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A couple of updates...
I was able to get the Burley out in some mud yesterday and it handled well enough. I suspect *any* stroller is going to struggle in really deep mud. This only sticks out in my mind because of a trial I was at last year with the worst mud ever. It was a nice day, I can't remember if we'd had rain leading up to that day though. I just remember regretting wearing my Birkenstocks...
A friend of mine just got the Doggyhut Premium XL stroller for her dog with hip dysplasia. She had no idea there were large dog strollers until she heard I was getting one for Loki. She and her dog took it for a short test walk yesterday and felt good about it. We're planning a spring dog stroll for our mobility challenged pups! Hopefully I'll come back with some good photos/details of both strollers to share.
Yea I agree that deep mud is not the easiest thing to get a dog stroller through!
Pretty neat you turned your neighbor on to the dog stroller concept. I haven't heard of that brand so I'm looking forward to learning how it works out.
I thought I'd resurrect this thread with some updates...
I've been taking it very slowly getting Loki comfortable with the stroller. She's prone to anxiety, so it's extremely important that she feels safe in her stroller. I bought the stroller at the end of November. It spent a month or so in my living room before migrating to the bedroom where Loki has been sleeping in it. First set up like a crate on the ground, then later with wheels. I realized pretty quickly that we needed to add the kickstand accessory that Burley offers because Loki likes to put her front paws in and look around before getting into the stroller. Without the kickstand, the stroller would sometimes tip when she did this. I suspected I was going to want this accessory when I bought the stroller, but held off on purchasing it to see how it went without it.
I had a pretty quiet weekend and the weather was lovely so I decided it was time to take Loki for a stroll. Saturday we did a very short stroll because I wanted to keep it a positive experience. Sunday we went for a longer stroll. This time we encountered a couple of barking dogs at once (one behind a privacy fence that we could only hear, one on an electric fence that we could see and hear), which prompted Loki to jump out! Luckily, I anticipated this and had her on a leash for safety. Once I coaxed her back in, we had a lovely stroll around the neighborhood. I'm tempted to try a park in the near future during a quiet time.
Overall, I'm happy with the Burley. There are 2 small areas where I feel like it could improve.
- The handle bar is a little low on the highest setting. I'm average height at best - I think tall people would find this uncomfortable. Alternately, I have tiny t-rex arms and don't realize it. I usually feel like handles are too short on things.
- The kickstand is hard to open. Once it's in place it makes the whole stroller extremely stable and it's easy to kick closed. I think I'm going to add a tether to it using paracord to make it easier to pull open.
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This is such huuuuuge progress! Congratulations to you and Loki!
The way you trained her is spot-on excellent. Patience is key for dogs who aren't as easily motivated to try new things like this. You have got patience my friend. And it's paying off in a big way. You and Loki have soooo many adventures ahead!
I happened to interact with someone whose dog was a Burley recently, and was very impressed by its quality. It's about the same size as Nellie's current stroller, but feels more rugged. Sounds like the perfect stroller for you two!
Honestly, I am not a patient person at all. This has been my biggest struggle with Loki. She is such a BOLD dog until she psyches herself out about something. It's so hard to know what she'll just handle and when I need to give her gentle support. This was pretty easy to be patient with because so far it has been fairly passive on my part.
Part of why I landed on going for a stroller that was really intended as a bike trailer is how well built they are. It cost more up front, but I feel very confident it's going to last a long time.
One other note to share on the Burley... I have the "standard" size, which is rated for up to 75lbs. Loki weighs about 40lbs, but she is a tall, skinny dog. I think she's about 21-22" at the withers. If she was any taller, she wouldn't be able to sit comfortably - her neck/upper back would hit the cross bar. Obviously, dogs can take many shapes while staying under the 75lb limit, but taller dogs who like to sit up would need the XL size at a lower weight.
Well it sounds like this experience has helped you give her the emotional support she needs. I know lots of folks try gear like this way too soon and then it just ends up getting stashed in the garage and a bad experience all around.
