Dog strollers all the rage

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#1
Does anyone here actually use these? :confused:
The pictures are cute... but its called Walking the dog people...



Whiskers, wagging tails welcome in newest canine contraption
Dec 06, 2007 04:30 AM
Bernadette Morra
Fashion editor

The next time you see someone pushing a stroller, take a closer look.

The occupant might be furry, four-legged and diaper-free.

Dog strollers are the newest trend to hit the streets of Toronto. And the reasons range from all-out glamour to the more mundane.

"We sell more when the weather gets nasty," says Mike Fitzpatrick, co-owner of Bark & Fitz, a chain of pet boutiques based in Mississauga. "People don't want to drag their perfectly coiffed dogs through the slush. And the salt can sting their paws. I've seen dogs roll over on their side because they don't want to walk.

"It's something that started in California, New York, Miami and Chicago and has become more mainstream in Canada in the last three years. At first we were hesitant to bring strollers into the market because we thought they were a little over the top."

But once you get beyond the Paris Hilton-indulgence factor, there are practical issues that make pet strollers appealing.

"High-quality food is extending the life of dogs, but they are getting hip ailments and can't walk," Fitzpatrick says.

Even healthy toy dogs can get too tuckered out to keep up with their owners. In the summer scorching pavement can burn bare paws. And crowds can be treacherous for small dogs and nerve-wracking for their walkers who fear they may get trampled.

"And there are places where dogs aren't allowed, so a carrier or stroller comes in handy," Fitzpatrick says. "If the flaps are down people won't even realize there's a dog in there."

Pet strollers at Bark & Fitz range from $150 to $400, from bare bones to sturdier models with high-end windbreakers and waterproof covers. "They're not all pink and frilly," Fitzpatrick says. "Jeep makes a pet jogger that even a guy would be fine with."

Jeep strollers are distributed by Vermont-based Pet Gear Inc. (petgearinc.com) which also offers ultra-lights and an all-terrain pet vehicle.

Kittywalk.com has double deckers for situations where pets are better off travelling in separate quarters.

"There really is something for everyone now," says Connie Wilson, publisher of Vancouver-based Modern Dog magazine.

She got a pet trailer this summer so she could cycle to work with her 65-pound Wiemaraner-pointer cross, Kaya, attached to the bike. The Burley brand pet trailer is built to withstand a larger dog's heft. "And it has a flat bed with easy access and different ventilation than a baby stroller."

Another option is the Tutto carrier on wheels, which resembles a big black lawyer's briefcase and would be ideal in a situation that requires a professional image.

A stroller came in handy at Modern Dog when another office companion, a miniature dachsund named Esther, suffered a partially ruptured disc.

"She's only 11 pounds, so it's easy to pick her up, but if you go any distance it's a burden. That's when you really appreciate a stroller," Wilson says.

"Prior to this, people had to make do and convert baby strollers, but now there is something for all kinds of different needs. And you can even colour co-ordinate.

"It all stems back to the fact that pets are integrated into people's lives," Wilson says. "They hold a spot in the family that is equivalent to a child. They give so much to us; it's a way for us to give back to them."

But is there a danger dogs might not get the exercise they need?

"Any responsible dog owner will understand a dog can't be contained 24/7," Wilson says. "But if you are out on a mission and you want your dog to be safe, then a pet stroller is a useful tool."
found here, video included
 

PoodleMommy

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#2
I have one...

there was actually a thread on this before that got long and heated.

Elissa
 
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#6
a responsible dog owner will exercise their dog as well
I am wondering about the statistics on that. About how many people who own strollers for their dogs get enough exercise? or if they think their pooch is a fashion statement and a stroller is a neat accessory?
 

bubbatd

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#7
To me anyone with a dog stroller wants a baby . This is no life for a dog .
 

SarahFish

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#8
I've seen that before, someone using one, what the hell?
Dogs walk, babies only use strollers because they can't.
On this topic, I've also seen the carriers for dogs, as in, dogs vertically hanging in front of their owners.
So some people think of their dogs as kids, that's great, until THIS, then they may as well just have a kid.
 

