracked 3 of his and they wrapped him up, said it still pained him, but took the worse of it away

[Longblades]

OUUCCCHHHH! Looks awful, poor you.

I've always doubted those springer things. I bike over to the bush with my dog sometimes. I bunch the leash over the handlebars so I can drop it in an instant. Our village isn't large or busy but still I worry. Once in the bush he's off leash.

It's a wonder you didn't come crashing down on top of a dog.

[chico2]

WOW,LP sounds like a terrible experience and looks like it too...
I had cracked ribs once and the doctor did nothing for it,but it sure was painful,glad you have no broken bones.
So sorry it happened to you and the pups

[Dog Dancer]

Ouch that looks horrible! Since DH cracked several of his ribs in January we were told at the hospital that it's best not to wrap anymore. Apparently by constricting the lung's ability to breath that way it can cause pnemonia (sorry don't know how to spell it...). So going for more tests may tell you if the ribs are cracked, but may not necessary result in any relief. The most common thing these days is just to let it heal naturally and painfully. Melinda, make sure your friend pays close attention to his breathing in case he has any signs of trouble. Even in hospital they wouldn't wrap DH. LP, try not to be too scared, but I hear you. I could never ride with Halo, but my son used to all the time. Glad you had your helmet on and that you aren't any worse than you are! Speedy recovery for you I hope.

[Dee-O-Gee]

It's truly amazing how all that hurt can happen in a split second!

Glad to hear you're on the mend LP and even happier to hear you were wearing a helmut.

[Shaykeija]

Wow would I be mad....and thinking along the lines of a lawyer. Another dumb owner out there. You could have been killed.

[Goldfields]

When I read that you don't remember anything I was sure you were going to say you'd been knocked out, LP - I once was, in a fall off a stupid push bike - so I'm very pleased to see that you weren't. So many aches and pains though, you poor thing. I hope nothing is broken.
I showed the photo to my husband and he gave a wolf whistle. LOL. No, he did not, he sympathised. His rotten father, when he was just a kid, used to make him take two Greyhounds out for exercise beside a bike. The dogs would spot a cat sunning itself in a garden and suddenly take off, pulling him over, and the road was a rough bluestone road so lots of bruises and gravel rash. If he'd refused to do it he would have got a belting. I have always hated his father even though I never met him. You'd hate him too 14+ as some cats did get killed. Hubby grew up loving cats and hating Greyhounds.
I have seen worse bruises, LP, just from a nip by a cattle dog, (like jet black) but that scrape mark on it makes me go ouch, and I don't like the sound of a feeling that there is no muscle. Maybe that should be checked out? Did you ice it well? With my most horrendous bruises and swelling I always rush for a packet of frozen peas.

[reanne]

Ouch-heal up soon! Once, when I first started biking with Whistler, he went the wrong way around a telephone pole. It only happened once. LOL Luckily I didn't get too badly injured.

Do not wrap cracked ribs! And you're right, you can get x-rayed, but following that nothing can be done, so why give yourself the radiation? I had 2 cracked rib incidents in one year-not very fun (had fun up until the ribs ended up being broken though!). Rest and naproxen got me through it.

When it comes to broken ribs laughter is NOT the best medicine!!! LOL

[Goldfields]

Reanne, you probably just made her laugh. LOL.

[Loki Love]

Ouch! That looks and sounds so very painful. I hope the pain starts to ease up sooner rather than later for you.

[Melinda]

how are you doing today???

[Love4himies]

OUCH! Holy smokes, LP .

I bike a lot and unrestrained dogs are always a safety issue.

[krdahmer]

yikes LP...that looks sore! and I am rethinking this biking with V thing! she is not hte best listener and loves to lunge at well just about everything! maybe I'll try next year after we've had time to work with her more

[reanne]

Originally Posted by Goldfields

Reanne, you probably just made her laugh. LOL.

Oops, good point!!!

[Goldfields]

Maybe she's too sore to find anything amusing right now so don't feel guilty.I have never fractured ribs but my poor dad did and I easily recall the dreadful pain they caused him. In hindsight, most likely because they did strap them up.

[Tundra_Queen]

LP...that looks very painful!! And I thought they tape u up so your ribs don't hurt as much when they are broken? I hope u didn't chip your elbow or knee?

[luckypenny]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

I bike a lot and unrestrained dogs are always a safety issue.

I went to the city to pay the municipal tax yesterday and figured I may as well speak to someone about all the off-leash dogs in our area. The woman I spoke to told me to call the police next time it happens. Next time it happens ?? I don't see how that's a fix if it's only dealt with after the fact. Definitely going to the next town meeting to bring up this issue.

Originally Posted by Goldfields

Maybe she's too sore to find anything amusing right now so don't feel guilty.

I think the reason I'm not healing as quickly as I'd like is cuz I'm surrounded by people who make me laugh all day long. They say laughter is the best medicine but I'm not so sure about that in my case .

TQ, I don't think I broke anything else but the bruises are still pretty nasty and my leg looks/feels horrid still . It's now green and dark purple and numb at the center of the booboo . I'll give it a few more days and if I'm still hobbling around, I'll probably get in to see the doctor again but I'd like to avoid that if I could .

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, I hate the green and dark purple stage!!! So hard to be fashionable trying to coordinate your ensemble around green and dark purple!

All kidding aside, though, that numbness doesn't sound too good. And I wish your ribs would hurry up and heal! Are you able to sleep at night or do your ribs bother you when you lie down?

[luckypenny]

Argh, you're making me laugh . Being fashionable isn't really an issue for someone who lives in pj's .

Yes, ribs still bother me, especially when laying down or moving abruptly when I'm up. I can reach my right arm over and behind my back but I can't lower it behind it without feeling a sharp pain. Thankfully dh is usually close by when I wake up to help me out of bed or I'm stuck in it until he is .

[luckypenny]

Looks like tie-dye now..is that still in fashion??

The center of the bruising, where the skin is a normal color is the part that's all numb. Weird .