Cargo Bike Dogs

In October we adopted a dog; his name is Bleu. He is a mix, but it appears mostly German wirehaired (but we have been told blue healer and labrador as well).

We have not had a dog in our family before so we are newbies. However, one thing was sure, if we are going to make regular visits to dog parks so Bleu can play with buddies, we will do so by bike.

On a whim, we had Bleu sit in our Bullitt cargo bike box to see if it would just "work" and as we pushed off with him in the bike ... It did not work. I did not expect it to, but if it did, well, that would be sweet.

To help Bleu get comfortable to the box, we brought the box into the house and put it in the living room, thereby making it a fixture in his life. In addition, we:

1. Put his toys in the box.
2. Give treats when he goes into the box.
3. Stand in the box and hang out with him.
4. Have worked on the command "box" which he seems to understand as he will head to the box and jump in regardless of where we are in the house.
5. Took the box in the car so he could sit in it on the way to the dog park

Later this week, we will put the box back on the bike and go for a push of the bike around the block. Then, slow biking around block. Hopefully, we will get to biking to the dog park later next week.

Check out Splendid Cycles, a Portland seller of great cargo bikes, for photos of owners with dogs in the boxes. I cannot seem to find the recent photo they have of an owner with a custom box for his dog--a larger dog. Perhaps it is on their Facebook page and has not made it to Flickr. (12/21/11 yep, Fb: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=282270301818978&set=a.106459846066692.3503.106290576083619&type=1&ref=nf)

Set of photos for Bleu in the box.