Every time we see a person on a bicycle with a dog trotting alongside on a leash, we cringe. Why risk road rash when you can exercise your dog safely on a Springer? This ingenious device, an import from Norway, has been popping up everywhere the past few years—except in retail stores. We don’t know why that is, but we do agree with “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Milan that “a tired dog is a happy dog.” And we know first-hand that the Springer is guaranteed to bring out your pup’s inner athlete while helping to keep you in shape, too.
The Springer allows cyclists to keep both hands safely on the handlebars as a dog runs alongside, always within eye contact. The heavy-duty spring on the device’s U-shaped arm absorbs 90 percent of the dog’s tugs, so when Rover bolts after a squirrel or a cat, he won’t take you with him. The Springer attaches to the seat tube of most bikes and comes with shims to fit posts of different diameters. A harness is extra, and you’ll want to find one similar to this with a clip that fits as high up on Rover’s back as possible to distribute the weight of his pull and keep him in line with your leg. Yes, it’s spendy at $99 on the Springer site or around $80 on e-Bay, but if you have a high-energy dog, you won’t know how you ever lived without it.
