How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Bike Basket

How to Introduce Your Dog to a Pet Bike Basket


The key is to be slow and gentle, so that your dog does not develop any fear responses. Once learned, those kinds of responses are almost impossible to cure.


Below is our video of our dog Billy’s first time in a pet basket on a bike. We got him an Axiom Premium dog bike basket, which doubles as a pet carrier. It still makes me chuckle every time I watch this video. Billy is not the bravest dog on earth – but then, he only weighed about three pounds when this video was taken! As you can see, we took it very slowly, starting off by gently putting him in the Pet Bike Basket, and then slowly pushing the bike, while talking to him reassuringly.


At first, Billy was very comfortable in his Axiom Basket. I believe this was because he was so little, he felt really safe in the basket. You can see that in the photo below, where Billy is snugly down in the bottom of the basket, on his blanket.

How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket. Billy in the bottom of his Axiom pet basket.

Billy in the bottom of his Axiom pet basket



Related: 7 of the Best Dog Bike Baskets and Dog Carriers

Make Sure the Pet Bike Basket is the Right Choice for Your Dog


Unfortunately, as Billy got bigger he seemed to become more fearful about riding in his pet basket. Probably because he became tall enough to see over the sides. So sadly, just before we downsized out of our house, I sold Billy’s Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet Bike Basket to a woman with a dachshund puppy. It was time to get a more suitable pet bike basket for him.


Then, after we downsized, we noticed that Billy was getting mopey. He was used to being in a large family home with lots of comings and goings. So, we got a second dog to keep Billy company. Enter Ripley, a two pound Maltese/Shih-Tzu puppy (now grown up to a hulking eight pounds).

And then there were two - and we had another challenge on our hands. How to take BOTH dogs along on bike rides? How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

And then there were two – and we had another challenge on our hands. How to take BOTH dogs along on bike rides?


Ripley is a little bundle of dominance and fearlessness, but she is strangely afraid of heights. I guess when your legs are only four inches long that is understandable! In this photo you can see how short Ripley’s legs are compared to Billy’s.

In this photo you can see how short Ripley's legs are compared to Billy's. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

In this photo you can see how short Ripley’s legs are compared to Billy’s


Obviously, you need a different pet basket depending on your own pet’s needs. The chart at the beginning of this post specifies the kind of basket that is appropriate for different sized dogs.

How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket. Important safety note: When transporting your pet in a pet basket, always make sure they cannot hurt themselves by jumping out

Important safety note: When transporting your pet in a pet basket, always make sure they cannot hurt themselves by jumping out

Be Sure to Tether Your Dog in the Basket


Important safety note: When transporting your pet in a pet basket, always make sure they cannot hurt themselves by jumping out. Ensure that they are very firmly tethered with a safety leash of some kind. Most good pet baskets are set up for this, and some even come in with built-in short leashes. It’s best if your dog is wearing a harness, because if they do manage to jump out while leashed, you don’t want them hurting their necks while suspended from the basket! With our dogs, we make sure the leash is too short for it to be possible for them to jump at all.


Ripley is now two, and we decided it was time to try and get both our dogs on bikes. Maybe if Billy saw Ripley on a bike, he’d get a bit braver? So we decided to try Billy out in this Retrospec retro wicker basket on my bike. It is wire-framed and is secured to the bike from the front forks and also from the headset, so I knew it would take all of Billy’s eleven pounds easily.

This wicker pet basket is secured 100% securely to my bike. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

This wicker pet basket is secured 100% securely to my bike


We tried Billy out in this wicker pet basket, and he seems to like riding in it. Happy surprise!

Billy actually LIKES riding in his wicker pet basket! How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Billy actually LIKES riding in his wicker pet basket!


Look how calm Billy is in his Axiom wicker pet basket:


So we tried Ripley out in this wicker basket – but she was not impressed, and tried to jump out within the first ten seconds.

Ripley did not love the wicker pet basket. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Ripley did not love the wicker pet basket


So we purchased another Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet Bike Basket – this time, for Ripley. And this time we installed it on the rear rack of Joe’s bike.  Ripley did really well on her first ride. Here she is, looking adorable in her very own pet basket.

Ripley in her Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet Basket.How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Ripley in her Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet Basket


This gave me a big AHA moment.

Here’s what I learned about how to transport your dog in a basket on a bike!


I figured out that Billy had become afraid a few years ago because he was growing taller. He basically got too tall to feel secure in the shallow Axiom pet carrier. Looking back on this photo taken a few years ago, I can plainly see how Billy had become too tall for his basket (Billy is the black blob in front of me).

Billy became too tall for his pet basket (Billy is the black blob in the basket). How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Billy became too tall for his pet basket (Billy is the black blob in the basket)


My new wicker pet basket is much deeper and that makes him feel more secure when riding. For an eleven-pound dog, Billy has really long legs!

Billy looking handsome in his wicker pet basket. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Billy looking handsome in his wicker pet basket

An Ideal Basket for Dogs with Short Legs


Ripley, on the other hand, is a tiny dog, and she found the wicker basket very big – so she was afraid. But the Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet Bike Basket has a short leash and a spring loaded top caging that adds extra security. Ripley is very secure in it, as she is hardly able to move at all. This seems to make her feel confident and secure. And of course we know she is safe, because this pet basket mounts with a quick and easy but very solid spring-loaded attachment on the bottom (and it also has a safety strap).

