Winter of Fun

Byker is still very young.  Barely 10 months, so I really do not do more than socialise him with the bike or any activity yet.  Instead, I still try to do that important thing to do with pups.  Have fun.

Today we had fun with the Staffies in Thetford Forest.

Letting dogs be dogs

Just dog walking today, through the woods, all three dogs.  I notice that they all perk up when we reach forestry.  They love running through the undergrowth.  At one point I saw Byker reaching up, sniffing the air, he had a scent.  Other times it's tag - usually Byker hunting down Dixie or maybe Dollar if he fails to keep his distance.

A part of growing up, of developing that pup, is just letting it explore, have fun, be a dog.

Early training for bikejor

The bike socialising / training continues.  Byker is acting a little less shy of the bicycle.  I walk through suburban areas with him on a canicross belt, while pushing the bicycle - pulling brakes, making noises, etc.  Then when we reach a more rural cycling train, after a little while, I let him off line.  Then I'll mount the bike -let him see me that way, and gently cycle, meeting people, him meeting other dogs.  I want him to keep friendly, and non-aggresive, so that's also good.

I do also put him on the towline, and even mount the bike - just short stints of bikejoring.  I have to be careful not to let him encourage me to go further - he's too young.  His skeleton and limb joints still have to strengthen before I let him exert.

Right, now I'll take the two Staffies out on the bike!

Introducing Byker ... to the Bike

I've started introducing Byker to the bicycle.  No, that doesn't mean that I'm thrashing the poor pup on the end of the towline.  I'm socialising him to the bike.  I had shown it to him as a tiny pup - and of course, he's seen hundreds of bikes up close, as we often walk on a local bike trail.  But he was a little reluctant, a little frightened - so I do have some work to do.

I'm mainly just walking and pushing the bike - sometimes though cycling slowly - getting him use to seeing me mounted on a bicycle.  I give him treats while I'm on the bike.

I took a few photos though, of my aspiring bikejor pup on the towline.

Raising Byker

I named him Byker, because that is one of the activities that I want to share with him in the future Bike-joring.


Socialisation starts early with my dogs.  I wanted him to experience as much as he could between eight weeks and sixteen weeks.  I want him to feel confident in the World - just as Wolfy always did.


He was eight weeks old when he first experienced car travel, public bus travel, and even "the City":

He saw the beach, and the sea at age 12 weeks, and again at age 15 weeks.  At age 14 weeks, he experienced wading in the shallows of a river:

We frequently visited parks around Norwich in those early weeks, where he could encounter other dogs, kids playing, skateboards, scooters, etc.

Here he is above, age 14 weeks at Eaton Park, Norwich.  He encountered woods, green lanes, forests, the City, towns, the beach, the seaside, parks, pubs, rivers, cars, buses, bicycles, other dogs, visiting family houses, country shows, livestock, and much more - before 18 weeks.  His early brain was imprinted with a familiarity of our world.  After all, I want a dog that'll be comfortable in Forest as much as in City.  I want a bikejorer, a hiking companion, and a dog that I can also throw a ball for.  A super dog.


First stage of training a bikejoring dog from puppyhood


Has nothing to do with bikes, or mushing.  It has to do with play, education, and bonding.