Dog-Powered Cart Is Easy To Control

Dog-Powered Cart Is Easy To Control AG WORLD 33-3-21 An Englehart, Ontario, man has come up with a fun new way to take his dog out for a run. He converted a bicycle into a 3-wheeled cart, to which a dog can be harnessed. A work harness attaches to the dog at shoulder height. Because the dog is pushing in back rather than pulling up front, the rider controls the steering and braking. With the bike's low center of gravity, there's no downward pressure on the animal. "I made it for a friend. She has a lot of fun riding it, and the dog gets some good exercise," says Nelson Watson. "It's a lot easier for the dog to push the cart from behind than to pull it from the front." He started with a BMX bike, lengthening it and replacing the rear wheel with two 28-in. bike wheels spaced 40 in. apart. A center rail made from 1 by 2-in. tubing bears most of the load. He moved the handlebars back by cutting them in half, then bending them toward the rear and welding the cut-off sections back on. The seat is off an old exercise machine. The bike's hand brakes were remounted on the rear wheels, with a foot pedal used to operate them. There's also an emergency locking brake that stops and holds the dog as it's being harnessed. Headlights and reflectors make the cart easier to see. The frame in back is made from 1-in. sq. tubing with a pair of metal rings welded onto it. Protective plastic fenders inside the rear wheels protect the dog from the wheels. Watson says his friend has ridden the cart in parades and into town. "The cart is real easy for the dog to handle. I've seen the dog pull it at over 20 mph," says Watson. "We've even used a miniature horse to power the cart. The bar that supports the two rings on back can be telescoped forward or backward depending on the size of the animal." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Nelson Watson, Rt. 3, Englehart, Ontario, Canada P0J1H0 (ph 705 544-2871; nwatson@ntl.sympatico.ca).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.