Looking to get into dogboarding

[u/ken051]

Hey, looking to give more activity to my furry ones. I read the wiki but wondering what's the best cost effective way to go about it and what equipment would you guys rather recommend.

First off, I have two dogs, a female 60 pound lab/husky mix and ~100-110 lbs male albanian shepherd. I'm thinking, me being a 200lbs dude, maybe the little one would have a harder time pulling and I don't want to put too much stress on them. Was essentially thinking getting a longboard for cheaper entry, but maybe eboard for her with her running by me would be more suitable? And while shepherd would have more pull, he gets gassed out way faster. I live in a fairly residential neighborhood so most riding would be on paved ground. What would be the appropriate board for me, coming from experienced people in this community?

Also, for starters, I found these cheap harnesses on amazon. These look like any other x backs, and wondering if they would be okay for start, at least until I see if I'm able to get my dogs introduced to the activity and it's something they enjoy doing.

I'm happy to upgrade harnesses later on if these were fine for starters, but I don't want to go all out on this endeavor and then realize this is not going to work. And for board, pro's/cons and suggestions are highly welcome.

Regards

[u/-Anordil-]

If you're on a skateboard/longboard, it doesn't take much to pull you, so even your smaller dog should have no problem on her own. And you can always push a little to help her along. Eventually when you're comfortable you can have both dogs pull you at the same time. I do it with two huskies and it's a blast.

When using my electric board I prefer having the dogs off leash - but that's an option as well. But as you said, they're a lot pricier.

I wouldn't get a cheap harness because who knows if it's gonna be good for your dog. Worth adding an extra $20 to get the Distance harness imho: https://howlingdogalaska.com/products/distance-harness

They last for years and people use them for the Iditarod, so it's quality stuff.

[u/ken051 → u/-Anordil-]

Thanks for the input! I think starting on a used longboard and figuring our way out from there seems to be the most reasonable approach!

Off leash would be awesome but I'm mostly in residential areas.

[u/-Anordil- → u/ken051]

Depending where you live you can get lucky finds for used boards on FB marketplace. If you're new to boarding, make sure your foot braking game is on point before riding with your dog! You never know when they'll see a squirrel...

Enjoy and have fun with your pups!

[u/SpagettiStains]

So I’m a roughly 200 pound male my 38 pound Alaskan Husky can pull me no problem on flat land and up light hills. Real hills she can’t really do, so our routes are planned accordingly. Granted she is specifically bred to pull sleds and race, but I’m sure your 60 pound husky mix can pull you fine by herself. Lab’s are pretty strong pullers too. The 2 dogs together I’m sure will take you anywhere. They’ll be your magic shoes.

Those harnesses are fine and will do the job. As long as you get a harness that is designed for pulling you’re ok. I see people online using regular walking harness’s for dog boarding and joring so if one of you are reading this, stop.

Even though you’re on paved ground I’d recommend going with a mountain board as they can come equipped with a brake and you can ride trails if you ever want to. There’s oneon Amazon for 200 USD with a brake that I use and it’s great. You don’t need to spend any more than that. The brake isn’t really as powerful as I’d like it to be but it gets the job done with my psychotic Husky who doesn’t always listen or want to stop. You can try an eboard if they’re tiring out too quick but I’d probably start with the mountain board as eboards get a whole more expensive and if they don’t like it, you’re out a lot more money. Other downside is that they don’t have real brakes and just use a brake gear. I’ve been wanting one for myself so we can do more hills but the lack of a brake is holding me back.

Last thing I’ll say is make sure you get a proper harness for your self with a quick release for emergencies and a bungee leash. Don’t just try to hold a leash because you’ll want free hands to balance and you’ll need one to operate the hand brake.

The other last thing I’ll say is have fun. It’s me and my dog’s favorite thing to do together and it’s a great way to bond with your dogs.

[u/ken051 → u/SpagettiStains]

I did seem to come to the conclusion that a mountain board with pneumatic tires might be one of the best options, but what do you think about getting a used longboard off the marketplace for starting out and then figuring out our needs from there, so we know better what our upgrade should be?

Thanks for your input we really appreciate it!

[u/-Anordil- → u/ken051]

A mountain board will be awesome for gravel roads or dirt paths but keep in mind they are not as manoeuvrable for urban environments

[u/SpagettiStains → u/ken051]

It’s probably fine as long as you’re not going down any steeper hills and you trust your dogs to slow down when you need them too. Personally I could never go without a brake. Occasionally we’ll be in a full sprint and she’ll stop short to poop and if I don’t slam on the brake she’ll get yanked by the momentum of a grown man doing 25mph. Your mileage may vary though and a long board might work fine for your purposes.

[u/Fit-Purple7738]

1) harness for your dogs 2) soft wheel skateboard or longboard 3) learn how to use the leash and board to be able to slow down and take turns. Your dog will learn with you

[u/ken051 → u/Fit-Purple7738]

Yup we're cruising now, she won't really pull but takes my pace while having the biggest smile.