DOG SPORTS SPECIALISTS ✦ EXPERT HARNESS FITTING ✦ SPORTY PAWS ACADEMY
Getting started with bikejor & scootering
Discover how bikejor and dog scootering work, what equipment you need and the skills you and your dog need to get started safely.
GETTING STARTED WITH BIKEJOR & SCOOTERING?
If you love dog-powered sports but fancy adding a little more speed, bikejor and dog scootering might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Both sports involve your dog running ahead in a pulling harness, connected by a bungee line to either a bike or scooter. Instead of running behind your dog as you would in canicross, you’re travelling on wheels – which makes for a very different experience.
It’s fast, exciting and brilliant fun when dog and human are working together.
But adding wheels also changes the demands of the sport. Speed increases, stopping distances get longer and you have less time to react, so good foundations matter.
BIKEJORING OR SCOOTERING – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The basic principle is very similar.
In bikejor, your dog runs ahead of a bicycle and is connected to the bike by a bungee line. A bike antenna helps guide the line away from the front wheel.
In dog scootering, you use a purpose-designed off-road scooter instead. You stand on the deck, kick to assist your dog and use the brakes to control your speed.
Both allow you to help your dog rather than expecting them to provide all of the power.
Which one you choose often comes down to personal preference, where you plan to ride and what equipment you already have access to.
CAN I START STRAIGHT AWAY?
If you’re completely new to dog-powered sports, we’d usually rather see the foundations in place before adding wheels.
Your dog needs to be comfortable working in a pulling harness, moving ahead of you and responding reliably to the cues you’ll need on the trail.
You also need to be confident controlling your bike or scooter independently.
At running speed, a slightly muddled direction cue might result in an untidy turn.
On wheels, the consequences can be rather more dramatic!
NEW TO DOG-POWERED SPORTS?
Building your foundations through canicross first can give you and your dog an opportunity to develop pulling, communication and directional skills at a more manageable speed.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU NEED?
There are a few pieces of equipment that make up a bikejor or scootering setup:
A LONG HARNESS FOR YOUR DOG
Your dog needs an appropriately fitted long pulling harness designed for this type of work.
This is particularly important for wheeled sports. Short harnesses have an attachment point further forward on the dog’s body and aren’t what we’d recommend for bikejor or scootering.
A BUNGEE LINE
A bungee line connects your dog’s harness to the bike or scooter and provides shock absorption as the distance and tension between you change.
A BIKE OR DOG SCOOTER
For bikejor, you’ll need a bike suitable for the terrain you’re riding.
For scootering, you’ll want a purpose-designed dog scooter capable of handling off-road trails and giving you effective braking and control.
AN ANTENNA
When bikejoring/scootering, an antenna – sometimes called a bikejor or scooter arm – helps keep the line directed away from the front wheel.
And don’t forget your own safety equipment, including an appropriate helmet.
READY TO GET KITTED OUT?
Then you’ve got a few ways to take the next step.
BIKEJOR & SCOOTERING EQUIPMENT
Explore pulling harnesses, lines and equipment for getting out on wheels.
NOT SURE WHICH HARNESS?
Choosing the right harness starts with your dog, their build and the activity you’re doing.
DOES MY DOG NEED TO BE STRONG?
You don’t need a giant sled dog capable of towing you around the Highlands single-pawed.
Your job is to work with your dog.
Pedalling or kicking allows you to contribute to the team’s movement, while braking lets you manage speed and help prevent your dog from simply dragging the combined weight of human and equipment.
As with any dog-powered activity, the individual dog matters more than the label on their breed.
Age and maturity, health, fitness, movement, enthusiasm and previous experience should all influence how – and whether – you begin.
WHAT SKILLS DO WE NEED?
This is where good foundations really start paying off.
Useful cues include:
FORWARD/GO – moving confidently ahead.
LEFT AND RIGHT – particularly important when approaching junctions.
STEADY – reducing speed while remaining under control.
STOP – because occasionally stopping is considerably more important than going!
ON-BY/LEAVE – moving past distractions rather than disappearing sideways after something exciting.
The exact words you use don’t matter nearly as much as consistency. Your dog needs to understand what you’re asking, and you need confidence that they’ll respond when you’re travelling at speed.
WHERE CAN YOU BIKEJOR OR SCOOTER?
Suitable off-road trails are where these sports really shine.
Look for routes that give you enough space and visibility to travel safely, with a surface appropriate for both your dog’s paws and your wheels.
You’ll also need to consider other trail users. Walkers, dogs, horses, cyclists and unexpected obstacles can all appear, so being able to slow down, pass safely and remain in control matters.
Conditions matter too.
Temperature, humidity, terrain and surface all affect the workload placed on your dog, and higher speeds can make it easier to cover more distance before you’ve realised your dog is beginning to tire.
The planned route is never more important than the dog in front of you.
HOW DO WE GET STARTED?
Don’t make your first session a huge expedition.
Start somewhere familiar and relatively straightforward. Give yourself plenty of space, keep the distance short and concentrate on communication and control rather than speed.
Your early sessions are about helping your dog understand the job and giving you experience of how your setup handles with a dog attached.
As confidence develops, you can gradually introduce more distance, different terrain and more technical routes.
There is absolutely no prize for progressing fastest.
CAN WE RACE?
Absolutely – if that’s something you and your dog enjoy.
There are bikejor and scooter races across the UK, and competition can be a fantastic part of the sport.
But racing isn’t the requirement or the end goal.
You might want competition and PBs. You might want Sunday mornings flying around forest trails with your dog. Both count.
The point is finding something that works for your team.
READY TO GET OUT ON WHEELS?
Then you’ve got a few ways to take the next step.
GET THE KIT
Find long pulling harnesses, bungee lines and equipment for bikejor and scootering.
BUILD THE FOUNDATIONS
New to dog-powered sport? Canicross can be a great place to develop the skills you’ll use on wheels.
GET SOME HANDS-ON HELP
Find someone who can help you and your dog develop your skills safely.