When should I use bike harness?

Hello! I have a just one year old weim/lab I have bought one of those bike harness attachments for my bike I have not put it on yet as I want to be sure if I use it I won't damage his muscles etc. it would not be for use everyday just weekends to go a little farther away without using my car and when we get somewhere different let him off for a sniff and run around!! I wouldn't go fast just a gentle pedal!! When I was out with my daughter and Reuben her bike wouldn't go into gear so I got on it and rode it (on a quiet beach path! Away from roads!) and Reubs was running alongside me and seemed to love it BUT if i was going out on my bike with him I would prefer it if he was attached so he doesn't get distracted and makes it easier to get to the beach!! On the box it says over 1 but any advice I would be grateful!!

I used to bike with my dog from an early age, but she used to either trot alongside, then I'd stop to let her sniff, or she'd stop and have to catch me up when I stopped further on ahead. I notice you said he was running alongside you once before and was happy to do so.

For me, I don't like the idea of forcing a young dog to keep to a certain pace, especially at only one year old, and being a large breed too, I'd have my doubts, but that's just me, I don't know whether it could be detrimental or not, but tired muscles on a young dog where you force them to continue just doesn't sit right to me, and obviously, he would go on forever being a youngster.

There are reasons they don't let you do obedience/agility anything like that until a large dog is 2 years old and considered to be fully developed.

Can't you take some extra time out one day, and just do the walk with him being free and see how he takes it, with lots of stops and slow pedalling for YOU to keep up with him kind of thing?

It also of course, depends on how far it is to the beach doesn't it.

I hope somebody has the right answer for you, but this is how I'd feel about it. What it says on the box is not necessarily what is good for your dog, same with dog food when they tell you to feed 5 or more cans a day, you just wouldn't do that would you?!

I'm sure you'll be able to enjoy your bike riding with Reubs the way you want to soon enough, but I'd certainly see how he goes with the free running (if it's safe of course!) alongside it first. You can always put him onlead, and push the bike like I used to do, it all helps with getting him used to being alongside it anyway, or so I found.

Thanks for advice when I meant running I meant trotting really which is his sort of pace when off lead i kept behind him more and stopped so he could have a sniff and a number 2 and he sniffs a lot to!! am not in any rush to put it on more concerned about damage on him. The beach isn't far from my house and I think if I put him on the gentle leader to get him and the bike down there it would be manageable As he can pull like a train!!! Really grateful for advice!!!

If you use a harness, use a walking harness, not a harness for other "sports." I bike with my dogs on a "walkydog" attachment almost every day. 2 or 3 dogs. I now use only collars, they do not pull as its easy to stop them doing it on the bike and I prefer a collar to a harness. They go at a fast trot, never faster and continuous for up to 6 miles, but more often than not, now they are at peak fitness, its about 4/5 miles.

Which attachment are you using?