Dog Sulkies: Pet Powered Mobility

kris de decker — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:14:16 +0000

Dog owners looking for a more sustainable means of personal transportation should not look any further: the dog sulky is the answer. Dog powered vehicles have been used for the transport of goods and passengers in some European countries during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Compared to those vehicles, the modern dogcarts offered by ChaloSulky promise to deliver a much smoother ride. The carts benefit greatly from the use of bicycle wheels, suspension and brakes. Moreover, the dogs are not confined between two shafts. Instead, only one shaft goes over the animals’ back, making the vehicle lighter and giving the dogs more freedom of movement.

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The picture above shows the “Suspension Sulky”. From the website:

The sulky’s seat is behind the axle. When you sit on the seat, your weight lifts the shaft up. The shaft has upward lift on the harness. Think see-saw. Think lever and fulcrum. When the dog is pulling, your weight actually makes him lighter on his feet. Adjust the seat location relative to the axles/fulcrum by loosening the handle of the seat slider. A light weight rider sits further aft than a heavy rider. Mountain bike suspension forks allow the suspension sulky to ride smoothly on rough ground. Each wheel flexes over rough places independently from the other.

Picture above: The Simple Sulky. (ChaloSulky)

Picture above: the Bicycle Sulky. (ChaloSulky)

Above: the dog cart. The traditional type, improved by the use of bicycle wheels, is still available. (ChaloSulky)

Above: Belgian dogcart, Brussels, late 1800s. (From: dog drawn carts in the 19th and early 20th centuries)

Thanks to MP Hartog.

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Dog Sulkies: Pet Powered Mobility