Dog's Life
In Tandem
By Mark Stuertz
There is nothing like reveling in those moments of exhilaration when you and your dog experience the world together, whether it’s a run through the park or a walk around the block. But some dogs and their owners take those adventures truly in tandem, from hiking to bicycling.
Lindsay Stordahl takes Ace, her two-year old Labrador Retriever mix, with her everywhere. She takes him hiking, camping, and he’s even running beside her when she pedals her mountain bike. “He likes biking better than when we walk because it’s faster,” says Stordahl, who lives with Ace in Fargo, North Dakota. To get started, she walked her bike on her right and Ace on her left until Ace was used to running next to the moving bicycle.
As outdoor enthusiasts, both Stordahl and Ace embark together on hikes and overnight backpacking trips, with Ace nesting at the foot of her sleeping bag, gradually nuzzling up toward her shoulders as the night progresses. Ace looks forward to hiking and backpacking as much as she does, Stordahl says. “To me, it’s the great part of being with Ace; that he can come along and share the outdoors.”
Bob Carter of Atlanta, Georgia, went out with his 7-year old Labrador Retriever mix, Brandy; out across the United States. In November 2006, Carter and Brandy embarked on a trek from Savannah, Georgia, to San Francisco in a recumbent bike towing an enclosed trailer—call it Brandy’s stagecoach. Carter inaugurated his 2,401-mile journey to raise money for musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. It stretched through June of 2007 and included some 64 riding days. Carter relished the trip because he got to be with Brandy 24/7 as they pedaled through the nation’s landscape. “She loves riding,” Carter says. “I would get the bike out and hook up the trailer and she would jump in.” Sleeping in hotels or in a tent, Carter says their road trip days began with breakfast and a few games of Frisbee before they pedaled on to the next destination. There were also plenty of stops for playtime.
The rig was always a conversation starter, wherever they stopped. Carter called his tandem trek Pedal with Purpose. And that it was. For the both of them.
