Category: dogs

How to demotivate your dog

30 mile hike. West Peak 6 Aug 2006.A good post on the k9disc.com forum yesterday. I was guilty of number one, sighing and groaning, with Jessie. With Bonnie I have been more aware of staying positive about our play and training, but being the second child, Bonnie has much lower expectations to live up to. Lucky girl! In some situations “sighing and groaning” was not a bad training technique with Jessie. She had a lot more confidence than Bonnie.

I also really like number three, feigning enthusiasm, and number four, tone of voice. I am really so bad at the happy puppy voice. It is nice to be let off the hook on that.

I bet most of these ideas are relevant to parenting and teaching children and are probably pretty useful for motivating adults too.

Trailer ‘n boot

First trailer ride. 29 May 2007.Bonnie took her first real ride in the trailer today. We went up and down on the “flat” part of the road for about 40 minutes so she could get some exercise, then went about halfway up the pass. She rode down in the trailer on the steeper part. I felt more comfortable with her in the trailer than the xtraCycle.

When I worked in a bike shop I often explained to parents why their children were MUCH safer in a trailer than a behind-the-seat type child carrier. Those arguments; falling from a higher distance, balance, and independence of bike and trailer; especially the first, were often in my mind with the xtraCycle.

Bonnie in xtraCycle. Feb 2006.There are advantages to the xtraCycle. The main one, it is more maneuverable and more like riding a bike. Though actually I don’t really notice the trailer either. It was also nice to have Bonnie touch me on the back periodically.

The xtraCycle might be ok for smaller dogs. I got it before Bonnie was full-grown. I didn’t realize she was still growing at the time. I felt a big difference between 22 pounds and 27 pounds. I think her additional height and weight also affected the bike more when she moved around.

Bonnie in xtraCycle, close. Feb 2006.You can’t tell in the photo, but for those interested, the tub was bolted onto the top board of the xtraCycle. I also had straps holding the tub on. Some threaded through the bottom of the tub and around the frame of the xtraCycle. Others went over the top of the tub and also attached to the frame. She wore a car-seatbelt harness clipped below her to straps attached to the xtraCycle frame. That prevented her from jumping out while we were moving.

A nice thing about the trailer is that she can lie down. I noticed the extra-weight when she was riding, but it did not affect my bike’s handling significantly. I think my fears of jackknifing were exaggerated, though I am not ready to try the steep down hill on the south side of the pass. (It scares me to ride down that anyway. Oh, to have my 20 something fearlessness of descents again.)

First trailer ride. 29 May 2007.I am in the process of making modifications to the trailer. Basically I stripped out all the child-restraint stuff to make more room for Bonnie, and stripped off the non-essential parts like jogger/walker handle receivers to reduce the weight. The idea is to make a false bottom with a sling-type bed so gear can be stored beneath her when we need it. I’ll post photos when it is finished…whether it works or not.

Oh yeah, a boot on bike photo was requested. This is as good as I could do.