The Axiom Dual Function Premium pet basket mounts with a quick and easy - but very solid - spring-loaded attachment on the bottom. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

The Axiom Dual Function Premium pet basket mounts with a quick and easy – but very solid – spring-loaded attachment on the bottom



My advice to anyone looking to take their dog on their bike rides is to think about the size and personality of your pet, and try to pick out a basket that is a good fit, physically and psychologically.

Notice how the spring-loaded cover of the Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet basket fits snugly over Ripley, keeping her secure and making her FEEL secure. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Notice how the spring-loaded cover of the Axiom Dual Function Premium Pet bike basket fits snugly over Ripley, keeping her secure and making her FEEL secure

Transporting Your Dog in a Pet Basket at the Back of Your Bike


The one big drawback to having your dog at the front of your bike is that it makes the cycling experience quite different by putting a weight on the handlebars. For this reason, it would not work well for a dog over 20 pounds. Below is the only pet basket we could find that goes on your rear bike rack, and which is rated to carry a dog up to 24 pounds. It gets good reviews, and is obviously quite comfy with its foam padding.

This rear pet basket sits on your bike rack, and can carry a dog up to 24 pounds - which means it could carry BOTH of our dogs - but somehow I don't think they'd appreciate that at all! How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

This rear pet bike basket sits on your bike rack, and can carry a dog up to 24 pounds – which means it could carry BOTH of our dogs – but somehow I don’t think they’d appreciate that at all!


Of course, if you have a really big dog,  you are going to have to get some kind of trailer. I saw the one below, with a dog waiting patiently in it. Looks like the owner made it him/herself. If you don’t have those kinds of engineering skills, there are a lot of options that you can buy.

Stoic dog waiting for his owner outside JJ Beans, one of Commercial Drive's many coffee shops. How to Carry your Dog Safely on Your Bike in a Pet Basket

Stoic dog waiting for his owner outside a coffee shop in a bike trailer


This is one of the dog bike trailers that we recommend. This one is for dogs up to 50 pounds/


Transporting your Dog in a Backpack


I don’t recommend this method because it would be dangerous if your dog was not trained. However, if YOU choose to train your dog to do this, and you can succeed, good on you! I got this great picture from Cycling the Spains, who offer awesome guided and self-guided cycling tours in Spain. (It’s on my bucket list, but we won’t be taking the dogs to Spain …)

Lola the dog loves to ride in her owner's backpack! Don't try this with an untrained dog ...

Lola the dog loves to ride in her owner’s backpack! Don’t try this with an untrained dog …


Once you find the right basket, it will be a joy to include your dog on your travels! He will feel safe and, of course, every dog loves being with its owner. You can cycle without feeling guilty about leaving your dog at home.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Train Your Dog to Ride in a Bike Basket

 Introduction If you have ever seen a little dog in a basket on a bike, you'll understand the hot trend of taking your dog on bike rides . Dogs can become injured when running alongside their owners on bikes if they are leashed. It doesn't take much for a distracted dog to get tangled up in your bike wheels or for the leash to get tangled up in spokes. A dog who is on a leash running beside a bike can also pull their owner and the bike over. Putting your dog in a basket keeps your dog safe and gives you an opportunity for an enjoyable bike ride. Basket dogs are typically small breeds to medium-sized breed dogs. Training your dog to ride in a basket takes a little bit of time but once your dog gets it down the two of you can enjoy long and leisurely bike rides together. Defining Tasks Training your dog to ride in your bike basket is not a complicated task, however, it will take time and patience. You will probably want a tiny breed, small breed, or a smaller medium-sized dog to...
Read more

4 Helpful Tips For Biking with Your Dog: What You Need to Bring

Yes, we do love going outdoors with our dogs. But beyond a morning or afternoon walk, we sometimes go beyond that. Biking with your dog can be risky at times, which is why know-how on a safe ride with him is important. This article will help you learn and enjoy a safe dog bike ride all the time. Are you ready to get your pup to engage with your biking adventure? Go ahead then. What to expect below are:     Preparing Your Dog for an Exercise     Starting a Safe Bike with Your Dog     Getting Dog to Keep Up with Your Bike     Preparing Your Dog for an Exercise Okay, let us discuss each of them one after the other. 1. Preparing Your Dog for an Exercise Get your pooch ready for an exercise to make sure that he can keep up with you when riding a bike. Have his veterinarian check her over before an exercise routine. He should not be too young nor too old for sustained workouts. See to it that your dog has no health issues that can aggravate when doing s...
Read more

How to Bike with Dog? Guide to Carry Dog on Your Bike

 Love cycling? Love your dog? Then it’s time to get your dog on your bike and (both) live your best lives! Want to take your furry friend everywhere with you? Even on your bike? It might not seem like the most practical thing to do at first glance, but with the right solutions, it’s possible! Maybe you don't want to put your dog in the basket or you can’t bear to leave your best buddy behind when hopping in the saddle, our ultimate guide to taking your dog on your bike will give you plenty of safe options that’ll mean you get to spend even more time with your pooch… so they’ll never have to leave your side.Maybe you don't want to put your dog in the basket or you can’t bear to leave your best buddy behind when hopping in the saddle, our ultimate guide to taking your dog on your bike will give you plenty of safe options that’ll mean you get to spend even more time with your pooch… so they’ll never have to leave your side. Whether you want to bring your dog with you on a leisur...
Read more