"wagon" For Walking Greyhound

[Kathy]

Has anyone had any experience with a stroller/wagon that would comfortably fit a greyhound so they could still go on long walks with you even when they don't actually feel like "walking"? My dog wouldn't care if passerby's laughed at her because as long as she didn't have to expend energy and could just smell the smells and see the sights, she would be happy. She HATES walking once her "business" is done, but she hates being left at home as well.

 

Thanks for any advice or suggestions!

[JohnF]

No experience of it but they do make them

http://stores.nextag.com/store/4858203/product/1118653005/Solvit-HoundAbout-62343-Bicycle

 

I guess pushing a 75lb dog would be half as hard as pushing a 170lb adult; which I can tell you is damn hard when there are hills or grassy areas to get over. Transit wheelchair handles are terrible for pushing as the human wrist just isn't made for that.

 

I can just visualize a dog riding like a lord in a rickshaw or in a sedan chair

[OwnedBySummer]

At GIG last year, I saw this:

[Beachbum1]

At GIG last year, I saw this:

WOW......but in error, I showed this to Taylor and now he is pestering me to buy him one. :hope

[lukasmom]

OMG- I have been talking about getting a wagon for my Luka and filling it with pillows. He hates to walk unless it is to the Jeep for a ride. When someone would ask what is wrong with him I would say " he was born very tired and he has not caught up on his napping yet".

[cleptogrey]

have you checked her nails? have you checked her pads? long nails and corns or if she just came off the track- soft pads will deter her desire and ability to walk. if it hurts, why do it? once checked and nails/pads are in good shape try walking on grass, have a small bag of tasty treats- cheese or hot dogs and lure her into walking. reduce the treats and maybe treat her at every corner. if there is NOTHING physically wrong w/ her she should be able to go on walks. if you are dealing w/ arthritis, corns, or a pinched nerve that's a different story and you might do a service for your pup by letting the vet intervene.

[kudzu]

I did that for a disabled dog but haven't considered it for a healthy dog. See cleptogrey's post above. If the dog checks out healthy then start a walking program to build up condition & stamina. Make it comfortable & fun so the dog has a reason to go for a walk. Do the work & effort up front to help your hound enjoy walks & you just might end up with a hiking buddy. Just be careful not to push the pace or distance until your hound is ready & only when the weather is appropriate.

 

Venus was my first Grey & I was shocked when she didn't want to go any further than a mile or two in the beginning. Ultimately she ended up enjoying 10 mile hikes. Though she still doesn't care much for walks in the neighborhood. Once around our 1 mile circle & she's ready to head to the house.

 

 

[Kathy]

Thanks for the replies! I grind her nails every week and the vet has confirmed that they are short enough. She just had her vet checkup a couple of weeks ago and he checked her feet and they were fine (no corns). He said maybe arthritis was setting in and I have her on arthritis food now and metacam - he said we would see if that perked her up at all (it didn't to any noticeable extent).

 

She has always hated walking though (I got her when she was 4.5 and she is now 9.5) - it is just worse now and she will drag her feet so you hear her nails on the ground - and she will crash into my thigh and try to get me to stop walking and just give her a butt and belly massage. She is black so hates the heat as well - it is definitely an easier sell when it is cooler in the morning.

 

I think it is part (mostly) motivational - because there is a lady in the neighbourhood that gives her cookies and if she thinks she sees "cookie lady" 10 blocks away - she will trot and prance and pull the whole way, until she is close enough to confirm whether it *is* in fact "cookie lady"...and if it isn't, we return to the walking behind me 6 feet (the full extension of the leash). She is like a horse to walk - she follows behind me - there is no tension on the lead (I am not "pulling her") but she is definitely just plodding along behind me (and I walk very slowly so I don't pull her) with her head down - unless she is trying to "cut me off" to make me stop walking all together. She will only walk by my side if I ask her to (and that will hold up for about a minute until she can fall behind me again if I don't insist on it) or ahead of me if she is looking for a spot to poop....

 

She takes about 5 minutes to poop - so this all starts any time after that. She'll sniff a few other dog pees (and offer her own comments) at the start of the walk and then her interest is non-existent. Sometimes she'll just stop and eat grass for 10 minutes (better to play cow than have to walk...) She doesn't care for other dogs, or squirrels etc. We have tried pavement, gravel, grass, dirt/sand as different path surfaces.

 

As for giving her treats - that would work - she is a treat girl. The problem with that is, it is impossible to get her to eat her food (even with salmon, liver, roast beef etc. on it, even with different kinds of kibble, treats mixed in the kibble etc.) so I don't like to "fill her up on treats" - because if she can get by without eating her food (ie eat enough treats so she isn't hungry enough to have to eat kibble) she will go with that. And I have tried feeding her kibble "as a treat" by hand - no go. She shares genetic material with "Bill" I do believe. The vet is not concerned with her weight though - she isn't too skinny.

