Bike carriers for dogs

I was wondering if anyone can help me, I am looking for a carrier for my dog. We are going on a Shannon waterway holiday this year and we are taking our bikes with us, I am searching for something to enable us to bring Cailum with us when we go out on the bikes. I bought a carrier from a UK site that goes on a panier carrier but it is unsuitable and unstable so I am unable to use this. I have also found a trailer type on another UK site. Would any one have any recomendation on it.

I am in Ireland so if anyone knows where I may get hold of one please let me know.

thanks Deborah

The problem with the trailers is that they take up a lot of space when pulled behind a bike and if you were on any road where cars would be travelling, I'd think they'd be a risk to the dog. If you will be on tow paths along the waterway wih no vehicles, this would possibly work though. However you would really need to get it in advance and train him to ride in it and be able to secure him safely in it -- but personally, given Irish drivers and Irish roads, I wouldn't be willing to risk putting my dog out on the road in this vulnerable way.

Most of the bicycle carriers are designed for dogs smaller than about 20 pounds -- not sure how big Cailum is. They also are really only designed to take dogs short distances -- as in you could cycle him for say 30 minutes and perhaps even up to an hour, but they really would not suit a dog for several hours of cycling. Not least because on most carriers you would need to have the dog secured down so it could not move around or jump over the side of a basket type carrier for example.

One thing to keep in mind is that dogs may well find it very stressful to be transported in this way and it can takes weeks to months to train a dog to be relaxed.

I am speaking of some experience of cycling dogs around -- before I had the car I regularly took the two boys around in a medium sized Argos plastic crate, fixed to he rear carrier with about three stretch cords so that if one came loose another two would hold the box firmly in place. My dogs are quite small though -- 16 lbs and 14.5 lbs. Two would just fit comfortably lying down. This was not for long trips though; it was for going to the park, vets or to visit friends so maybe they'd spend 30 min., max going in one direction or another. For one dog under 20 lbs this would work for longer journeys perhaps though it is a pretty clunky form of transport and again, it does take some training and slowly building up distances to get a dog to relax. A lot of dogs I think would prefer a short stay in kennels or boarding to spending several hours on the back of a bicycle.

I have seen a pannier stype carrier at Petstop in Blanchardstown but it is not very stable; would really only suit a yorkie sized smallie. No one sells trailers that I know of.

That is the way we transport Lia along Barcelona.



In spite of it can't seem so stable, it is, and I think is safer than a panier carrier or a trailer IMHO. Lia is only 5'2kg, is tiny and is easy to carry.

bike bag

Thank you both for your replies. The length of time he would be in the carrier would only be for short periods at a time as we will be on the boat the majority of the time. I came across a trailer type on a UK site, which I am most likely to get. There is no way I would be cycling on main roads with him, its just if we decide to go out for a bit on the bikes that we wont have to leave him behind on the boat. We have done this type of holiday twice before and Cailum has come along both times and really loved every second of it. There is now way I could ever put him into Kennel again he spent one night in one when I got married and I swore never again. Not saying he was treated badly or anything but he stank so badly we had to take him out of the car immediately.

Karlin I bought a bag similar to the one in pet store but it’s totally unsuitable. I wouldn’t stay any dog (tiny) or not would be safe in it as it’s only made of cloth.

Bike Trailer

well we are just back from our week holiday on the Shannon, we had exclent weather up until Wednesday evening after that it just rained constantly. Just to let you know we got a trailer from a UK online site and it has been our best buy. I have to say that Cailum loved it!!! We went out on the bikes each day and I'd say we were the talk of the town!! we had so many heads turning, he put so many smiles on peoles faces it was wonderful to see the reaction he got. I have attached a few photos of Cailum on his holiday

Thank you for sharing. The trailer looks great. What a cutie you have and what fun for him to share your holiday.