Interesting thought about the size of the Burley, I'd love to include that feedback in a blog post if you don't mind.
And I agree, the investment in a higher quality stroller/trailer is worth it. We tried a less expensive stroller (not a trailer) for Nellie and she beat it up within a couple of months!
Yes, you may use my comments on the size of the Burley in a blog post. Size is a funny thing when it comes to dogs. We use weight so often to describe the size of a dog, but dogs come in so many different sizes and shapes. My quad-pawd is a German shepherd mix, but she's tall and thin like a Whippet. One of my friends used to have cocker spaniel mix that outweighs my Shepherd mix by quite a bit, but you'd never guess it to look at them. The spaniel was shorter, but more stocky and muscular. He would have fit easily in the standard Burley.
It can be weird having medium sized dogs - most things are geared towards large or small.
Thank you!
LOL I've never had a medium sized dog so I can't compare, but I can see what you mean about sizing of strollers, gear, etc. It's one reason why Ruffwear uses girth measurements of a dog (not weight) to determine the right harness size. Manufacturers of cheap dog harnesses go by weight, which almost always results in a bad fit. I can see how stroller sizing would be similarly challenging for a company to figure out.
@mischief - how has the Burley turned out for you? I too have one of those tall, stringy lightweight (and anxious) dogs that can be hard to size. She warms to most things slowly so I'll be definitely be taking a leaf our of your book and take stroller training slow.
@jerry - are you still a fan of the Booyah?
@krun15 and @mischief - good point about the handle height
I'm finding myself in the market for a stroller as Juno is now three weeks out from surgery and getting restive with just her starter 5min walks (that said she's doing great and I have to keep her from overdoing it!). She loves to get out and sniff to keep up with the local olfactory news. Right now I'm looking at the large Booyah or the Aosom 2-in-1. It will get use both off-road and in an urban area where the sidewalks can be uneven and/or narrow. Looking for current thoughts and open to other model suggestions.
Natalie & Juno (aka June)
It's funny you resurrect this post today - I took Loki for a stroll today for this first time in weeks! I truly hate summer weather. The humidity broke a bit today so I mustered the will to take Loki out after Tempest's walk.
I am happy with the Burley. I think it's well built and I think it will last for Loki's whole life.
The two small changes I would like to see are:
1. More adjustments for the handle. Maybe I have tiny t-rex arms? And extra inch of height would be nice.
2. A stop for the zip top just ahead of where the front bends into the roof. There are these little tabs that will hold the szip top in a specific position. Loki has jumped out a few times. One tab is low enough she can jump, the next one makes it a tight squeeze for her head to poke out the top. I suspect as Loki ages, this will be less of an issue (she's just 2 now).
As far as sizing, I ordered the regular size. Loki weighs about 40lbs, is roughly 23" at the withers and about 36" from nose to base of tail. I put a cheap dog bed from Amazon inside rather than the pricey one from Burley. I highly recommend the kickstand accessory to stabilize the stroller while the dog enters and exits. It can tip without it, especially on the way in. It's easy to stabilize by hand for the exit.
I think Whitney might have a Burley for Ellie as well. I thought I saw one in a picture she shared recently. If I'm right, I'd love to hear her experiences as well.
@mischief - Ha! Too funny! Glad you got out. I don't blame you about the humidity - it can be oppressive. And I'd swear my short-haired nearly whippet-like Juno is half-husky when she gets out in the heat. We have to go early in the morning or she'll melt.
Oh my gosh, you're right. There is a Burley in Whitney's photos - Ellie looks so charming and content in it. Yes - would be great to get Whitney's thoughts here too.
Glad you're liking the Burley. Can you retrofit the handle - maybe they sell extenders? Seems like something to suggest to them if they don't. I like to imagine with the quality of their stuff that they're pretty responsive to feedback. I'm pretty tall so the handle's probably a no-go for me in that case. Handle height will be something to keep in mind as I consider other options.
