Thetford Forest

A long walk yesterday in Thetford Warren, Thetford Forest, retracing the steps of Wolfy.  I had to shelf  the canicross campaign for a week, due to a bout of horrible man-flu.  But that hasn't stopped me from walking the dogs.

It's still all about fun and growing up for Byker.

Line training with Byker

New gear day.  New canicross belt (the foam padded style that was popular years ago), new single towline, and even a running harness for Byker.  I'll have to do a bit more of this, canicross style line training just with Byker.  as he get's older, it's becoming more difficult to exercise the three dogs together:

Before anyone complains, yes I know that he's a young dog, and I'm certainly not thrashing him - I'm too out of condition for that to even be possible by Cani-X.  I hope to gradually get fitter, as he gets older and bigger.

But doesn't he look smart in his new rainbow running harness:

And it's not all work and training.  Because he's young, even during these sessions, I let him have a run around, and an explore, while practicing a little recall and basic training.  After all, that's the point of having a doggy dog like a pointer cross, rather than a siberian husky.  You can throw a stick for them, let them run around, and even expect them to safely recall.

So here he was today, having some fun with a er.. rather large staffie?  I'm sure that's what it was, but she was game for some fun with my little Kung Foo Fighter:

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.