PoodleMommy

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#11
I am wondering about the statistics on that. About how many people who own strollers for their dogs get enough exercise? or if they think their pooch is a fashion statement and a stroller is a neat accessory?
you may very well be right about the statistics on this one... however, I would be inclined to say that those people who do not exercise their dogs enough are the same ones who wouldnt regardless of whether they had a stroller or not.
 
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#13
I think those are completely useless. People treating their dogs like they are children. I know of people whose dogs barely touch the ground. They go somewhere, and they hold that poor dog/puppy the entire time. That is no fun for a dog.

I have heard cases of certain people who carried their dog most of its life, since it was a puppy..and only put it down to pee, and the dog ended up with TONS of problems with its joints, and ability to walk.

I think anyone who actively uses a doggy stroller shouldn't own a dog.
 

PoodleMommy

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#14
I think anyone who actively uses a doggy stroller shouldn't own a dog.
:rolleyes:

I hope all of you who are passing judgment on who should have animals are the best animal owners on the planet.

I dare you to take my dogs from me and see how well they fare.
 
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Laurelin

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#15
Okay..,. this is just silly...

Why are we arguing about dog strollers? What's it matter? Aren't there a lot of bigger problems to be addressing out there? I think its silly people get so bent up over a dog riding in a stroller a while or wearing a sweater. I can think of so many other things to address....

It's not abuse. If you have a dog stroller, it does not automatically mean you treat your dogs as humans, it just means you have a stroller.

No, I dont have a stroller for my dogs.
 

PoodleMommy

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Okay..,. this is just silly...

Why are we arguing about dog strollers? What's it matter? Aren't there a lot of bigger problems to be addressing out there? I think its silly people get so bent up over a dog riding in a stroller a while or wearing a sweater. I can think of so many other things to address....

It's not abuse. If you have a dog stroller, it does not automatically mean you treat your dogs as humans, it just means you have a stroller.

No, I dont have a stroller for my dogs.
I agree... I dont care if you like them or not, own one or not, use one or not... get the point... my only issue is with those two people on here who decided that anyone who owns one should not own a dog or that their dog has a terrible life.
 

bubbatd

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#17
Yes , I'm sorry Poodlemommy ... they are your dogs and you have the right to do what you want . My daughter's inlaws have a mini poodle and she's never out of their arms .... maybe they need a stroller .
 
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#18
They ar ejust stupid IMO. dogs are dogs, they can walk. no need for a stroller. end of story,

ONLY time I would ever say they would be fine is if. The dog is just out of surgery. And instead of being all cooped up At home take it out. Or if you have a very old dog who cant go far fine. i would have loved one when we still had our very old very blind poodle.She loved to be outside but was very nervous of it after she went blind.
 

Paige

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#19
Miley walks. She keeps up with the Border Collies for the first half of the walk. I carry her home. She goes out twice a day for an hour and a half each time and if she's up for it she can walk it all. 40 minutes of every walk is running around playing soccer with the dogs. She loves it. I think a stroller would be stupid for my BC's but when I am carrying Miley home wrapped in my coat when it's icey and gross out a stroller seems practical.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge someone who has a dog stroller. My sheltie use to get put in the back storage park of my sister's stroller when we were growing up. Shelby had a really bad back but she always wanted to come out with us. It made sense to pick her up and put her in there. Not all owners who use them are bad owners. I don't own one and I probably will never but I wouldn't call someone a bad owner for using one.
 

PoodleMommy

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#20
Im removing myself from this thread and all the condescending, sarcastic people who felt the need to post in it...

to the OP... I feel there is a time and place for these... we get much use out of the one we own... as I said at the beginning as with any item you need to use it responsibly meaning the dog still needs to be exercised... we mostly use ours to take the dogs with us when they would otherwise be left home and therefore not receiving any exercise anyway. When we go out for walks or with the sole purpose of exercising the dogs we do not use the stroller obviously. Hopefully that gives one side of the issue for you to explore.

Now I am going to bed where my "underexercised, very neglected dog who I will be listing on Petfinder tommorrow as I have no right to own him" is already asleep and waiting for me.

Feel free to take up your bashing of people who use dog strollers again..... NOW.

Elissa
 

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