I wonder if you could sew in an additional stop (button, fabric, ?) at your desired location for the zipper, or use a clothes pin? Just thinking. Yeah I know what you mean when the best option isn't any of the ones designed in. 😛 🙂
It seems like Loki and Juno are almost the same size. June might be a hair smaller, but only just. I like to call her an extra-medium dog.
Natalie & Juno (aka June)
My other dog, Tempest, is built like a whippet. Just a hair smaller than Loki (34lbs, 22" high, not sure on length). She also fits nicely in the Burley.
I should ask my dad about extending the handle. I suspect he won't be able to do it because the frame and handle of the Burley are aluminum and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have the right kind of equipment to weld aluminum. I'm pretty sure that's why they have a steel horse trailer rather than the more common aluminum.
As for adding a tab, it would require opening and re-sewing a seam that is under quite a bit of tension when the cover is fully zipped up. I'd be afraid of weakening the structural integrity. Which may be why there isn't a tab where I want it. Maybe I can find a clip that will work, though.
If by any chance you're in southern New England, I'd be happy to meet up so you can get a feel for the handle. PM me if you're in my area.
Sounds like June and Tempest are pretty similar. June was 37lbs before amputation - now down to 34lbs, and 21" at the withers. She could actually be a full blood Mountain Cur (as they're common in the area where she was picked up a stray) - she looks exactly the part right down to the naturally bobbed tail that many have.
Yeah, retrofits of any sort can be tricky. You don't want to end up worse off than you started. Makes sense why your dad picked something he knew he could work with well.
I'll definitely ping you if I head up that way. I'm also intrigued by your nosework trialing. I want to start training June in that as I think she'd really dig it...but perhaps that's for another forum thread. 😁
Natalie & Juno (aka June)
I'm always happy to discuss nosework! It's a great sport for all dogs, but especially tripawds.
Hi there! I do have the burley bark ranger xl!! I have used it quite a bit both as a stroller and bike trailer for Ellie. it really excels, I love how easy it handles, and so far it has help up beautifully, I haven't tested it too hard in terms of mud or off road conditions, just a lot of miles on mostly bike paths.
It's funny about the handle being to low for you mischief! on the XL it's not too low for me, if anything it might be a touch high, but no big deal. I bet they didn't put a lot of thought into the handle, and assume these are mostly used as bike trailers... hopefully it's something they improve on- since it should be an easy fix.
I second the need for a kickstand, I do not have one since I got this primarily for a bike trailer, so it was not needed, but if it's in stroller mode I absolutely have to hold it up while she's getting in/out or it will tip back. I personally think it's lame it's not included based on the premium price we pay, but once again I think it's an assumption on burley thinking this will primarily be used as a bike trailer not stroller.
I completely agree with you that it needs something at the start of the curve!! Ellie has jumped out as well with me using the lower stop, but even when I jerry rigged a higher one, sometimes when she leaned on it it started to put quite a bit of pressure on the zipper and warped it a little which I didn't like. Ellie is actually a little too big for even the XL (you can see how when she sits her head is well above the crossbar, and she can't really lay all the way down in it, which bums me out, but this is literally the biggest one I could find so what can yah do. Because of that, though, I rigged up a sort of seat belt type thing with a leash around the cross bar, her head goes into it so she can sit and stand up comfortably, but if she tries to jump out she can't, but she can lean on it without stretching anything out. Because of this I just leave the front section completely open. That's what has worked the best for me.
Overall I really really like it, it works beautifully with my bike, has held up great and I am very confident it will last not just Ellie's lifetime, but future puppers as well. My only suggestion on sizing is don't trust it based on weight, but really look at what measurements they say. especially the length, you can get by with going above the height to a point, but not really the length at least if you want them to be able to lay down.
As far as training I wasn't nearly as patient as mischief, I had it live in my living room for about a week without the wheels on and fed her a few meals in there, and then a couple days outside with wheels on just getting in and out, and then a couple walks, and then a couple short bike rides ( I learned I was able to give her treats from my bike as we were moving which was awesome, haha) and that was it probably over the span of a month or so and now I use it normally.
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