Public HealthThe Springer Dog Exerciser Helps You And Your Dog Stay Fit
If you want a safe way to take your dog with you on bike rides, the Springer dog exerciser might be the perfect answer.
Available through Springer America (http://www.springeramerica.com), the Springer is a fun, inexpensive way to stay active with your best friend beside you. Springer America President Kjell Ottesen says, "Thanks to recent improvements, the Springer fits most regular, touring and mountain bikes and works with more dogs than ever -- and is still fast and easy to install."
"My dogs especially love riding with me through greenways and parks. Just like people, they get bored following the same routes, so I take them to new places around town to let them smell different scents," says Catherine "Jake" Jacobson, owner of Team Happy Dog, a professional dog walker in Raleigh, NC. She bikes daily to keep her high-energy charges fit, from rat terriers to Rhodesian Ridgebacks to labs, golden retrievers and Boston terriers.
To help with the initial adjustment, walk beside your bike with the dog attached to the Springer arm for a few minutes. According to Jacobson, "90% of my dogs love the Springer right from the beginning."
Used by over 600,000 bicyclists, mushers and K9 corps worldwide, the Springer features a low-mounted, heavy-duty steel spring to absorb up to 90% of the force of a dog"s unexpected tugs, allowing bike riders to keep their balance, while protecting their pets from traffic, pedals and wheels. The patented safety release frees the dog instantly if he gets caught around a tree or hydrant.
Professional Norwegian musher Frode Dahl has relied on the Springer for 17 years to keep his Pointer and Vorster breeds in peak shape. Dahl says, "Even my retired world champion sled dogs are still quite powerful. Without the Springer, it would be hard to keep them conditioned. Just walking these dogs is not adequate."
Manufactured in Norway, the Springer is imported to the US exclusively by Springer America, owned by native Norwegian Kjell Ottesen. (The best-selling black model sells for $69; the chrome model costs $74). For information, call 919-616-0532 or visit http://www.springeramerica.com.
Springer America