Your Croozer Dog has finally arrived, and you can hardly wait to hit the road with your four-legged friend! However, before your maiden voyage together, you should give your dog enough time to get used to the new trailer. In this blog post, we’ll explain the best way to do this.
Sitting in a dog house on wheels can be a new and exciting experience for your canine companion. This is why it’s particularly important that you give them plenty of time to get used to the trailer before your first ride. Here are a few helpful tips for a successful acclimatisation process!
For the first phase of this process, we recommend transforming the Croozer Dog into a dog bed by removing the wheels and ideally the crossbar as well. You can find instructions on how to do this in your Croozer Dog’s user manual. Then the familiarisation process can begin:
- Place the bicycle trailer in your dog’s favourite sleeping spot inside your home. When doing so, it’s important to make sure that all doors and windows of the trailer are wide open so that the new vehicle looks more inviting.
- Place your dog’s favourite blankets, stuffed animals and toys, along with the occasional snack, into the trailer – so that the new nook will feel safe and familiar.
- Just like at puppy school, you can playfully help your dog practice walking through the “tunnel”.
- If your dog is apprehensive: keep their food bowl in the “tunnel” until they start to feel more comfortable. This is how the Croozer can quickly become a cosy nook … and your dog’s new favourite place to relax.
- First “walking trial”: Reattach the wheels and crossbar, let your dog hop into the trailer, close the trailer door, and then slowly pull it through the rooms of your house or flat. The Stroller Kit, which is available as an accessory for the Croozer Dog, can make this easier.
As soon as your dog has learned to accept and love the Croozer Dog, you can start with phase 2 and help them get used to riding in the bicycle trailer outdoors. For this process, we recommend following these steps:
- In a calm and quiet area, mount the empty trailer to your bicycle. Only then should you open the rear door and let your dog hop in. Close the door as soon as your dog is inside the Croozer.
- First trial ride outdoors: In the beginning, it is important that you only push the bike and watch how your dog reacts. This first walk should ideally take place in a quiet area, and you should maintain a calm demeanour and keep close watch on your dog’s behaviour.
- The first ride: Your first trip with your dog should be as short as possible and should also involve a nice walk or a fun break for playing with a stick or ball – this is how you can ensure that your dog will associate the trailer with positive experiences.
In every phase of the familiarisation process, keep in mind that the most important factors are calmness and patience – because your dog will be able to sense your emotions, and your own anxiety will make it harder for your dog to trust the trailer. Every dog reacts differently, which is why there is no reason to worry if it takes your dog 5 days or even 5 weeks to get used to the trailer. Once they have, you can look forward to lots of adventures together in the great outdoors!
