INTRODUCTION TO DOG SCOOTERING from Feroz Ali's blog

Dog Scootering is an activity which is rapidly gaining popularity across the UK - dogs love to run and what better way to allow them to; you may have seen somebody in your local neighbourhood whizzing past you on a scooter being pulled by their dog or dogs. It is a great way to exercise and bond with your pet and is suitable for almost any fit and healthy dog.

Dog Scootering is a sport where one or more dogs pull a human riding an unmotorised two wheeled scooter. The human can help the dog along by scooterand together can cover a much wider area than by walking in the same time frame. This is a great way to exercise for both you and your dog. The dog obviously gets exercise by pulling the scooter and running, but people also get exercise, as they have to assist the dog by pushing the scooter, and at times, getting off and running with the scooter, especially up hills! Most dogs take to scootering immediately and need little or no encouragement to run as fast as they can, whilst going out to new and exciting places. As a scootering team get more experienced and confident, you can visit new trails and travel further, and can lead to a stronger bond between owner and dog.

Almost any type of dogs can pull a scooter, from Huskies, to Great Danes, and Schnauzers to Spaniels. The smaller the dog, the more you will have to help out on hills and rough spots. All dogs, regardless of size, must be slowly worked into fitness, along with their owners. Don't expect to run the Iditarod in your first month!

So how do you start scootering?

All you need to get started is yourself and your dog, a scooter, a harness and a gangline.

There are a variety of different types of scooter on the market currently, ranging from £150 to £400. Scooters are unmotorised and most have mountain bike type tyres, ranging from 16" to 26". The scooters have a large footplate to balance, stand upon and kick off from, and usually have a front and rear brake.

You may find some models only have a rear brake, and other models are now incorporating front shocks to absorb the bumps when riding over rough terrain. Most scooters allow the gangline to be connected around the head stock of the scooter, but there are some varieties of scooter which have introduced a "brushbow" attachment, which cover the front wheel. This protects the dogs from the wheel and also allows the gangline to be connected in a direct line to the rear of the harness.

An alternative sport similar to scootering is bikejoring. This is where a bike is used instead of a scooter, although some people view this as a more dangerous alternative, as it can be more difficult to dismount a bike in an emergency. Others feel more secure on a bike.

Scooters are easily transportable. They can fit inside a car (if you don't mind the mud!), a car boot or can be carried on a bike rack attached to the back or top of a car.

There are two types of harnesses that are generally used for scootering; the X-Back Harness and the Shoulder Harness.

The X-Back Harness is the mainstay product of the majority of professional and recreational mushers. Most commonly seen on pictures of sled dogs around the globe, this harness is the traditional style of capturing a dogs pulling power. It is important the harness fits snugly but not tightly around the neck and extends along the back stopping just short of the tail. As well as sledding and dryland mushing, this harness can be used for skijoring, bikejoring, cani-cross and scootering. The Shoulder Harness; this style of harness connects around the shoulders of the dog with the hitching point just below the shoulder blades. This has the advantage of allowing all the power generated at the shoulders to be harnessed directly, which is particularly useful when the hitching point is not directly in line with the dogs topline, such as with scooter, skijoring and bikejoring. If the connection point is significantly higher than the dogs topline, then the use of an X Back harness can cause the dogs back legs to be lifted away from the ground slightly reducing the power. Some long distance mushers in the Iditarod have also cited shoulder harnesses put less stress on the lower back and hips of the dog. Finally, you will require a gangline which is the line that connects your dog to the scooter.

The gangline will usually consist of two sections; the first called a tug line and the second a bungee line. Alternatively, you can obtain a single longer line which incorporates a bungee within. It is important to use a bungee within the lines, as it will absorb any sharp impacts from the scooter away from the dog and make the experience far more enjoyable.

There are double tug lines that are available once you progress to running two dogs. Most double tug lines will come with a neckline, which clips to the collar of each dog, to keep them running alongside each other.

There is no need for any special attachments to connect the gangline to the scooter - the lines can wrap around the head stock of the scooter; alternatively, as previously mentioned, some scooters are manufactured with special connections points for dog scootering.

Besides the equipment stated above, there is plenty more items and supplies you may wish to take with you whilst out scootering:

Water and Dog Bowl - dogs will drink lots of water especially after exercise. Always make sure your dog has access to fresh clean drinking water before and after exercising.