You might recall that last year, I rigged up a stroller
to be a wheeled dog carrier and trained my little pupster to enjoy
riding around in it. That was a great solution for conveying him around a
public transit system, but since I haven't ridden Metro since March and
don't plan on doing so in the foreseeable future, the stroller hasn't
really seen much use. Well, he still loves to jump up and sit in it for
no reason, though, so I guess that's an accomplishment I'll never undo!
This
year, I decided to up my dog transport game and find a way to
bring him with me when I ride my bike. My first idea was a trailer, like
some parents use to carry their human children. I actually salvaged
an abandoned bike trailer from the curb, but it was missing so many
parts that I never got around to converting it for use with a dog. And
that's just as well, because my second idea was a better one—I'd carry
my dog in a backpack!
There
are companies that make special backpacks specifically designed for dog
transport. For a few months, I had one of them on my Amazon wishlist.
But I could just not see my way to spending 50+ on something that might
not even work. So I decided to test out the concept with a backpack I
already had.
In
a months-long process involving lots of treats and tennis-ball-chasing
sessions, I trained Bilbo to love sitting on top of the backpack, then
tolerate being inside the backpack, then tolerate being carried in the
backpack, then carried on a bike in the backpack.
 |
| Training in progress! |
It was a big
accomplishment this summer when I was able to bike with him all the way
to campus where I work, because that meant I'd henceforth be able to
bring my dog to
the office whenever I wanted! You know, whenever the office reopened,
that is.
Well,
the office reopened, and today was my first day back. Naturally, I took
my dog, which means we, together, have survived a full day at the
office and a round-trip bike ride using a dog backpack! I have been so
successful with my trial backpack, that I decided it's not necessary to
invest in a special dog backpack from Amazon. The regular-old secondhand backpack
(with a few slight modifications to make it easier to get a dog into it
and harder for a dog to fall out of it!) is quite sufficient.
In
spite of it being a success in almost every way, I can't help but feel
that my dog backpack is a little anticlimactic after creating the dog stroller
(which was a much more impressive feat of craftsmanship at very least),
so I decided to construct a comparison chart to lay the matter to rest,
and maybe help other DIYers out there decide where to invest their
energies when they feel the need for more dog mobility!
|
|
Dog Stroller |
Dog Backpack |
|
Allows you to bike with your dog |
❌ |
✔️ |
|
Allows you to take your dog on DC Metro |
✔️ |
❌ |
|
Takes up very little space |
❌ |
✔️ |
|
Protects your shoulders from carrying a squirming 20-pound burden on your back |
✔️ |
❌ |
|
Elicits reactions like "Aww," and "Hahaha" and "I love your dog!" from random passersby |
❌ |
✔️ |
|
Unequivocally qualifies you as a "Dog Mom" |
✔️ |
❌ |
|
Costs nothing in supplies (assuming you already have a backpack and a stroller and some basic sewing notions) |
❌ |
✔️ |
|
Is an impressive feat of craftsmanship |
✔️ |
❌ |
|
Allows you to feel like a dog trainer extraordinaire |
✔️ |
✔️ |
Well,
folks, looks like it's a tossup! The relative merits of the different
methods of canine conveyance are highly situational, but one thing is
clear: You're more of a "dog mom" when you're pushing your dog around in
a stroller than when you are carrying him in a backpack! So if having
that status is important for you, then by all means go for Dog Mom Level
1000 and make yourself a stroller. But if you're like me, and your
present lifestyle is more suited to biking everywhere you go, then you
might be happier with a backpack.