 

I love her dearly and accept her for who she is. I think encouraging her to walk herself is a lost cause though. That stroller is a possibility - or if I could get a dog bed in a kids wagon with sides on it. Of course, I can just imagine the glare from her if she gets jostled when we go over a bump or down a curb!

Edited July 6, 2012 by Kathy

[Guest Meggylou]

A kids wagon would be too small. However, a garden wagon, probably what is in the photo above, should be just right. They're nice and big, with large sturdy wheels and are meant to haul decent sized loads. I think Lee Valley has some (though I believe they might be only a Canadian company)

[Guest Gemma]

If metacam isn't working, ask for Tremadol. We saw a HUGE change in our boy when we switched him over. He's almost 10 and is more active now than when we brought him home at age 6.

[christinepi]

Friends of ours have a 10 month old, 85lbs Great Pyrenees (the size of an adult, moderately sized male greyound). They stuck him in a $20 used kiddie bike trailer (with some modifications), and went on a two day tour with their bikes. He loved it. He had to get used to it a bit, but once he was, there were no problems.

[dmswartzfager]

Yup, that's a garden cart, bought from either Lowe's or Home Depot - I forget which place we ended up buying it at - they're across the street from each other. We bought it for Frazzle right before GiG a few years back, because he got sick with worry (literally) when he was separated from us for a few days, but his back end was getting weak, so we needed a way to keep him with us.

 

 

Brand new cart - Symbra decided she needed to share it while we were stopped to eat lunch - the umbrella is up to block the cold wind.

 

 

It got its fringed canopy for the costume contest up at Wonderland racetrack - the sultan and his three harem girls

 

 

and then he rode in it quite nicely on the Trivial Pursuit walk at the same event, despite the bumpy ground

 

 

Frazzle loved his cart

 

 

After Frazzle passed, the cart was put away for a few years, then Blitz started having his mobility issues, and we introduced him to the cart. He wasn't as big of a fan of it as Frazzle was, but that day in the picture that OwnedBySummer posted, he actually threw himself into the cart before I had a chance to pick him up and put him into it.

 

Symbra is now the cart-user, since she only has three legs with the amputation due to bone cancer, and she gets tired more quickly than she would normally. She's definitely not a fan, but is willing to rest in it for 10-15 minutes before she wants to be moving on her own three feet again. I attribute that to her spookiness and desire to be able to move away more quickly than she would be able while "trapped" in the cart. I don't dare set up the canopy for her - she *hates* stuff moving over her head.

 

 

So basically, an extra-large crate pad fits into the bottom almost perfectly - I ended up cutting a few inches off the width in order to make it lie flat. I then added a couple of "crate pads" that I bought off one of the fundraising auctions, and then because I was getting a little frustrated with trying to keep the blankets up over the sides of the cart to keep the sides padded, I bought a baby crib bumper set and cut them down length-wise - the height was perfect. The foam pipe insulation was the last thing I added. The cart was $60, then I probably spent around another $200 over the years, adding amenities. We broke it down and hauled it on the roof rack of my minivan the first time we used it, since we didn't have time to do anything else (the sides fold down and/or come off fairly easy), but we now have a hitch carrier that is the perfect size for hauling it while it's fully assembled.

Edited July 7, 2012 by dmswartzfager

[Guest FreddyGirl]

Bobbi had LS, thus issues walking, So, since I was NOT allowed to leave her at home even for a short walkie, this is how she rolled with the pack.

 

This is made to attach to a bicycle, holding 2 young children. I removed the "seats" (fabric) where the kids would sit. I placed a board, covered with a pillow for her to lay on. Bobbi weighd 68 lbs. and had long legs. She fit fairly well. As you can see, she LOVED her Princess Chariot. I bought it on line. the nice thing was I could assemble and dismantle by myself. Wheels were removable, and the entire chariot folded for easy storage in the van.

 

 

 

MISS you Sweat Pea!

[cleptogrey]

IF SHE'S DRAGGING HER REAL PAWS SOMETHING NEUROLOGICAL MAY BE GOING ON. DID YOUR VET CHECK REFLEXES AND CURLING THE TOES- HOLDING THE LEG UP AND BENT/ RELEASING THE FOOT AND SEEING HER REACTION TIME TO PLACING IT DOWN FLAT? THAT'S ONE SIMPLE CHECK FOR PROBLEMS. I'M NOT A VET, BUT I DO KNOW IT'S A CHECK POINT.

[Kathy]

Freddy Girl - I found a used stroller online just like the one you were using for Bobbi - I was worried the seats might be providing some support/helping to distribute weight since they hang from the top bar - was the board you put in right on the fabric base, or did you put padding between the "material floor" and the board so it wouldn't rub? Thanks!