I've had a handful of passerby's make comments about it being mean or cruel in the years and years that I've been biking with my dogs. It's not.
Pay attention to your dog. If it seems like he's struggling, take a breather and give him some water. Slowly build up to longer distances(the same way that a human athlete would work on conditioning). Try to keep him on grass or dirt if possible as it's easier on the joints but a little pavement isn't the end of the world.
Until we moved, I had Kaki biking 16.2 miles round trip for work three days a week. Tuesday and Thursday we would walk that length to give her a break from the running. Yet she still had enough energy to wrestle and run with the other dogs at work all day. I bought a bike trailer for her to make the trip easier and faster for both of us but she hated it.
Pay attention to your dog. If it seems like he's struggling, take a breather and give him some water. Slowly build up to longer distances(the same way that a human athlete would work on conditioning). Try to keep him on grass or dirt if possible as it's easier on the joints but a little pavement isn't the end of the world.
Until we moved, I had Kaki biking 16.2 miles round trip for work three days a week. Tuesday and Thursday we would walk that length to give her a break from the running. Yet she still had enough energy to wrestle and run with the other dogs at work all day. I bought a bike trailer for her to make the trip easier and faster for both of us but she hated it.